Illinois State Senator Michael Hastings Home News Our Community Biography Legislation Contact 1234567 Hastings urges residents to take time to thank first responders FRANKFORT— State Senator Michael E. Hastings urges area residents to show appreciation to emergency personnel on First Responders Day, which falls on Friday, Oct. 28. “Every day, our brave heroes put their lives on the line to keep us safe,” said Hastings (D-Frankfort). “First Responders Day is an annual reminder that we must come together to ce... Read more Hastings urges Illinoisans to work together to end stigma around mental health FRANKFORT – As World Mental Health Day approaches on Oct. 10, State Senator Michael E. Hastings is urging Illinoisans to work together to end the stigma around mental health. Hastings (D-Frankfort) has spent his career advocating for mental health funding and support for residents throughout the 19th Senate District. Not only this day but year r... Read more Hastings highlights state tax holiday on school supplies FRANKFORT – Illinois residents will see a 10-day reduced state sales tax holiday on school supplies starting today, thanks to State Senator Michael E. Hastings. Hastings (D-Frankfort) spearheaded a bipartisan law that will help families and teachers see lower back-to-school shopping costs. The law lowers the state tax rate on school supplies an... Read more Hastings’ new laws on the book to create jobs, ensure public safety FRANKFORT – Illinois has a series of new commonsense laws on the books, thanks to State Senator Michael E. Hastings. Hastings (D-Frankfort) championed several initiatives that will have a positive impact on the lives of the residents of the Southland. “This year I sponsored and advocated for new laws to expand our economy, create new jobs and s... Read more Hastings introduces tax-free back-to-school shopping plan SPRINGFIELD — State Senator Michael E. Hastings (D-Frankfort) joined his colleagues to champion a package of proposals to help put money back in the pockets of working families in the South Suburbs. Hastings is sponsoring a plan to wipe out the state sales tax on clothing, shoes and school supplies for 10 days in August to give consumers an econ... Read more Hastings works to increase support for families of fallen first responders SPRINGFIELD – Families of first responders that were killed in the line of duty may soon have additional support thanks to State Senator Michael E. Hastings. Hastings (D-Frankfort) serves as a chief cosponsor of House Bill 4161, which would require an option on state individual income tax returns to donate to the 100 Club of Illinois Fund. The ... Read more Hastings works to increase mental health workers in Illinois SPRINGFIELD – To help address the current mental health workforce shortage, State Senator Michael E. Hastings (D-Frankfort) sponsored a legislative measure to recruit and expand the number of mental health professionals in Illinois. Hastings served as a chief cosponsor of Senate Bill 3617, which focuses on expanding the current workforce by acce... Read more Welcome Thank you for visiting my website. I am proud to serve as the State Senator from Illinois’ 19th District. I hope you will find this site a useful resource to stay informed about our district and my actions in Springfield. Please contact either of my offices with questions or ways I can better serve you. It is my honor to represent you in Springfield. Sincerely, State Senator Michael Hastings19th Senate District Hastings announces scholarships available for early childhood education and workers Published: Thursday, September 1, 2022, 4:57 PM FRANKFORT – State Senator Michael E. Hastings is encouraging residents who work or have worked in early childhood education or childcare that are interested in obtaining additional certifications to apply for scholarship assistance. Scholarships are still available for the 2022-23 school year, and the Illinois Student Assistance Commission is working with the Early Childhood Access Consortium for Equity to promote the scholarship program that can cover a student’s total cost of attendance which includes tuition and fees, books, and room and board. “Those who work with our children help grow the future leaders of our great nation. These are selfless individuals who work diligently to establish an educational foundation for students,” said Hastings (D-Frankfort). “This scholarship program will help alleviate some of the financial burdens on our educators and childcare workers.” Hastings reiterates that the program was established to help address the shortage of qualified early childhood educators. He believes the program will help alleviate the workforce shortage and entice more residents to work in the field. “There is a nationwide shortage of educators and childcare providers,” Hastings said. “This is another way we are working to help alleviate the shortage and give our educators and childcare professionals