Springtime will soon be upon us, which means that POWER-PAC IL parent leaders are hard at work with another important legislative session! Several leaders have given powerful testimonies in support of key priorities on their legislative agenda:

• Parents were in Springfield this month to launch legislation for a new state Child Tax Credit, which will give half of Illinois families monthly cash payments to help pay for basic needs. POWER-PAC IL Co-President Donna Carpenter (accompanied by fellow leaders, COFI staff, lawmakers, and community partners – pictured above) spoke at the press conference in the State Capitol: “Even a few hundred extra dollars can help families like mine to get through,” she says.
• Parents are leading the way in celebrating Governor Pritzker’s commitment to expanding resources for early care and education programs with “Smart Start IL” in the FY24 Illinois budget! East St. Louis mother leader LeAnn Swain was quoted in the Raising Illinois statement on the budget: “I have high hopes that this will help families better access the services they so desperately need.” Now, we have to get it through the legislature!
• Delia Perez, Stepping Out of Poverty Campaign Co-Chair, spoke out about the unaffordability of Peoples Gas bills and against a proposed rate hike during a webinar hosted by our partners at Illinois PIRG. “[Peoples Gas] can take it out of their paychecks, not out of the pockets of people who are trying to make ends meet,” she says. Watch her testimony (starting 31:25).

There will be many more legislative updates to come as parent leaders prepare for their annual Moms on a Mission lobby day in May! Be sure to follow COFI on Facebook for the latest announcements and calls to action on parent-led initiatives.