SPRINGFIELD – On Wednesday morning, State Senator Scott Bennett (D-Champaign) joined a press conference alongside State Senator Dave Koehler (D-Peoria), Representative Jay Hoffman (D-Swansea) and Illinois State Police Director Brendan Kelly to discuss legislation to modernize Firearms Owner Identification cards in Illinois.

“Applications for Illinois FOID cards and concealed carry licenses have been backlogged for more than a year, and my office has received countless calls from constituents asking us to fix this problem so they can be compliant with the law,” Bennett said. “Together, we have formed a solution with the Illinois State Police that would help clear the backlog and speed up application processing.”
 
Senate Bill 1165, an initiative of the ISP, would create a prohibited persons portal to help law enforcement identify people whose FOID cards have been revoked, create a review board to respond to revocations and denials, and enact other changes to make the application and renewal process more efficient.

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SPRINGFIELD – Senate Higher Education Committee Chair Scott Bennett (D-Champaign) moved a measure through the Senate Higher Education Committee Tuesday to help students make more informed choices about the loans they take out to pay for college and establish new accountability standards for private loan companies.

“The reward for higher education should not be a lifetime of debt,” Bennett said. “Students and families should be informed if they qualify for federal loans before they turn to private loans and the higher interest rates and fewer repayment options that go with them.”

Bennett introduced the Know Before You Owe Private Education Loan Act, which requires private lenders to confirm with a potential borrower’s school that the student’s tuition, housing and other costs are not covered by other sources of financial aid. Additionally, the legislation requires colleges and universities to notify students about their federal loan eligibility before certifying private loans.

Bennett worked closely with the Illinois attorney general’s office to craft the legislation.

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CHAMPAIGN – April is Child Abuse Prevention Month in Illinois, and State Senator Scott Bennett (D-Champaign) is reminding Illinoisans what they can do to help prevent child abuse and neglect during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has made it difficult for friends and neighbors to notice the signs of child abuse,” Bennett said. “It’s important that we continue to stay alert and notify the authorities with any suspicions of risk to a child’s safety.”

If you suspect a child is being abused or neglected, you can call the Department of Children and Family Services’ Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-25-ABUSE (22873).

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 CHAMPAIGN – State Senator Scott Bennett (D-Champaign) is joining Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White to urge the public to conduct transactions online when possible instead of visiting a driver services facility.

“Using the secretary of state’s online services can not only save you a trip to the facility, but also cut down on crowds and reduce the time it takes for visitors who need to do business in person,” Bennett said. “Until more people in our community are vaccinated, I encourage all drivers to utilize the online portal when possible so we can protect the staff and each other from the spread of COVID-19.”

Online transactions can be conducted at the secretary of state’s website at www.cyberdriveillinois.com.

The secretary of state offers a wide range of services online, including purchasing license plate stickers and renewing driver’s licenses and ID cards.

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