SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Patrick Joyce (D-Essex) issued the following statement following Gov. JB Pritzker’s budget address Wednesday:

“The ongoing pandemic continues to take a toll on families and small businesses across the state. The governor’s proposal recognizes the realities of Illinois’ fiscal situation and puts the focus on reducing the state’s expenses. While COVID-19 remains our biggest challenge, I am pleased to see the proposed budget support struggling families and family-owned businesses while ensuring the state is spending within its means. 

“To improve our state and the lives of all Illinois families, we must work together. This proposed budget is the beginning of the negotiation process, and I look forward to coming together to craft a smart, bipartisan budget that puts our state back on track.”

KANKAKEE – Renovations to the Technology Building at Kankakee Community College are moving forward after State Senator Patrick Joyce (D-Essex ) and State Representative Lindsay Parkhurst (R-Kankakee) secured funds last year’s budget for capital infrastructure improvement, and will be used to renovate some of the Technology Building classrooms on the Kankakee Community College Riverfront Campus.

“Colleges and universities like Kankakee Community College not only provide students with a top-notch education, but also contribute to economic development in our communities,” Joyce said. “Despite all the challenges we have faced this year, this funding shows the state’s commitment to accelerating higher education in Kankakee.”

The funds will be used to begin Phase 1 of the two-phased project, renovating lab space that will enhance the Electrical Engineering Technology program. When both phases are finished, students will enjoy expanded and modernized instruction areas, upgraded equipment, and renovated student training and workspaces.

The renovations will benefit all of KCC’s Technology Division programs: Electrical Engineering Technology, Computer Graphic Technology, Law Enforcement/Criminal Justice, and Automotive Technology.

“Kankakee Community College is a vital part of our local economy and workforce development," Parkhurst said. "KCC was number one on my list to receive state funds to improve outdated infrastructure and assist KCC in its aim of providing all-aged learners the education and tools they need to enrich and improve their lives and careers. Thank you to KCC for always putting community first!”
 
This phase of KCC’s technology renovations is budgeted at $1.75 million and will begin in February 2021. It is expected to be completed by June, with the first classes in the newly renovated spaces in Fall 2021.

BRADLEY – A new 6,000-square-foot facility serving Commercial Driver’s License holders will open in Bradley on Tuesday, Feb. 23, State Senator Patrick Joyce (D-Essex) announced.

“We have depended on transportation companies and truck drivers throughout the COVID-19 pandemic to keep the supply chain running,” Joyce said. “This new location will maximize the facility’s traffic flow and efficiency to keep this essential industry operating smoothly.”

The new facility is located at 111 Village Square Shopping Plaza in Bradley. The current facility at 1111 Blatt Road is scheduled to close at the end of business on Thursday, Feb. 11.

After Feb. 11 and before the new facility opens on Feb. 23, customers are encouraged to visit the nearest driver services facilities, including:

• South Holland (CDL facility): 41 W. 162nd St.
• Joliet: 210 S. Joyce Road
• Watseka: 123 W. Walnut St.

For customers who decide to visit a facility, masks are required. Customers are advised to come prepared to wait outside because, due to social distancing, the number of people allowed inside a facility at one time is limited.

As a reminder, Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White has extended all expiration dates for driver’s licenses and ID cards to June 1, 2021. Joyce encourages people to conduct business online at www.cyberdriveillinois.com for services such as renewing license plate stickers, ID cards and driver’s licenses for those that are eligible.

KANKAKEE – To help county health departments streamline the COVID-19 vaccination process and prevent the waste of precious vaccine supplies, State Senator Patrick Joyce (D-Essex) called for the implementation of a database that would allow nearby health care providers to redistribute extra vaccine doses more quickly and efficiently.

Joyce, along with several of his colleagues in the Illinois Senate, made the request of Gov. JB Pritzker via a joint letter.

“We all know vaccine supplies are scarce, and with their specific storage requirements, they must be distributed quickly to be effective,” Joyce said. “We are asking the state to implement a database system to cut down on waste. County health departments may not have the infrastructure to implement a major database system, but the state does. This change could immediately improve the distribution plan.”

The proposed database would allow for nearby health care providers to be notified when there are extra vaccines available that need to be administered quickly. This would simplify the redistribution process, give eligible individuals the chance to receive their vaccination and prevent the state’s supply from expiring.

Joyce proposed the idea after learning that the Kankakee County Health Department is already taking this approach. Their health department has moved toward the system described: Providers contact family members, friends and neighbors when there are leftover vaccines to ensure zero waste. 

“I appreciate the governor and IDPH’s efforts to work out a plan to vaccinate residents,” Joyce said. “I hope they will take this proposal into consideration.”