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April 26, 2017 Litesa Wallace
(815) 987-7433
Wallace backs Proposal for Emergency Funding for Violence Reduction in
Majority Minority Led Districts
Springfield, IL. April 26, 2017. Black and latino members of the House
have introduced legislation that will provide emergency funding for
violence reduction in all representative districts led by black and
latino members. Members will outline the proposal at a press conference
to be held at 1:30pm on Wednesday, April 26th in the Blue Room at the
Illinois State Capitol.
House Bill 4008, sponsored by Rep. Litesa Wallace (D-67) appropriates
$56,000,000 from the General Revenue Fund to provide grants to be
disbursed to community based organizations that are based entirely
within those representative districts. If the measure is approved, each
district will receive 2 million dollars in grants to address prevention
using a culturally competent approach for initiatives such as youth
services, after-school programming, summer jobs, vocational programs,
community outreach, communications and more. Other bill sponsors include
Rep. Cynthia Soto (D-4), Rep. Sonya Harper (D-6), Rep. Carol Ammons
(D-103), Rep. Camille Lilly (D-78), Rep. Linda Chapa LaVia (D-83), Rep.
LaShawn Ford (D-8), Rep. Elizabeth Hernandez (D-24), Rep. Justin
Slaughter (D-27), Rep. Melissa Conyears-Ervin (D-10) and Rep. Silvana
Tabares (D-21).
"This bill is about preparing our communities for another traumatic
bloody summer that we fear is coming if we don't put some extra measures
in place now. More than 4300 people were shot last year in Chicago
alone. We cannot afford to lose more lives in this State." Rep. Sonya
Harper
"We know that this emergency aid will not contain everything that is
needed to permanently reduce gun violence. We also know that we cannot
reduce violence without making a long-term commitment to lifting people
out of poverty and addressing the effects of trauma among other things.
But we do believe that this measure shows that black and latino members
of the Illinois House of Representatives are serious about doing
something about all the lives that are being lost to senseless gun
violence on a daily basis." Rep. Litesa Wallace
"The fact that we still do not have a budget means there is going to be
even more bloodshed on our streets this year and we need to be prepared.
We need to pass a budget, and we need to pass this emergency funding
bill to reduce violence right now." Rep. Cynthia Soto
We are to standing together and working together to bring the aid,
funding, capacity building as well as the short and long term solutions
to reducing gun violence while at the same improving the quality of life
for all vulnerable residents in the State." Rep. Camille Lilly