Cunningham supports measure to simplify college admissions for Illinois students

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Bill Cunningham is supporting a measure to simplify the college admissions process for high school seniors and community college transfer students.

“High school seniors and community college transfer students already face significant challenges as they navigate their education,” said Cunningham, a Democrat who represents portions of Chicago and the Southwest Suburbs. “The last thing they need is to be overwhelmed with a complicated admissions process full of unnecessary fees, paperwork, and delays. This bill will make it easier for students, especially those in our communities like Moraine Valley Community College, to pursue higher education without additional barriers.”

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Cunningham receives award for stalwart support of Illinois labor

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Bill Cunningham received the Reuben Soderstrom Award for being a labor champion.

“Unions represent an essential pillar for protecting Illinois workers and our communities as a whole,” said Cunningham, a Democrat who represents portions of Chicago and the Southwest Suburbs. “Standing in solidarity with labor is something one should do regardless of recognition, but I am happy to accept the award and encourage my colleagues to keep up the good fight.”

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Cunningham introduces clean energy legislation that would save consumers $2.4 billion

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Bill Cunningham held a press conference Tuesday to introduce legislation aimed to address a projected energy deficit for Illinois.

“With energy prices skyrocketing across the country and leaders in Washington opening the floodgates for fossil fuels, our bill makes it clear that Illinois will remain at the forefront of lowering energy costs while investing in clean energy,” said Cunningham, a Democrat who represents portions of Chicago and the Southwest Suburbs. “This legislation proves to the nation that we don’t have to choose between taking care of our communities, our economy, or our planet.”

Senate Bill 2497 would address Illinois’ energy crisis caused by rapid inflation and steep tariffs on many goods used to build and maintain energy infrastructure. The bill would also address and rectify significant delays in connecting clean energy projects to regional energy grids.

The bill would by establish a target for Illinois to build 15 gigawatts of clean energy storage – a battery technology that stores excess solar and wind power for later use – and remove barriers keeping newly built clean energy infrastructure from connecting to the grid, potentially saving consumers $2.4 billion on energy bills over the next 20 years.

Senate Bill 2497 awaits a committee assignment.

Cunningham: We need to be responsible with taxpayer dollars

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Bill Cunningham, a Democrat who represents portions of Chicago and the Southwest Suburbs, released the following statement Wednesday after the governor outlined his budget proposal for Fiscal Year 2026:

“We can’t forget that funding for the state budget comes from taxpayers, so we have to be responsible with how the money is spent. The governor’s proposed budget is a good starting point for negotiations. With a little bit of fiscal discipline, we should get to a point where the finalized budget meets the needs of Illinois residents in a responsible way.”