To celebrate National Reentry Week, we wanted to highlight an important bill that popped up in Springfield. It sits right at the intersection of reentry and financial empowerment, and it has become one of our top priorities this legislative session!

HB4446, sponsored by Rep. Wheeler & Sen. McGuire, would increase educational opportunities for people with criminal records. The bill would “ban the box” in the admissions process for Illinois higher education institutions – so previous arrests or convictions could not be considered when you apply to college. The bill would, however, still allow a person’s criminal record to be considered after admission, for offering campus housing, participating in campus activities, or to offer career counseling.

We support HB4446 because education can be an important tool for a person trying to become financially stable when returning to the community. With about 42% of Illinois adults having a criminal record, removing this barrier would have a big impact, giving people a fair chance to rebuild their lives after being incarcerated.

About 66% of colleges ask about an applicant’s criminal record. Even asking this question presents a huge barrier. It has a chilling effect – discouraging individuals with criminal records from completing the application. 62.5% of people with criminal records pull themselves out of the admissions process when they see a question about criminal records on the application.

We are excited to be working on this bill to increase educational opportunities for formerly incarcerated people. Last week, the bill passed out of the House. We will be working to pass it out of the Senate in the coming weeks. Check out the fact sheet to learn more, and stay tuned for action alerts and updates!

Ever wonder what it’s like to work in Springfield? Follow me on a recent day in Springfield as I worked to advance IABG’s legislative priorities!

7:30 AM. With a full day at the State Capitol ahead of me, the work starts early to get ready for the day!

9:00 AM. Time to take the quick walk to the Capitol and meet up with Brent Adams with the Woodstock Institute, our close partner in Springfield.

9:15 AM.We stopped by the offices of five Senators to talk to them about SB2804, the Wage Assignment & Consumer Protections bill – but none of them were available.

10:00 AM. We managed to meet with Senator Hutchinson, to share our concerns about a bill that would harm the financial security of low- and middle-income workers.

10:19 AM. Brent and I really wanted to talk with Senator Raoul about SB2804, so we waited outside of a committee hearing for almost an hour to talk to him.

11:10 AM. Success! We were able to talk with Senator Raoul, in hopes of getting his support for the Wage Assignment & Consumer Protections bill.

12:00 PM. Time for a lunch break with colleagues at a nearby sandwich shop!

12:45 PM. We headed back to the Capitol, and I settled into the room where our bill would soon be heard in the Executive Committee.

1:45 PM. I sat with Senator Biss, the sponsor of SB2804, to prepare for the committee hearing and review questions that might be asked of the bill.

2:15 PM. SB2804 is up in committee! Senator Biss presented the bill, and the Senators on the committee asked some questions about it. They took a vote, and SB2804 passed out of committee!

3:00 PM. We debrief the committee hearing will Senator Biss and our allies. Brent and I take a celebratory picture!

4:00 PM. With our work in the Capitol done for the day, I head back to the hotel to catch up on email, and celebrate SB2804 making it out of committee!

As I look ahead at the next two months in Springfield, we have a lot of work ahead of us. Advancing SB2804 out of committee was just a first step. With the journey ahead, we could use your support. Sign your organization on to the campaign and help us protect Illinois borrowers.

Each year the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, along with partners across the state, host Money Smart Week. This year, you can participate in events each day beginning April 23rd through April 30th.

What is Money Smart Week?

What Kinds of Events are Happening in Illinois?

Our partners across the state are holding innovative events to promote financial inclusion and engagement. Here are just a few examples:

Understanding the Racial Wealth Gap
Date: Monday, April 25, Wednesday, April 25th, & Friday, April 29th
Location: Chicago, IL

Credit Clinic for College Students
Date: Monday, April 25 – Friday, April 29th
Location: Champaign, IL

Identity Fraud & How to Safe Guard Against It
Date: Thursday, April 28th
Location: Normal, IL

Where Can I Learn More?

You can find Money Smart events in communities across the state via this searchable database. Search by topic, community location, or date.

Also, use #MoneySmartWeekIL on tweeter to share your events. We’ll be reposting!