SPRINGFIELD- Drivers may soon have an easier time remembering when they need to renew their vehicle registration under a proposal approved by the Senate yesterday. State Senator Napoleon Harris (D-Harvey) carried legislation that would allow drivers to choose their birthday as their vehicle registration expiration date.

“It’s common to forget to renew your vehicle registration,” Harris said. “This legislation saves drivers time and money by allowing them to choose a date that’s easy to remember, their birthday.”

Many drivers depended on reminders from the Secretary of State to recall their renewal date. Unfortunately, they had to stop sending out reminders last April leaving many drivers with fines to pay.

“It was clear after the Secretary of State stopped sending out reminders that something needed to be done to ease this yearly task for drivers,” Harris said. “It’s a simple adjustment that requires less effort from drivers.”

House Bill 5651, which passed the Senate 58-0, now heads to the governor for approval.

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SPRINGFIELD- When a school board determines a student is a nonresident of a district, parents seeking to appeal a school board’s decision are faced with the financial burden of taking the issue to an appeals court, making it difficult for parents to afford the process.

Under a plan which was approved in the Senate today, parents could soon have an affordable avenue for appealing student residency issues. House Bill 4606 provides a process for appealing the decision of a school board to the regional superintendent of schools for decisions of student residency.

SPRINGFIELD— Eligible voters throughout the state will now be automatically registered to vote under legislation advanced last Thursday.

Senate Bill 250 would allow for the Secretary of State’s office and similar state agencies to submit eligible voters’ information to the State Board of Elections when they visit their facilities for services.

Currently, 42.2 percent of eligible, voting-age black citizens in Illinois aren’t registered to vote. Overall, more than 2 million Illinoisans who are eligible to vote aren’t registered. The measure now moves to the Illinois House of Representatives, where it will be debated.

State Senator Napoleon Harris III (D-Harvey) released the following statement:

“Minority communities have some of the lowest voting populations. This measure creates an easier registration process and promotes participation in our democracy.”

SPRINGFIELD- Small businesses may soon have better opportunities at acquiring and maintaining contracts with the Illinois Department of Transportation, thanks to a proposal the legislators approved Thursday.

House Bill 4477, which passed the Senate 56-0, requires contracts using the services of a subcontractor to include terms for making advanced payments to the subcontractor for preliminary spending purposes, such as purchasing tools and machinery for a project.

“The goal is to promote small business participation in state contracts,” State Senator Napoleon Harris (D-Harvey) said. “Subcontractors are often in a position where they’re waiting far too long for a payment. That’s unacceptable.”

Small contracting firms struggle to take on subcontracts due to payment delays from prime contractors. Mobilization payments to a subcontractor would be based on the total value of the subcontract on a tiered scale.

The legislation was approved in both chambers and will head to the governor.

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