March Newsletter: My Legislation, Volunteer Opportunities, and More

Dear Neighbors,

Happy Women’s History Month! Throughout the month I will be highlighting incredible women in the 85th District, so be sure to follow my social media to see them. You can find me at @repdagmara on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

I am pleased to announce that I have once again been named to the Medicaid Working Group! The Medicaid Working Group will be led by Representative Gabel, along with Gordon-Booth, Hernandez, and Lilly.

“Medicaid is a major segment of our budget, and our Medicaid policy is also a major part of our effort to be both responsible and compassionate,” Gabel said. “This group will bring diverse voices together to review legislation impacting Medicaid from all angles and contribute to a budget that invests in our immediate health and our long-term well-being.”

I have also been selected as the Chair of the Medicaid and Managed Care Subcommittee. I’m looking forward to bringing the 85th District to the table, as close to 2 out of every 10 residents in the 85th District have Medicaid. In my conversations with constituents, healthcare access and quality has been a top priority and I will continue to make it mine as well.

The bill filing deadline was at the end of February, so I have filed my legislation for the spring session. Please see below for some of the bills I filed. To see all my legislation, click here.

Please don’t hesitate to reach out to my office with any questions. You can reach us via email, phone, or text at info@repdagmara.org or 815-372-0085.

Wishing everyone health and happiness.

Sincerely,

LEGISLATION

OUT AND ABOUT

If you would like to invite me to an event, meeting, or tour of your facility, please reach out to my office at info@repdagmara.org.

I had the opportunity to meet virtually with the President and Founder of Beyond Charity, a student run organization that focuses on the importance of mental health for students. It was great to hear about the education they provide and we even discussed future legislation. To view their work click here.

My staff spent part of Valentines Day giving out community made valentines to local senior living facilities. We’re so appreciative of the community members who made valentines to show the seniors how much their community loves them.

I joined the Illinois Legislative Latino Caucus in a press conference after the Governor’s Budget Address. I discussed the ILLC Raices framework that would fund health equity, economic equity, education equity, and more. Illinois is in a good financial place, and we should continue to deliver for all Illinoisans. To watch my full remarks, click here.

I joined Joliet Latino Economic Development Association (LEDA) at their February Open House to learn more about the services LEDA offers. They can help future Latino business owners in the area start their business through one on one counseling, finding funding opportunities, and helping develop your goals. They also left time for networking where I was able to connect with current and future business owners!

I was honored to join the United States Hispanic Leadership Institute at their 41st Annual National Conference that was held in Chicago. I participated in a Roundtable Discussion for Latino Leaders with the US Census Director Robert Santos. We discussed the 2020 census undercount, current census priorities, concerns from elected officials, and the what can be improved upon in the 2030 census.

The Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights (ICIRR) hosted their 2023 Summit, and I joined them to speak about my medical debt bill. HB2719 will mandate hospitals to actively look for eligibility of medical benefits, such as medicaid, marketplace, and/or charity care before sending the bill to collections. Everyone, regardless of race, zip code, or immigration status deserves to be physically and financially healthy.

My staff attended the Will County Kids Expo on Presidents Day and connected with so many families from all over Will County! Kids and families got the opportunity to connect with different businesses and organizations in the area, play games at each table, and win different prizes! Thank you to the Will County Executive’s Office for hosting this great event while kids were off school.

To celebrate World Read Aloud Day, I joined 2 Brooks Middle School 8th Grade classes and read the first chapter of Clean Getaway by Nic Stone. After reading, we discussed a bit of the chapter and then talked about the life of a legislator. The students will also get to connect with Nic Stone in May!

My Community Engagement Manager, Briana, joined the Valley View School District Community Partners meeting to learn more about their 21st Century Learning Program, the Parent Cafes, and hear from other Valley View partners. We are looking forward to continuing to support the Valley View School District!

The Illinois Latino Caucus hosted a Cannabis Townhall in partnership with the Cannabis Equity Coalition and Illinois Cannabis Regulation Oversight Officer. We went through how to improve access for Latine applications for dispensary licenses. To watch the full townhall, click here.

February 22 was Lobby Day in Springfield, so I got the opportunity to meet with many great organizations and businesses to talk about legislation. Some of the groups I met with include Warehouse Workers for Justice, Latino Worker Safety Center, Metal Monkey Brewing, and University of Illinois students. I always enjoy meeting with constituents to hear what legislation is important to them!

I joined Comptroller Mendoza, Mayor Noak, Chief Kroll, Chief Adams, and other officials in support of HB1208, an important bill that allows for a continuing appropriation for the Line of Duty Compensation Act. This act funds claims for families who lost first responder loved ones in the line of duty.

EVENTS AND RESOURCES

I encourage people to take advantage of the 211 line and website. 211 is powered by real people — trained specialists who work to identify and address the root causes of a client’s problem. That means from the first hello, someone in crisis is reaching a real person who can provide a connection to help.

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES

Meals on Wheels is looking for volunteer drivers any day Monday-Friday 9am-11am!

Volunteer delivery drivers pickup meals in Joliet, Bolingbrook, Lockport, New Lenox, Frankfort, and Wilmington and deliver them across the county! Can you help those in your community?

Will County Habitat for Humanity invites you to join us as we build homes, communities and hope in Will County. We are looking for volunteers to help with store operations at the Joliet ReStore, build on one of our construction sites or assist at a special event. Volunteer opportunities take place Tuesday through Saturday year round. The minimum age to volunteer is 14. For more information about Will County Habitat for Humanity, visit www.habitatwill.org. If you would like to learn more about volunteering, contact Cheryl Toohey, Community Outreach Coordinator, at ctoohey@habitatwill.org.