State Senator Celina Villanueva

This week marked the final week of action for the 2026 spring legislative season, and it made for an extremely busy one. We worked long hours, we held dozens of meetings and we debated countless pieces of legislation. As chair of the Senate Revenue Committee, when I wasn’t in meetings or advancing legislation, I spent my time working on the state’s revenue package to implement new streams of equitable revenue sources that uplift families across Illinois. It has been a difficult year, especially for working and immigrant families, and especially because of poor leadership in Washington, but I spent my time at the State Capitol each week advocating for affordability, for fairness and for equity – for all Illinoisans.
 
As lawmakers prepare to make the trek home to our respective districts for the summer, I am returning to the 12th District not to slow down, but to fight for the safety and dignity of immigrants, of working families and of all the residents I serve. As our communities continue to face federal uncertainty, I will continue my advocacy and work in our communities – meeting with constituents, attending events and doing everything in my power to uplift those in need.

All year long, my colleagues and I were told we had to ‘cut’ our way out of budget challenges, but we recognize that bulldozing the essential resources and services Illinois’ working families rely on is not the way to meet the ever changing demands of our economy.

At a time when so many of our residents are struggling to make ends meet, are going without basic necessities like groceries and medication, and are having hard conversations every day, we have an obligation to implement smart revenue solutions that reduce wealth inequity in our state and support funding for the resources and services Illinoisans rely on to survive.

That’s why I was proud to pass Senate Bill 3019 out of the Senate today. This revenue package steps up to the moment to ensure Illinois has progressive revenue policies centered around fairness and stability for all residents.

Read more about this bill: https://www.senatorvillanueva.com/news/325-villanueva-advances-responsible-revenue-package-prioritizing-working-families

The Illinois State Senate advanced a balanced, responsible budget today for Fiscal Year 2027. My colleagues and I worked diligently during this process, having tough conversations and making practical decisions to uplift those most in need in our state.

At a time when so many Illinoisans are forced to live in fear and instability, we are making it clear we value affordability, safety and dignity for our residents – especially immigrant communities – by passing a budget that funds education, food security, health care, violence prevention programs and other essential resources and services.

Read my full statement: https://www.senatorvillanueva.com/news/324-villanueva-fy-27-budget-uplifts-those-in-need-prioritizes-affordability

Exciting news: Four bills I sponsored advanced out of the Senate yesterday! These measures would be critical for protecting and uplifting Illinoisans, from safeguarding patient's reproductive rights and expanding in-state tuition access at public institutions to holding bad actors in Illinois' health care systems accountable and centralizing support services for survivors.

Read more about:

House Bill 5295, which would directly combat continued attacks on bodily autonomy and keep reproductive data out of the wrong hands: https://tinyurl.com/5eek6a4a

House Bill 5093, which would expand in-state tuition rates to any individual who attended an Illinois high school for three years: https://tinyurl.com/3mektbbh

House Bill 3711, which would implement stricter, mandatory reporting requirements when a patient or client experiences sexual abuse or misconduct perpetrated by a licensed health care professional: https://tinyurl.com/he3j6ru4

House Bill 4949, which would create the Family Justice Center Act, allowing the state, local governments and nonprofits to establish a multi-agency center to coordinate trauma-informed services and support for survivors of violence: https://tinyurl.com/yeyrzjvy

Far too often, youth in the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services' care feel their needs aren't being properly met. Our youth deserve respect from those assigned to care for them, and they deserve comprehensive, trauma-informed care when necessary.

That's why I'm proud to have advanced House Bill 4966 out of the Senate today, which would take a direct approach to mitigating harm, discrimination and trauma for youth in our state's care and ensure youth have a voice regarding their placements. Read more about this essential proposal:

Villanueva measure to strengthen identity protections for youth in state’s care passes Senate SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Celina Villanueva’s measure that aims to close gaps in Illinois’ child welfare laws and strengthen non-discrimination protections for youth in the care of the Illinois Department of Children...

Join us for our Community Job Fair! 

Date: Thursday, 6.25.26 
Time: 10am - 2pm
Location: Arturo Velazquez Institute. (2800 S Western ave, use the main entrance on Western ave.) 

Meet with recruiters from various industries looking for additions to their organizations.  
    •    State and City agencies
    •    Healthcare 
    •    Job Corps.
Learn about available resources dedicated to providing you guidance in areas such as employment, financial planning, health insurance, keeping your SNAP benefits and more. 

Sign up for workshops led by experts ready to help you navigate state employment.  

Register with the QR code or link in Bio

For any Questions email us at [email protected] or call 773.565.4661

Happy College Savings Day! Initiatives like the 529 savings plan help Illinois families invest in their children’s future education. To learn how 529 plans work and to get your child’s started, visit www.BrightStart.com.

Today I advanced House Bill 4537 out of the Senate, a measure that would help prevent financial windfalls for property owners facing foreclosure by updating the state's tax sales process. The bill would ensure that when a property is foreclosed and the owner's redemption period expires, their property is sold through a public auction that takes into account the market value of the property before a buyer is granted the full deed from a court. If the property sells at auction, the buyer would get their money back, court fees would be covered and any surplus equity would be refunded to the divested property owner.

This is about upholding the constitutional rights of Illinoisans and ensuring our state's tax sales process values our residents over any potential profit, especially at a time when so many people are experiencing financial hardship and struggling to make ends meet. I have dedicated years of discussions, meetings and advocacy to this moment, and I am incredibly proud to see the hard work of so many people coming to fruition. Read more about this measure at the link below!

Villanueva advances measure to protect divested property owners from equity theft SPRINGFIELD – Illinois residents could soon see a new tax sale process that helps prevent financial windfalls for property owners facing foreclosure, thanks to a measure State Senator Celina Villanueva advanced that...

We recognize this Memorial Day by remembering our fallen service members with pride. We honor your courage, love and the ultimate sacrifice you gave for our country.

From advancing my legislation and having critical conversations with lawmakers about their own proposals to attending a rally for Illinois’ rideshare drivers and catching up with fellow Chicago-based legislators, this week at the State Capitol was nothing short of productive. On Tuesday, I joined the Illinois Drivers Alliance in support of Senate Bill 2906, a proposal that would allow our state’s 100,000 rideshare drivers to collectively bargain with companies like Uber and Lyft, ensuring rideshare drivers can continue to fill gaps in public transportation and help our residents reach much-needed social services. I led House Bill 5295 out of the Senate Executive Committee Wednesday to directly combat continued attacks on bodily autonomy, and I advanced Senate Bill 3391 out of the Senate yesterday to ensure families, students, educators and school staff have accountability when a charter school closes.

I spent my time back in the district today celebrating my birthday. As I close out one year of life and prepare to begin another, I find myself especially thankful for our community and for the opportunity to represent the 12th Legislative District. We have been through so much over these last 12 months, with federal immigration operations, rising costs of living and efforts to further marginalize and discriminate against Latinos, but we keep showing up together ready to take on every challenge thrown our way. Next week will begin the anticipated last full week of legislative session for spring 2026, and I remain dedicated to fighting for our communities, for Latinos, for working families and for all Illinoisans as legislators prepare to finalize the Fiscal Year 2027 state budget.