SPRINGFIELD- Illinois veterans and active duty military personnel may soon have additional guidance while searching for veteran resources at Illinois higher education institutions.

State Senator Michael E. Hastings (D-Tinley Park) advanced Senate Bill 705 to require all state universities and colleges to post a veteran services guidebook on their websites.

“It’s crucial for our returning heroes to be able to find available veterans resources with a click of the mouse,” Hastings said.  “This guide will serve as a tremendous resource as Illinois veterans and military personnel make important educational decisions.”
Under this initiative, each public institution that serves more than 1,000 students is required to employ a Coordinator of Veterans and Military Personnel Student Services on each campus.

Hastings believes the coordinator will serve as a centralized source for information on benefit programs and any available services for student veterans and military personnel.

“We need a one-stop shop for all available veterans’ resources ,” Hastings said. “This guide will help serve that purpose and move the state toward centralizing veterans services to guarantee state and local military programs are readily available.”

Senate Bill 705 passed the Senate’s Committee on Veterans Affairs with bipartisan support and now moves to the full Senate for consideration.

TINLEY PARK – Senator Michael E. Hastings (D-Tinley Park) released the following statement in response to the Attorney General’s request to terminate the injunction in place to allow state workers to be paid in absence of a budget:

“The political games need to stop. If Governor Rauner actually cared about protecting our state employees and making Illinois kind or compassionate, we wouldn’t be starting year three without a budget in place. It’s time to lead, not hide behind the latest empty promise.”

SPRINGFIELD- Senator Michael E. Hastings (D-Tinley Park) released the following video in response to the governor's state of the state address:

SPRINGFIELD- To protect Illinois’ democratic values, State Senator Michael E. Hastings (D-Tinley Park) introduced legislation to revive the investigation on Russia’s deliberate interference in America’s presidential elections.

Hastings introduced Senate Resolution 94 urging the federal government to complete their investigation and inform the American people on the unprecedented security breach that may have influenced the outcome of the Presidential Election.

“Russia should not have any influence on the destiny of the American people,” Hastings said. “Elections are a sacred practice established by our founding forefathers to advance our democracy and protect our nation’s independence.”

Senate Resolution 94 urges a bipartisan investigation by Congress and supports the call for a National Intelligence Estimate (NIE) to determine the extent of Russian intervention in the 2016 presidential elections.

Hastings finds it appalling that the facts have not been laid out for the people of Illinois.

“As a nation, we need to take all necessary action to disarm our adversaries and protect the heart of democracy- our elections,” Hastings said.

In July of 2016, the Illinois State Board of Elections reported an attack that targeted the Illinois Voter Registration System Database.  

Hastings introduced Senate Resolution 93 to require the Illinois State Board of Elections to produce a final comprehensive report outlining the nature of the breach, system audits and an outline of all preventative measures to ensure similar cyber interferences never happen again.

“We cannot allow this attack on democracy to go unresolved,” Hastings said. “The citizens of Illinois deserve to not only be informed on this breach of trust but be reassured the proper steps were taken to guarantee this will never happen again.”

Senate Resolution 93 and Senate Resolution 94 will be heard in the Senate this legislative session.