Hastings breaks ground at Caboose Park renovation site

MATTESON — Caboose Park is undergoing a historic renovation and is set to become one of the premier attractions in Matteson’s downtown district, right off the Old Plank Trail.

“This project is about more than just improvements; it is about creating a space for the entire community,” said Hastings (D-Frankfort). “The new park will feature a community events stage, a bouldering wall and a dedicated children’s play area all designed to bring families together for events, recreation and everyday connection.”

Even more importantly, this investment complements the broader infrastructure improvements happening at the Matteson train station and along the Old Plank Trail, helping transform this corridor into a true destination.

This project was made possible through strong collaboration and smart investment, including more than $500,000 secured through an Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity grant and an Open Space and Land Acquisition grant.

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Hastings backs bill updating Illinois child support rules for shared parenting

SPRINGFIELD — State Senator Michael E. Hastings is backing legislation to further modernize Illinois child support law, building on the income-shares model he helped enact in 2016.

“Too often families spend thousands of dollars fighting over formulas instead of focusing on their children,” said Hastings (D-Frankfort). “This is about fairness, transparency and lowering conflict so parents can prioritize stability and co-parenting.”

Senate Bill 3524 would amend the Illinois Marriage and Dissolution of Marriage Act to change how child support is calculated in shared parenting cases. The bill lowers the threshold for applying the shared-care formula from 146 overnights per year to 110, expanding eligibility for families in which both parents play a significant caregiving role.

The proposal would also allows courts, or parents by agreement, to count certain periods of substantial daytime care as ‘overnight equivalents’ when a child is in a parent’s physical care and under direct supervision, even if the child does not sleep there. Supporters say the change better reflects the realities of shift workers, nontraditional schedules and modern co-parenting arrangements. Hastings said the measure is intended to make the system more equitable and less likely to fuel costly disputes.

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Hastings’ missing persons identification measure passes Senate

SPRINGFIELD — State Senator Michael E. Hastings is building on his missing persons investigation work ─ passing legislation in the Senate that would accelerate the timeline for critical forensic data being added to state and national databases.

“Law enforcement often starts, and sometimes stops, with criminal databases like CODIS for DNA or criminal fingerprint records,” said Hastings (D-Frankfort). “Those are strong tools, but they fail when the missing person has no criminal history.”

Under current law, missing persons cases are entered into state and federal databases and may eventually receive additional identifying data. Senate Bill 2949 would update the process so that if a person remains missing for 30 days after a police report, their dental record will be added to the Law Enforcement Agencies Data System — rather than waiting longer under previous practice. After 60 days, the bill would require dental records to be entered into the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System, the federal repository used to match missing persons with unidentified remains.

Dental records, including charts and radiographs, are among the most reliable tools available when fingerprints or other identifiers are unavailable. By ensuring dental data is available earlier, the measure aims to improve identification outcomes and help families find closure.

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Hastings: ‘Storm chasers’ have no place in Illinois

SPRINGFIELD — State Senator Michael E. Hastings passed legislation through the Senate aimed at protecting Illinois homeowners from deceptive and high pressure contractor practices that often follow severe weather and natural disasters.

“In light of some tragic storms in the area, we need to protect Illinois’ residents,” said Hastings (D-Frankfort). “There were people in Kankakee County who lost everything and not even a full day later they had contractors showing up trying to make a deal on-the-spot. After what we saw in Kankakee, these ‘storm chasers’ have no place in Illinois.”

Senate Bill 3029 would prohibit a contractor from offering home repair or remodeling services while a loss-producing event, such as a fire or storm, is occurring at the premises; while the fire department or emergency personnel are engaged at the premises; or between the hours of 7 p.m. and 8 a.m. The measure would still allow consumers to initiate solicitation with contractors during these scenarios.

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