CHICAGO – To emphasize the importance of continuing education throughout the summer, State Senator Celina Villanueva is hosting a summer book club to encourage students to read and continue their studies throughout the summer vacation.

“We want to invite students to read and continue to better their education throughout the summer by rewarding them for their hard work,” said Villanueva (D-Chicago). “Young people and students can participate in this program as we encourage them to build a habit of reading early and prepare them for their upcoming school year.”

The Summer Book Club requires students to read eight books of their choice during the summer break, record the names of the books on a form and return the form to Villanueva’s office by Aug. 9. Everyone who completes the Summer Book Club will be invited to a social event with the district office and the Senator.

“This is a great opportunity for young students to grow and foster a love of reading that will help them pursue their education at higher levels,” Villanueva said. “I encourage families to participate and take advantage of this program as we give back and reward students for their hard work.”

Read more: Villanueva launches summer book club to encourage kids to read

CHICAGO – To protect small businesses, restaurants, bars, and companies, State Senator Celina Villanueva supported a new law signed Friday that protects them from deceptive delivery services.

“Restaurants are continuing to struggle from the ongoing effects of pandemic-related losses – we must do what we can to protect them from further financial distress,” said Villanueva (D-Chicago). “By taking action against deceitful delivery services, we are ensuring others don’t profit off the hard work of these local businesses.”

House Bill 3205, also known as the Fair Food and Retail Delivery Act, prohibits third party delivery companies from posting a menu, registered trademark or any intellectual property without the express written consent of restaurant, bars and retail establishments.

Read more: Villanueva supports law to protect restaurants from deceitful delivery tactics

CHICAGO – State Senator Celina Villanueva (D-Chicago) celebrates the signing of a measure she sponsored to expand women’s access to healthy pregnancies and fetal development.

“Modern lifestyles make nutrient-deficient diets extremely convenient, which presents great risk to soon-to-be mothers lacking access to steady sources of necessary vitamins and minerals,” Villanueva said. “Expanding insurance coverage to include prenatal vitamins will increase access to supplements that lead to safer pregnancy and healthy births.”

The new law requires insurance policies that already cover prescription drugs to also cover prenatal vitamins. Prenatal vitamins when prescribed by a licensed physician can have many health benefits to both mother and child that range from supplying more oxygen to the baby to preventing bone loss in the mother.

“These supplements can be vital to the safety and wellness of mothers and their children,” Villanueva said. “This is a commonsense piece of legislation protecting pregnant women and tearing down financial barriers to quality care strategies, and I am proud to have been the sponsor of this law.”

The new law was signed Friday and took effect immediately.

CHICAGO – State Senator Celina Villanueva (D-Chicago), enraged at yesterday’s mass shooting at a Texas elementary school, issued the following statement demanding that state and national leaders put a stop to gun tragedies:

“Again, we stand at the cross-roads of a senselessly politicized debate over the right to human life. Another school shooting has incessantly taken the lives of young children –sons, daughters, brothers, sisters, cousins and friends. The perpetrator of yesterday’s mass shooting had a mission: he set out to murder, and because of his access to a deadly firearm, he was able to shoot and kill nineteen students and two teachers in a facility that predominantly served Latino students.

“The terror of not having a safe space to exist because a nation’s rifles are poised against you is a pandemic in itself, yet leaders on the state and national level refuse to hold each other accountable and address the violence happening across the country. There can be no debate on constitutional rights when human rights are not respected, but still our country needlessly talks in circles, skipping over the issue at hand while hundreds continue to lose their life prematurely and without reason.

“America is in crisis. Our condolences are not enough. Statements mean nothing if there is no action behind them. Our country is in a state of emergency, and we cannot allow ourselves to become complacent to the issue at hand while innocent lives are at stake.”