OSWEGO— State Senator Jennifer Bertino-Tarrant (D-Shorewood) continues to hold satellite hours throughout the area this summer. The next satellite office event will be in Oswego in August.  

The Oswego satellite office event will be held from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. on Thursday, August 20, at the Oswego Village Hall (100 Parkers Mill, Oswego, Illinois 60543).

“My staff and I look forward to having satellite office hours so that community members can meet us at a location that is more convenient for them,” Bertino-Tarrant said.

Area residents are welcome to attend satellite office hours to discuss state government and community concerns.

Many services will also be provided. Residents can receive assistance with FOID card applications, food stamp issuance, health care, veteran or disability issues, Medicare paperwork, foreclosure prevention assistance and much more.

Oswego Satellite Office Hours
Date: Thursday, August 20
Time: 9:00 a.m.-10:00 a.m.
Location: Oswego Village Hall, 100 Parkers Mill, Oswego, Illinois 60543

SPRINGFIELD-- Homeowners could see meaningful relief under a proposed two-year property tax freeze that State Senator Jennifer Bertino-Tarrant (D-Shorewood) supported in the Illinois Senate.

“As I talk to residents in our district, their number one concern is controlling rising property tax bills. I voted to offer them relief,” Bertino-Tarrant said.

Senate Bill 318, passed by the Illinois Senate this week with a vote of 37-1-18, will provide relief for Illinois homeowners by freezing property taxes for two years.

“We need to do what we can to help working families and seniors find additional savings,” Bertino-Tarrant said.

It passed the Senate with Bertino-Tarrant’s support this week and now moves to the Illinois House for consideration.

SPRINGFIELD— A new law has been signed that will allow children with a severe or intellectual disability to have a “comfort canine” in the court room to help relieve the stress of testifying in sexual assault cases.

Senator Jennifer Bertino-Tarrant (D-Shorewood) co-sponsored the measure in the Illinois Senate.

“Having dogs in the court room is one way we can help victims cope with the stress of confronting their attacker and providing testimony,” Bertino-Tarrant said.

Authorized dogs would be required to go through training and be evaluated as registered members of Assistance Dogs International.

“Our Will County State’s Attorney, Jim Glasgow, has already initiated similar therapeutic use of dogs outside the courtroom,” Bertino-Tarrant said. “It has been very successful. This law broadens its effectiveness.”

When deciding whether or not to allow a child or person to testify with the assistance of a dog, the court must consider the age of the child or person, the rights of the parties to litigation and any other relevant factor that would facilitate testimony.

Senate Bill 1389 takes effect January 1, 2016.

SPRINGFIELD— Last year, 18-year-old Logan Stiner of Ohio died from a caffeine powder overdose.

According to local reports, Stiner was found by his brother, collapsed on the floor of his home. The same day his brother found him, his mother discovered several bags of caffeine powder in their house. Sadly, Stiner, a popular student-athlete, was one week away from graduating from high school.

The County Coroner’s report said that Stiner suffered cardiac arrhythmia and a seizure as a result of ingesting toxic amounts of caffeine. One teaspoon of the powder is equal to drinking approximately 25 cups of coffee.

Powdered caffeine is nearly 100 percent pure caffeine and difficult to measure with common kitchen tools.

In order to prevent a tragedy like Stiner’s from occurring in Illinois, Senator Jennifer Bertino-Tarrant (D-Plainfield) sponsored legislation this year that would make it illegal for toxic caffeine powder to be sold to anyone under age 18.

Yesterday, Bertino-Tarrant’s proposal, Senate Bill 9, was signed into law.

“My legislation is more about consumer and public education than it is about regulation,” Bertino-Tarrant said. “We need to be proactive in Illinois to prevent minors from being able to use a substance that, by simple mistake, could be deadly.”

Senate Bill 9 takes effect January 1 of next year.