SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Patrick Joyce is leading a measure to expedite safety and infrastructure decisions at problematic intersections on state roads in Will County.

“Our local communities have suffered some devastating losses after some recent accidents on state roads,” said Joyce (D-Essex). “These were roads that the community and local leaders knew had problems and flagged for review. With the risk of more crashes happening, we need to expedite this process.”

Senate Bill 3275 would require the Illinois Department of Transportation, in consultation with local agencies, to identify and conduct a road safety assessment of the 10 most hazardous state-controlled intersections in Will County located south of Interstate 80. The legislation would address delays faced by municipalities and counties in the 40^th District when seeking IDOT review.

By requiring a formal safety review and report to the Illinois General Assembly, the bill would prioritize potential fixes, such as design changes, traffic control adjustments or other safety measures, to reduce crashes and improve roadway safety in that region.

BRADLEY – State Senator Patrick Joyce joined CSL Behring as they announced a historic $1.5 billion investment for the Kankakee County community as they expand their operations in the area.

“This is truly game-changing for both our local workforce and patients in need,” said Joyce (D-Essex). “A $1.5 billion investment highlights our commitment to expanding innovative plasma therapy manufacturing capacity right here in Illinois, creating high-quality jobs and strengthening pharmaceutical supply chains.”

CSL Behring is a global leader in life sciences, developing plasma-derived therapies to treat rare and life-threatening conditions. The CSL Behring Kankakee site is the largest manufacturing employer in Kankakee County. The $1.5 billion investment will bring 300 well-paying jobs to the region ─ while retaining more than 1,200 existing positions ─ along with many construction jobs needed to support the expansion.

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Patrick Joyce advanced a bill that would allow for more humane hunting and an expansion of the hunting industry in Illinois.

“Many hunters I know tend to pass on using centerfire rifles,” said Joyce (D-Essex). “If we can pass this legislation, we will see a significant increase in the use of this hunting rifle.”

Senate Bill 2756 would increase the max capacity of centerfire rifles from one to three rounds. This would put Illinois on par with all other states, as Illinois is the only state that institutes a single-shot limit on centerfire rifle capacity. Joyce led previous legislation that formally legalized the use of single shot centerfire rifles for deer hunting season. Since its introduction, centerfire rifle use among youth hunters has jumped to just over 50 percent.

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Patrick Joyce advanced a measure that would ensure county coroners and medical examiners are able to receive mental health counseling if needed. 

“Our local coroners and medical examiners have the responsibility of examining the scenes of death and determining the circumstances,” said Joyce (D-Essex). “These can be some disturbing scenes for anyone to witness.”

Senate Bill 2770 would add coroners, deputy coroners, county medical examiners and deputy county medical examiners to the definition of first responders for the purpose of providing them mental health counseling without any cost-sharing.