Local governments: Don’t miss out on the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District’s Stormwater Partnership Program. This program can help government organizations address flooding by paying for the construction of stormwater infrastructure on public property in Cook County, including localized detention, upsizing storm sewers and culverts, pumping stations, establishing drainage ways and implementing green infrastructure. These projects can reduce flooding and prevent damage to residential homes and businesses.

The MWRD will review applications and select projects for partnerships. The selected partner is responsible for their project's design, contract advertisement and award, construction, and long-term maintenance.

Learn more about who can apply, what projects are eligible, how funding can be used and general partnership requirements on the MWRD website. Interested local government entities must submit a pre-application form by Sunday, Feb. 11 to be considered for the program – click here to view the form.

For questions regarding the Stormwater Partnership Program or how to apply, contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

To help small businesses and their employees continue to recover from the economic hardship of the pandemic, State Senator Omar Aquino announced that 22 local restaurants are set to receive $915,000 in the latest round of Back to Business grants.

“Our local restaurants and the employees we rely on have overcome so many challenges in the last few years,” said Aquino (D-Chicago). “Beyond simply surviving through the pandemic, this support enables them to actually thrive.”

The Back to Business grant program provides recovery grants for small businesses throughout the state with an emphasis on businesses in the hardest-hit industries. This round of funding will award $915,000 to 22 restaurants in Aquino’s district.

“The difference between 22 local restaurants being able to support their employees or not is everything to our small business community,” said Aquino. “From the owners to the employees and their families, every dollar we put back into our communities makes a positive impact.”

Businesses around the state were awarded $175 million in this round of funding. In total, the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity has provided over $535 million to more than 15,000 businesses since the start of the pandemic.

To learn more about the Back to Business grant program, visit DCEO’s website.

Legislation sponsored by State Senator Omar Aquino expanding licensing opportunities and procedures for internationally trained and licensed health care professionals was signed into law Friday.

“The demand for qualified health care professionals in our state will continue to grow in the coming years,” said Aquino (D-Chicago). “This law creates a licensing liaison to serve as a resource for international applicants and streamline the process so we can continue to grow our health care workforce.”

Under Aquino’s legislation, the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation will create an Office of the Ombudsman for International Applicants. This office will employ a full-time licensing liaison for international applicants to assist applicants in answering questions and providing information on education requirements for licenses.

During the 102^nd General Assembly, Aquino supported a law creating the Task Force on Internationally-Licensed Health Care Professionals to explore strategies for removing barriers to licensure for international health care professionals. The Task Force identified the need to create a full-time position at IDFPR dedicated to helping applicants navigate the process of gaining licensure in Illinois.

“During the COVID-19 pandemic, international medical graduates worked on the front lines providing critical care to patients across our state,” Aquino said. “Creating a permanent office to help applicants navigate the process of re-establishing their licensure in Illinois is a small way to show our appreciation for their dedication to public health while also helping to combat the shortage of qualified medical professionals.”

House Bill 2948 was signed into law Friday and takes effect Jan. 1, 2024.

In response to the Illinois Supreme Court’s ruling on House Bill 5471, the Protect Illinois Communities Act, State Senator Omar Aquino (D-Chicago) released the following statement:

“For far too long, communities across our state and nation have felt the scourge of gun violence in their everyday lives – including our children. With this provision in place, we’re sending a message to the people across our state that we will not tolerate weapons of war flooding our communities, killing our neighbors, family and children.

“There is no reason these weapons should be available for any reason other than for trained law enforcement and military officers to uphold public safety. As a parent, I want to see my children live and grow up without the fear of mass shootings at school or in their communities. Moving forward with the implementation of this law moves us closer to that world.”

To read the Illinois Supreme Court’s full opinion, click here.