After 736 days, a bipartisan budget package passed both chambers of the Illinois General Assembly. Thank YOU for your tireless advocacy efforts!

Illinois is in its last week of the fiscal year and legislators are currently meeting in Springfield for a special session. We are poised to enter our third year without a full budget, increasing the damage to our communities, schools, human service and healthcare sectors.

Quintin Williams shares his research on HB 3142 and calls for support to "Ban the Box" in higher education.

Calling all Faith in Action advocates!  We are midway through the 2017 spring legislative session and your voice is needed to bring justice to Springfield. 

People with criminal records are being deterred from getting an education. The majority of colleges ask about an applicant’s criminal record

Illinois senators will soon vote on a bill that would enhance Illinois’ already harsh sentencing policies but not reduce violence. This proposal is a continuation of harmful public policies that studies have shown are ineffective.

Support a bill which would increase employment, housing and educational opportunities for millions of Illinois residents with criminal records.

The Chicago City Council is days away from voting on how to spend millions of surplus funds. Low participation in the city’s property tax rebate program has resulted in a surplus of $14 million. We are joining community organizations across the city and calling on aldermen to use this unique opportunity to fund essential violence prevention programs, which invest in our youth and curb the violence devastating our communities.

The Illinois General Assembly will convene for the “Lame Duck” session on Monday, January 9, 2017. Take action now and send an email to your state representatives to oppose legislation that will increase sentences for second time gun possession but not make our communities safer.

As of January 1, 2017 four new laws in Illinois are opening doors for people with past felony convictions to work in Illinois schools, park districts and health care facilities. Take action now and help to spread the word about these new employment laws.

The Reclaim Campaign to reduce violence in our communities is celebrating two major victories! Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle and Sheriff Tom Dart publicly announced a plan to tear down three divisions of the Cook County Jail over the next two years. President Preckwinkle and the Cook County Board of Commissioners recently increased the funding for community-based violence prevention in the FY17 Cook County Budget from $3.2 to $6.2 million!

CRS member churches came together to affirm our priorities for the “Platform for Renewal 2016-17,” present our annual congregational and partner awards, celebrate campaign victories, celebrate board members whose terms have ended, elect new board members and dialogue about our strategic vision. Father Larry Dowling of St. Agatha Catholic Church and Jaquie Algee of Trinity UCC co-chaired the assembly.

If you want to stay informed on police accountability, please sign up! We'll let you know when organizing and advocacy opportunities come up.

The FAIR COPS Ordinance would immediately increase police accountability by establishing an Office of Police Auditor to independently monitor patterns of police misconduct, ensure that officers are investigated and held accountable for their actions, and make policy changes that provide meaningful systemic reform. As people of faith, we are called upon to demand justice now.

Update: The Chicago City Council is scheduled to vote on the Mayor's ordinance on Thursday, September 29, 2016.  CRS does not endorse the Mayor's ordinance.

On July 29th Governor Rauner signed HB 4360 into law! Urge the Governor to sign the remaining bills to increase employment opportunities in schools for people with criminal records.

The Illinois General Assembly and Governor Rauner reached a compromise on a stopgap funding bill for fiscal year '16 and the first six months of fiscal year '17 on June 30, 2016--the last day of the fiscal calendar. However, the immense damage done in the past 365 days, without a state budget, will not be repaired by this stopgap bill.

HB 4515, a bill to create health care job opportunities for people with criminal records, passed the Illinois House on Wednesday, June 29, 71-38! It will now be sent to the Governor.

The Illinois state legislature adjourned the 2016 spring session just minutes before midnight on May 31 and, once again, failed to pass a budget for FY16 or FY17.

Join us on June 30 and demand that Gov. Rauner and legislative leaders put aside non-budget agendas and pass a responsible, fully funded budget with adequate revenue.

Three bills have passed the Illinois General Assembly with significant bi-partisan support and will now be sent to the Governor for his signature.

Illinois has gone 11 months without a fully funded state budget for FY16 and, on May 31, the spring legislative session will likely adjourn without an FY17 budget.