CHICAGO HEIGHTS – State Senator Patrick Joyce (D-Essex) joined State Representative Anthony DeLuca (D-Chicago Heights) and Secretary of State Jesse White Monday morning to announce a new driver services facility at Prairie State College opening Tuesday, May 11. 

“Following the damage and closure of the Chicago Heights driver services facility, Rep. DeLuca and I went straight to the secretary of state’s office and Prairie State College requesting immediate action,” Joyce said. “No one should have to take a day off work or wait hours to access these vital services. The Prairie State facility is conveniently located less than three miles from the former facility, and I’m confident it will serve the community and surrounding areas well.”

Last summer, the Chicago Heights driver services facility was damaged by a fire and since then has been closed to the public. The closing of the Chicago Heights facility forced motorists to go out of their way to other secretary of state facilities in Midlothian, Joliet, Naperville and Bradley to seek out services.

Read more: Joyce: Driver services facility at Prairie State College to open Tuesday

CHICAGO HEIGHTS – To address a growing need for residents in the Chicago Heights area to have convenient access to driver services, State Senator Patrick Joyce (D-Essex) and State Representative Anthony DeLuca (D-Chicago Heights) will join Secretary of State Jesse White to announce the opening of a new driver services facility at Prairie State College.

“This is an important announcement for the residents of Chicago Heights and surrounding areas who have been waiting much too long to have secretary of state services available close by,” Joyce said. “I have worked tirelessly with Rep. DeLuca and the secretary of state’s office to negotiate with Prairie State College to get the temporary location open as soon as possible so drivers have a convenient way to access state services. I’m hopeful we’ll get the regular driver services facility up and running soon, but for now, we’re working hard to make sure people still have access to the resources they need.”

Last summer, the Chicago Heights driver services facility was damaged by a fire and since then has been closed to the public. The closing of the Chicago Heights facility forced motorists to go out of their way to other secretary of state facilities in Midlothian, Joliet, Naperville and Bradley to seek out services.

Read more: Joyce, DeLuca, White to announce opening of driver services facility in Chicago Heights

PARK FOREST – To honor those who have died in work zones and to raise awareness for the safety of road workers, State Senator Patrick Joyce (D-Essex) is encouraging Illinoisans to “Go Orange” during Work Zone Safety Awareness Week, April 26-30, 2021.

“Too often, people are driving distracted and fail to see a crew member in a work zone,” Joyce said. “I urge drivers to be vigilant during Work Zone Safety Awareness Week and all year long when driving through a construction zone to protect the work crews on the road.”

In 2019, the most recent year statistics are available, 842 people were killed and 39,100 injured in work zone crashes nationally. Illinois averages 6,400 crashes in work zones each year, resulting in 1,700 injuries and 34 deaths. More than 9 out of 10 deaths are someone other than a worker, including drivers, passengers, pedestrians and bicyclists.

“Seeing orange is a powerful reminder that all crashes, injuries and deaths, not just those in work zones, are almost always avoidable,” said Acting Illinois Transportation Secretary Omer Osman. “We are grateful to the organizations that are taking part in this effort to ‘Go Orange’ and help IDOT and its partners drive the number of fatalities to the only acceptable number – zero.”

For more information on Work Zone Awareness Week, visit IDOT’s Work Zone page.

SPRINGFIELD – An initiative by State Senator Patrick Joyce (D-Essex) to prevent children’s lemonade stands from being shut down for not having a permit cleared the Illinois Senate Wednesday. 

The legislation was inspired by 12-year-old Hayli Martinez, whose lemonade stand in Kankakee was flagged by local officials and shut down.

“I once was a kid with a dream to own a business, and the current law discourages our young entrepreneurs – it’s time to stick up for them,” Joyce said. “Opening a lemonade stand is a rite of passage for any child – this legislation allows our youth to be innovative while making some extra money.”
 
Under this measure, the Illinois Department of Public Health, a local health department or public health district could not regulate the sale of lemonade or non-alcoholic drinks or mixed beverages by a person under the age of 16 years. This bill would also prevent authorities from requiring a permit for children to sell lemonade on private properties or in a public park.

Joyce introduced this legislation in 2020 after hearing Hayli’s story from a concerned constituent. The measure lost momentum due to the pandemic, but Joyce reintroduced it this year.

Senate Bill 119 passed the Illinois Senate and heads to the Illinois House for further debate.