CHICAGO – Today, Senator Martin Sandoval passed legislation out of the Senate that will remove the term ‘alien’ from Illinois statute when describing an undocumented person. This has become an issue for those living in Gage Park, a local Chicago neighborhood home to the third largest undocumented population in the State.

Senate Bill 3021 will change state statute to replace the word ‘alien’ with undocumented immigrant.

This issue was brought to Sandoval by the 9th grade students at Solorio Academy located in Gage Park. They started a campaign to rid the state’s vocabulary of the words ‘alien’ and ‘illegal alien’ as terms to describe undocumented immigrants. When they asked the senator to work on this is they felt this change was a matter of dignity to those living in the community.

The students were encouraged by California’s recent change in their law, and they are hoping the state of Illinois will follow in their footsteps.
Since 2013, surveys have shown that the media has shifted away from using the term ‘alien’ and instead have changed their tone to talk about those ‘without documentation’.

“These are humans, not martians. They’re from another country not another planet” said Sandoval. “I hope the House of Representatives and the Governor will support my community and the students of Solorio Academy in helping make this change in Illinois.”

This legislation passed with an overwhelming majority now goes to the House for their consideration.

CHICAGO – Midway International Airport on Chicago’s southwest side is notorious for its long security lines and hectic atmosphere. Its proximity to Chicago causes it to be one of the busier airports in the nation, making it a focal point in State Senator Martin Sandoval’s (D-Chicago) district. According to reports, Midway will soon be getting a major facelift thanks to a $240 million renovation project taking place over the next few years.

“Anyone who has flown out of Midway knows that it is incredibly busy, and just waiting in line can take hours,” Sandoval said. “These renovations are going to really help those who are travelling through the airport, as well as my local community. From this plan, we can expect over 1,000 new construction jobs as well as hundreds of customer service positions to fill the new restaurants and stores that will be opening.”

Under the plan, the airport will be increasing the number of security checkpoint lines to 27 from 17. The current layout of the airport forces a wide lane of traveler traffic to condense into many different smaller lanes, which increases the wait time. It will also be adding a significant amount of concessions and storefronts to the terminals and main food court. Furthermore, the capacity of the parking garage will be increased by approximately 1,000 spaces by adding four new levels.

The city will begin accepting bids for the project later this year, and will start advancing the proposal through the City Council in 2016.

SPRINGFIELD – In the midst of the ongoing budget negotiations, Illinois State Senator Martin Sandoval (D-Chicago) voted to deny himself a pay increase. The Illinois Constitution includes a provision that requires legislators’ pay to increase every year, known as a cost-of-living adjustment (COLA).

“Right now, there are a lot of state facilities and programs that are threatening to close because they don’t have enough funding,” Sandoval said. “For us to take a pay increase while others are struggling just to put food on the table is wrong. The vote we took today was a practical and responsible decision.”

This is not the first time lawmakers have voted to reject their COLAs, they’ve renewed their vote to reject them every year since 2011. Each member of the General Assembly receives a COLA of about $80, and HB 576 prevents it from being implemented. The Illinois Senate voted 49-2 in favor of rejecting the COLA, and the measure would take effect immediately if the governor signs it.

CHICAGO- Area residents had a chance to sit down face-to-face and talk about their concerns with Senator Martin Sandoval (D-Chicago).

Illinois is trying to get out of a $6 billion dollar deficient that has put education, public safety, social services and other services at risk. Sandoval's main goal was to listen and get a better understanding on how the cuts impacted residents and to offer solutions.

"As a senator, It's my job to not only talk about what I want to change, but to also actively go to the different businesses and neighborhoods to hear from the people living there what they need improved," Sandoval said.

Earlier this week, Sandoval visited community groups, businesses and residents within different neighborhoods -- Gage Park, Brighton Park, McKinley Park, Garfield Ridge and the Southwest side of Chicago -- to get their feedback on social services, economic development, education, jobs and public safety.

Read more ...