January 29, 2021 — As we welcomed in 2021, there was much anticipation for what was to come in January. Over the past several weeks, there has been a flurry of activity in our nation and our government that has critical implications on the thousands of participants we serve.
Heartland Alliance’s priorities for the Biden Administration’s first 100 days includes resources to fight COVID, state and local aid, direct cash to families, nutrition assistance, housing supports, and more.
There have already been many moves made by the Biden administration, including the release of a national vaccine strategy and dozens of executive orders. Many of these orders directly impact our participants and efforts to achieve equity and opportunity for all. There have been orders to reverse damaging immigration policies, including reviving DACA and ending the Muslim travel ban, as well as orders to increase access to health care needs through the Affordable Care Act and the reversal of the Global Gag Rule.
As the federal government provides aid and works to build back a better, stronger economy in the aftermath of COVID-19, it requires policy solutions anchored in economic justice and an equity-centered employment framework to guide us. We are also advocating for federal support for gun violence interventions and community investments. In Illinois, a number of new laws will soon go into effect. Some of the highlights include new legislation that establishes a 36 percent APR cap on consumer loans, standardizes the evaluation of criminal background screening process for public housing eligibility, and ends the suspension of driver’s licenses for unpaid automated camera tickets and unpaid traffic tickets.
This is just the beginning of what we hope to be a very promising year for our participants and our work. We look forward to continuing to shape and influence powerful policies that help us achieve equity and opportunity for all.