the tools to be successful.” Hastings supported the state budget that funded this scholarship to help provide residents with the resources to make college more affordable and increase accessibility to advance in these vital fields. Detailed information on the scholarship program can be found on ISAC’s website at www.isac.org/ECACEscholarship. Category: Press Releases Hastings urges eligible communities to apply for OSLAD assistance Published: Wednesday, August 31, 2022, 11:40 AM FRANKFORT – State Senator Michael E. Hastings is urging communities across the South Suburbs to apply for grants to cover the costs of local park development through the Open Space Land Acquisition and Development program. “Our local parks are essential to promoting a healthy lifestyle and the economic and environmental well-being of our communities,” said Hastings (D-Frankfort). “I encourage communities across the fighting 19th looking for assistance to take advantage of this opportunity.” Hastings supported the Fiscal Year 2023 budget which set aside $56 million for OSLAD, the largest single investment in the program’s history, allowing the Department of Natural Resources to assist more communities than ever before. The program, which usually requires matching funds for projects, now offers complete assistance for economically disadvantaged communities. Applications are being accepted through Sept. 30, 2022 and should be submitted to IDNR. For more information on the OSLAD program, visit IDNR’s website. Category: Press Releases Hastings announces Richton Park set to receive nearly $735,000 million Published: Thursday, August 18, 2022, 4:43 PM RICHTON PARK – Thanks to support from State Senator Michael E. Hastings, the Village of Richton Park will receive $735,000 as an investment from the Rebuild Illinois Downtowns and Main Streets program. “The businesses across the fighting 19th District are the heart of our communities,” Hastings (D-Frankfort) said. “The investments we make in our business community is an investment in our local economy. Not only will this help create jobs and grow our economy – this funding will help contribute to the betterment of our neighborhoods and quality of life.” With new federal funding made available through the American Rescue Plan Act, the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity administered grants to 50 commercial corridors throughout the state. The Village of Richton received this funding to make needed improvements at the Town Center properties. The Rebuild Illinois program is a historic $45 billion investment in Illinois’ transportation infrastructure and state facilities, passed in 2019 with support from Hastings. DCEO originally administered $50 million for the program in 2021. Due to federal funding, the state allocated an additional $56 million to support more projects. With matching funds from recipients, a total investment of $215 million was made in downtowns across Illinois. For a full list of recipients, visit Illinois.gov. Category: Press Releases Hastings hosts free Matteson Community Touch-A-Truck Event Published: Friday, July 22, 2022, 10:39 AM MATTESON— State Senator Michael E. Hastings (D-Frankfort) is partnering with local government officials to host a free community Touch-A-Truck event from noon to 3 p.m. Saturday, July 30. The event will allow children and their families the opportunity to touch, sit in and explore real vehicles from a number of different trades. There will be a wide variety of vehicles such as a PACE Bus, vehicles from the Cook County Sheriff's Office, Matteson Public Works, Will County Farm Bureau, Richton Park Fire Department and more. The family-friendly event is open to local residents. Date: Saturday, July 30 Time: noon to 3 p.m. Location: Matteson Community Center (20642 Matteson Ave, Matteson) For more information, call Hastings’ office at (815) 464-5431. Category: Press Releases More Articles ... Hastings: New 9-8-8 helpline now live in Illinois Hastings announces $550,000 in grants awarded to local schools Hastings hosts annual free community Touch-A-Truck event Hastings’ champions new law to provide mental health resources to first responders Page 1 of 30 Start Prev 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Next End eNewsletter Signup First Name(*) Invalid Input Last Name(*) Invalid Input Your Email(*) Please let us know your email address. CONTACT SENATOR HASTINGS Welcome to the official website of Senator Michael E. Hastings. Please fill out our contact form to contact Senator Hastings directly or you may call any of our offices. We look forward to hearing from you. Springfield Office:111 Capitol BuildingSpringfield, IL 62706(217) 782-9595 East Office:813 School AveMatteson, IL 60443 District Office:20855 South LaGrange RoadFrankfort, IL 60423(815) 464-5431 Copyright - Illinois Senate Democratic Caucus - 2022 Press Releases Videos My Bills My Committees Legislative Process Sign up for E-Newsletter