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PARK FOREST – State Senator Patrick Joyce (D-Essex) recently honored 192 local high school students who were named 2021-22 Illinois State Scholars by the Illinois Student Assistance Commission.
Illinois State Scholar winners rank in approximately the top 10% of the state’s high school seniors from 676 high schools in all 102 counties. Selection is based on a combination of standardized test scores and class rank or unweighted GPA at the end of the student’s junior year. ISAC works in conjunction with the students’ high school guidance counselors to determine the winners.
“I am thrilled to recognize and congratulate these students from our community for this well-deserved honor,” Joyce said. “This group of scholars is incredibly inspiring, as they have persisted through unprecedented changes in learning. I’m so proud of their commitment and dedication.”
The ISAC recognized Scholars from across the 40th District, including students from Bishop McNamara, Bradley Bourbonnais Community, Coal City, Flossmoor, Herscher, Kankakee, Marian Catholic, Momence, Rich East, Peotone, South Wilmington and St. Anne high schools.
Read more: Joyce celebrates Illinois Student Scholars in 40th Senate District
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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.
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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.
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SPRINGFIELD – In honor of the 51st Annual Illinois Agriculture Legislative Day, Senate Agriculture Chairman Patrick Joyce (D-Essex) connected with farmers, agricultural organizations and other industry stakeholders virtually Wednesday.
“Agriculture is our state’s number-one industry, and as chairperson of the Senate Agriculture Committee, supporting its progress is one of my top priorities,” Joyce said. “I firmly believe we must do all we can to support our farmers who are out there every day making a difference.”
The day-long event, organized by the Illinois Department of Agriculture, provides groups the opportunity to raise awareness of industry-related issues and educate legislators about the role of agribusiness in the community. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Joyce connected with these groups virtually.
“Agriculture is vital to our state’s economy, and I take pride in being a voice for the industry in the General Assembly,” Joyce said. “It was rewarding to see all these groups get involved and participate virtually today.”
Joyce, who is dedicated to helping farmers and the agriculture industry, is working with the Department of Agriculture on several measures this legislative session, including Senate Bill 1657 and Senate Bill 1658. Both pieces of legislation passed the Senate Agriculture Committee and await further consideration by the full Senate.
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