Halpin higher-education librarian task force gets nod from the Senate

• Higher Education

SPRINGFIELD – Libraries are an important cornerstone of a college students’ education and they require professional, union librarians to staff them. State Senator Mike Halpin championed a task force to study the impact of professional librarians on student and university outcomes.

“We must ensure our higher education institutions offer the most competitive and comprehensive learning tools,” said Halpin (D-Rock Island). “A fully staffed, professional, union library faculty can direct a young mind to diverse, authoritative sources and instruct navigation of evolving data bases. This task force will give us a deeper understanding of professional librarians’ impact on a student’s education and give universities insights on how they can improve their library access.”

Halpin led Senate Joint Resolution 13 to create a University Library and Professional Librarian Access and Transparency Task Force alongside the Illinois Federation of Teachers. This task force would study the impacts of professional librarians on student and university outcomes.

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Halpin combats plastic pollution

• Environment

SPRINGFIELD – Single-use plastics account for up to 40% of plastic produced every year – with many of those products persisting in the environment for hundreds of years. State Senator Mike Halpin is working to combat that pollution through a resolution he spearheaded.  

“The fight against plastic pollution will take every one of us to win, from our state government to everyday Illinoisans,” said Halpin (D-Rock Island). “This is one step forward on the path to a cleaner, healthier Illinois.”

The Resolution would make April 1^st Skip the Plastic Day urging all residents, businesses and visitors to reduce plastic waste and protect our environment. The resolution commends businesses who only offer single-use plastics and take proactive steps to reduce waste.

Skip the Plastic Day was spearheaded by an entrepreneurial Rock Island eighth grader named Nicolina Pappas, who bravely testified before the Senate Environment and Conservation Committee. You can read more about her testimony here.

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Halpin effort to crack down on human trafficking passes Senate

SPRINGFIELD – Though many Illinoisans may not be aware, human trafficking occurs in every part of the state, from Rock Island to Chicago. To crack down on the statewide scourge, State Senator Mike Halpin passed a measure through the Senate Thursday.

“We must empower our local governments and law enforcement to keep tabs on businesses to make sure every instance of human trafficking is accounted for and the perpetrators are brought to justice,” said Halpin. “By allowing localities to monitor hotels, restaurants and truck stop training, we can create a more targeted approach to combatting these terrible crimes.”

While current law requires human trafficking recognition training at hotels, restaurants and truck stops, this legislation would give municipalities the legal authority to act if a business is not complying the training laws. In addition, the new law would allow local governments to issue fines of up to $1,500 per offense.

In 2023 the Human Trafficking Hotline received over 760 signals from Illinois. These signals can range from labor trafficking to sex trafficking though some are unknown or unspecified. Though most of the cases were adult females the issue also impacts minors and males though at a lower rate. While Illinois is combatting the human trafficking epidemic, it remains one of the most under-reported and under-identified crimes. In addition, the sinister dynamics of human trafficking mean that most victims do not reach out for help according to the Illinois State Police. This means that trafficking hotspots like hotels, restaurants and truck stop employees need the proper training to identify this crime.

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Halpin: Expanding and maintaining mental health care access is a top priority

• Mental Health

SPRINGFIELD – More than 84,000 Iowans live with severe mental illness and only about 35,000 of those are receiving treatment. State Senator Mike Halpin’s bill to allow vulnerable mental health patients from Iowa to use Rock Island mental care facilities passed the Senate Wednesday.

“Our country is in the midst of a mental health crisis that crosses state lines,” said Halpin. “Expanding and maintaining mental health care access is a top priority.”

Senate Bill 188 would allow in-patients from Iowa who are placed involuntarily into the mental health system to be admitted to a mental health institution in Rock Island County.  The goal of this measure is to prevent Iowan involuntary patients from being placed in facilities hours from their hometowns.

According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, about 60% of Iowa communities experience a shortage of mental health care. In addition, Iowa ranks last in the nation in staffed psychiatric hospital beds according to the Treatment Advocacy Center.

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