The Fall Veto Session in the Illinois General Assembly wrapped up on Oct. 30, and POWER-PAC parents made sure their voices were heard! This past month, families united to protect children and family rights in the face of aggressive immigration enforcement, brought vital healthcare issues to the forefront, and advocated for fully funded public schools.<\/p>\n
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First up, COFI and POWER-PAC IL Parent Leaders signed on to support the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights<\/a><\/span> (ICIRR)\u2019s Safety and Action for Liberation Together (S.A.L.T.) platform<\/a><\/span>. Parents attended two lobby days in Springfield to meet with legislators about the platform\u2019s priorities. This included policies to protect people in hospitals, courthouses, higher education, and childcare settings from immigration enforcement.<\/p>\n Also, at POWER-PAC IL\u2019s annual membership meeting, parents also recorded powerful videos to support the S.A.L.T. platform and raise awareness about the need for safe educational spaces. This was done in collaboration with funding from the Dignity in Schools Semana Nacional de Acci\u00f3n contra la Expulsi\u00f3n Escolar<\/a><\/span>. You can check out some of the videos on social media aqu\u00ed<\/span><\/a> y aqu\u00ed<\/a><\/span>.<\/p>\n Thanks to all these efforts and all the organizations that came together, the Illinois General Assembly aprobado<\/a><\/span> House Bill 1312 on Oct. 31, incorporating many priorities from the S.A.L.T. platform. A huge thank you to the COFI and POWER-PAC IL leaders for making this possible!<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Isaiah, a leader from the Southside Branch of Chicago, traveled to Springfield on Oct. 29, where he shared his personal story with the Illinois General Assembly\u2019s Appropriations – Health and Human Services Committee. Alongside healthcare advocates, he called for increased state revenue to offset the detrimental effects of federal Medicaid cuts and work requirements in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), which passed in July 2025.<\/p>\n Isaiah spoke about how Medicaid is critical to his health and his ability to work. But, more importantly, as a father, he\u2019s focused on being there for his son.<\/p>\n Like many parents in the city, Isaiah relies on public transportation and would have to take two buses to the closest public aid office to prove his work requirements. The red line and buses are often unpredictable and delayed, and he\u2019s responsible for getting his son to school at 8:45 and picking him up at 3:45.<\/p>\n \u201cI need to be the one there for my son, because he\u2019s been bullied at school and I worry about who will be there waiting for him if I\u2019m not there,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Isaiah’s testimony serves as a reminder of the real-life implications of policy decisions and the critical need for supportive measures for families. Thank you, Isaiah, for speaking up for families, and thank you to Protect Our Care – Illinois<\/a><\/span> y EverThrive<\/a><\/span> for organizing this important hearing!<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Adriana, Co-Chair of POWER-PAC IL\u2019s Elementary Justice Campaign<\/span><\/em><\/a>, made her voice heard at the Illinois State Board of Education\u2019s (ISBE) Budget Hearing on Oct. 21. During her testimony, she highlighted the urgent need to fully fund public schools. She also emphasized that Illinois won\u2019t achieve this until 2040.<\/p>\n \u201cOur children cannot wait that long,\u201d she said. \u201cPOWER-PAC families want to make sure our schools are fully funded so that our children have access to the resources they deserve.\u201d<\/p>\n Additionally, she called on ISBE to support a $5.7 billion increase, aiming to ensure that every child, in every district, has equal access to a high-quality education.<\/p>\n Since the Evidence-Based Funding (EBF) formula was passed in 2017 to address longstanding disparities, parents\u2019 advocacy efforts continue to stress its importance. Despite years of minimal funding increases, COFI and POWER-PAC IL remain committed<\/a> <\/span>to pushing for significant changes and have prioritized it on their policy agenda for many years.<\/p>\n ISBE is unlikely to make a budget recommendation until early 2026, but you can learn more about the budget process aqu\u00ed<\/a><\/span>. You can also view a video recording of Adriana\u2019s testimony.<\/p>\nFighting for Healthcare and Medicaid<\/strong><\/h4>\n
Advocating for Fully Funded Public Schools<\/strong><\/h4>\n