CHICAGO – Senator Patricia Van Pelt (D-Chicago) is outraged after the Aldi in West Garfield Park abruptly closed in October, and is worried about resident’s wellbeing in lieu of the West Side becoming a food desert.

“This closure is devastating to the community because a lot of people depended on this Aldi for convenient and affordable food,” Van Pelt said. “In particular, many older residents got their groceries from here. This is not just an affordability issue, but a mobility issue as well.”

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CHICAGO - Monday was a historic day for disability employment in Illinois, and State Senator Patricia Van Pelt (D-Chicago) is celebrating the new executive order ensuring that employees with disabilities will receive equal pay.

“People with disabilities are treated so poorly in our society, and equal pay is just one of the ways to eliminate the discrimination they face,” Van Pelt said. “This executive order is long overdue, and it is a step toward equity for people of different abilities.”

Governor Pritzker’s Executive Order ends the use of subminimum wages for people with disabilities employed by state vendors.

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CHICAGO – The first wave of Back to Business grants was awarded, with over half a million dollars going to businesses in the 5^th District, State Senator Patricia Van Pelt (D-Chicago) announced.

Through the B2B program, $250 million in American Rescue Plan Act dollars are set aside for small businesses experiencing COVID-19 losses. The first wave granted more than $24 million to small businesses across the state. Eligible businesses can apply for the second wave by Oct. 13.

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Missing ISU student Jelani Day has been found, suspect still at large

CHICAGO — The Illinois Senate Black Caucus reacts to the finding of missing Illinois State University Student Jelani Day:

“To the family and friends of Jelani Day, our hearts ache to hear this news and we wish you peace and comfort as you grieve during this tragic time. It’s extremely devastating to see a family lose a loved one and our thoughts and prayers are with you.

While we’re all mourning the loss of Jelani we must turn our attention to the suspects who are still at large. We encourage the Bloomington Police Department to thoroughly continue the investigation to bring justice and peace to the Day family. We understand this is a very difficult job and investigations take time but we want to emphasize the lack of urgency in identifying missing people of color. The term for this is ‘missing white woman syndrome.’ We saw an example of this during the tragic death and missing case of Gabby Petito. Gabby’s story controlled the airways, while Jelani’s was covered by very few. As a caucus, we haven’t come this far in fighting for equity for black children and families for them to not receive it. Jelani and his family deserve justice and we want it now.”