ROCK ISLAND – State Senator Mike Halpin has secured $374,000 to expand Rock Island County’s job training program.

“This program gives folks a shot at hands on experience with the financial support and guidance to get their foot in the door of a respectable career,” said Halpin (D-Rock Island). “If we want to rebuild our Western Illinois economy, we need the work force to do it. With plenty of bright young people looking for work, the trades offer a chance to support themselves, their families and their communities.”

The goal of the program is to create a qualified talent pipeline in the construction and building trades. Participants of the program attend tuition-free and receive a stipend and other support services to help enter the construction industry. Upon completion of the program, pre-apprentices receive industry-aligned certifications, which prepare and qualify them to continue to a registered apprenticeship program in one of the trades.

SPRINGFIELD – Libraries are an important cornerstone of a college students’ education and they require professional, union librarians to staff them. State Senator Mike Halpin championed a task force to study the impact of professional librarians on student and university outcomes.

“We must ensure our higher education institutions offer the most competitive and comprehensive learning tools,” said Halpin (D-Rock Island). “A fully staffed, professional, union library faculty can direct a young mind to diverse, authoritative sources and instruct navigation of evolving data bases. This task force will give us a deeper understanding of professional librarians’ impact on a student’s education and give universities insights on how they can improve their library access.”

Halpin led Senate Joint Resolution 13 to create a University Library and Professional Librarian Access and Transparency Task Force alongside the Illinois Federation of Teachers. This task force would study the impacts of professional librarians on student and university outcomes.

SPRINGFIELD – Single-use plastics account for up to 40% of plastic produced every year – with many of those products persisting in the environment for hundreds of years. State Senator Mike Halpin is working to combat that pollution through a resolution he spearheaded.  

“The fight against plastic pollution will take every one of us to win, from our state government to everyday Illinoisans,” said Halpin (D-Rock Island). “This is one step forward on the path to a cleaner, healthier Illinois.”

The Resolution would make April 1^st Skip the Plastic Day urging all residents, businesses and visitors to reduce plastic waste and protect our environment. The resolution commends businesses who only offer single-use plastics and take proactive steps to reduce waste.

Skip the Plastic Day was spearheaded by an entrepreneurial Rock Island eighth grader named Nicolina Pappas, who bravely testified before the Senate Environment and Conservation Committee. You can read more about her testimony here.

SPRINGFIELD – Though many Illinoisans may not be aware, human trafficking occurs in every part of the state, from Rock Island to Chicago. To crack down on the statewide scourge, State Senator Mike Halpin passed a measure through the Senate Thursday.

“We must empower our local governments and law enforcement to keep tabs on businesses to make sure every instance of human trafficking is accounted for and the perpetrators are brought to justice,” said Halpin. “By allowing localities to monitor hotels, restaurants and truck stop training, we can create a more targeted approach to combatting these terrible crimes.”

While current law requires human trafficking recognition training at hotels, restaurants and truck stops, this legislation would give municipalities the legal authority to act if a business is not complying the training laws. In addition, the new law would allow local governments to issue fines of up to $1,500 per offense.

In 2023 the Human Trafficking Hotline received over 760 signals from Illinois. These signals can range from labor trafficking to sex trafficking though some are unknown or unspecified. Though most of the cases were adult females the issue also impacts minors and males though at a lower rate. While Illinois is combatting the human trafficking epidemic, it remains one of the most under-reported and under-identified crimes. In addition, the sinister dynamics of human trafficking mean that most victims do not reach out for help according to the Illinois State Police. This means that trafficking hotspots like hotels, restaurants and truck stop employees need the proper training to identify this crime.