SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Michael E. Hastings (D-Frankfort) will continue to serve on Senate President Don Harmon’s leadership team as Majority Caucus Whip during the 102^nd General Assembly.

“I am deeply humbled President Harmon has given me the distinct honor of continuing to serve on his leadership team,” Hastings said. “While our state faces challenges not seen in generations, I have no doubt that under his leadership we will give our people the relief they deserve by implementing solutions in an effective, bipartisan manner.”

Hastings was appointed to Senate President Harmon’s leadership team to serve as Majority Caucus Whip in 2020. In this role, Hastings works closely with fellow caucus members on policy issues and offers advice on their respective legislative agendas. Hastings will also continue to serve as chair of the Senate Public Utilities and Energy Committee.

“We have our work cut out for us in 2021,” Hastings said. “In addition to providing our communities with the tools necessary for an effective and efficient COVID-19 response, we need to consider solutions that secure the future of clean energy in Illinois. That starts with investing in existing infrastructure and preserving the good-paying jobs in our communities.”

In the coming months, Hastings hopes to help foster bipartisan collaboration on key issues, including equitable clean energy solutions, implementing ethics reform to restore the public’s trust in government, and increasing support for small businesses and families struggling during the pandemic.

Hastings has served the 19th Legislative District since 2012, when he was elected as one of the youngest Senators in state history. Since then, he has worked tirelessly to pass legislation with the goal of improving the social and financial climate of the state of Illinois.

BYRON – Continuing a statewide fact finding mission, State Senator Michael E. Hastings (D-Frankfort) traveled to Byron, Illinois to meet with local leaders and plant employees to discuss future prospects for Illinois’ clean energy infrastructure today.

“As the spring session looms and our legislative priorities come into focus, major questions about the future of our state’s clean energy infrastructure need to be asked,” said Hastings, who serves as chair of the Senate Public Utilities and Energy Committee. “How do we invest in our clean energy future and preserve the good-paying jobs in our communities? I have traveled to power plants in every corner of our state in search of these answers, and I am privileged to have been given the opportunity to meet with the folks in Byron today as a part of that mission.”

Featuring iconic twin cooling towers overlooking the Rock River Valley, the Byron Generating Station's two nuclear reactors supply power to 2.3 million homes each year. For nearly 30 years this power plant has provided thousands of good-paying jobs and generated billions of dollars in economic support, including about $38 million in taxes annually for schools, roads and other public services.

“Working families in Northern Illinois have depended on power plant jobs as a path to the middle class for decades. We need to do everything we can to keep the power plant in Byron open,” Rockford Mayor Tom McNamara said. “The number of jobs and the ancillary economic impact provided by the plant is essential for growth to continue in Rockford and the surrounding communities.”

Hastings expects major energy legislation to be considered during the spring legislative session.

FRANKFORT – State Senator Michael E. Hastings (D-Frankfort) joined state and local officials today on a tour of the Tinley Park Convention Center, which will play host to a COVID-19 vaccination hub for the South Suburbs.

“Today’s establishment of a mass vaccination site at the Tinley Park Convention Center is a monumental mark in the fight against COVID-19 in the South Suburbs,” Hastings said “Efforts of this scale do not come to fruition without the complete dedication of state and local leaders. Their willingness to coordinate made this achievement possible, and the people of the South Suburbs will undoubtedly be in a better place for it.”

Cook County residents can book a vaccination appointment starting noon today through the Cook County Public Health Department’s website. Through this process, which begins at 8:30 a.m. tomorrow, this site will administer nearly 9,000 does per week and will have the capacity to administer 18,000 doses per week as soon as the federal vaccine supply increases.

“Members of our National Guard and medical community are working around the clock to ensure that we meet our goal of providing folks across the Southland with reliable access to the vaccine,” Hastings said. “Their efforts have resulted in a simple, efficient process and I encourage everyone to take the 15 minutes necessary to partake when you are eligible.”

Over 3.2 million Illinoisans are eligible for Phase 1B of vaccine distribution. Eligible residents, including everyone over age 65 and frontline essential workers, will be able to receive a vaccine at one of the Illinois National Guard assisted sites, at a site operated by a local health department, or at a partner pharmacy.  

FRANKFORT - Earlier this week, the Illinois Commerce Commission announced an extension of the moratorium on disconnections through winter 2021, a move State Senator Michael E. Hastings (D-Frankfort) called for as leader of the Senate’s Energy and Public Utilities working group this past legislative session.

”Until a vaccine is readily available, COVID-19 is here to stay. That means we need to continue doing everything in our power to provide meaningful assistance to our people,” Hastings said. Extending moratoriums on shutoffs and providing additional financial relief for life-saving utility services is our moral obligation.”

Numerous utility companies throughout the state have extended the moratorium on disconnections for eligible low-income residential customers, and those who self-report to utilities that they are experiencing financial or COVID-19 hardship through March 31, 2021. Those companies include Aqua Illinois, Illinois-American Water Company, Utility Services of Illinois, MidAmerican, Ameren Illinois, Nicor Gas, North Shore Gas Company, Peoples Gas, Liberty Utilities and ComEd.

Customers are urged to call their utility company if they have missed bill payments or are struggling to pay bills. No documentation or written proof is necessary, but an explanation of your difficulty is necessary. Deferred payment arrangements are also available for both residential and small business customers needing help managing their utility bill obligation.