The Illinois State Police (ISP) announces a Physical Fitness Inventory Test (PFIT) seminar will be held on October 14, 2017, at the ISP Training Academy in Springfield.

The primary purpose of the seminar is to provide hands-on instruction on how to successfully pass the ISP PFIT.

Those interested in attending the seminar should RSVP to Special Agent Melissa Uhles by Oct. 10, 2017. Special Agent Uhles can be reached by telephone at (217) 785-4370 or email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

SPRINGFIELD —Majority Caucus Whip Iris Y. Martinez (D-Chicago 20th) appeared at a press conference today with Rep. Carol Ammons to discuss the Responsible Job Creation Act, which was signed into law last week.

The new law puts in place a series of protections for day and temporary laborers as a way to address reported abuse.

“This bill was about achieving economic justice for all temporary workers,” Martinez said. “Both Democrats and Republicans knew this would be good for the economy and who heard the voices of workers who came to Springfield to educate us about the temp industry and the abuses they have endured and continue to endure.”

The new law makes the following changes to the current day and temporary labor system:

• requires day and temporary labor service agencies to prove a notice to workers detailing the types of equipment, protective clothing, and training that are required for the task;
• mandates that if a day or temporary laborer is provided transportation to the worksite, the laborer must be provided transportation back;
• prohibits a day and temporary labor service agency from charging the worker for any consumer report, criminal background check or drug test;
• requires a day and temporary labor service agency to attempt to place a current temporary laborer in a permanent position with a third part client when the client informs the agency of its plan to hire a permanent employee for that position; and
• mandates reporting requirements for gender and race of day and temporary laborers to the Illinois Department of Labor.

The legislators were joined by temporary workers who had advocated for the measure. The new law takes effect on Jan. 1, 2018.

SPRINGFIELD — Advanced practice nurses who have completed the necessary training now have full practice authority in Illinois, thanks to legislation passed by Majority Caucus Whip Iris Y. Martinez (D-Chicago 20th) and signed into law today.

Advanced practice nurses (APNs) are licensed, registered, professional nurses who use diagnostic skills and tests to care for patients. They can include certified nurse midwives, certified nurse practitioners, certified registered nurse anesthetists and certified clinical nurse specialist.

Previously, APNs providing services outside of a hospital setting had to do so under a written collaborative agreement. This law removes that requirement.

“These men and women have completed extensive training and are already performing lifesaving services for Illinoisans,” Martinez said “It is only fair that they should be granted full authority over their practice.”

Full practice authority gives APNs full accountability over a patient’s care and allows them to write prescriptions but not to perform surgery.

In order to gain full practice authority, an APN must complete at least 250 hours of continuing education or training and 4,000 hours of clinical experience after first attaining certification.

The law goes into effect on Jan. 1, 2018.

Majority Caucus Whip Iris Y. Martinez (D-Chicago 20th) arrived safely in Chicago on Sunday night after being evacuated from St. Maarten, where she was vacationing when Hurricane Irma hit.

In the days after the hurricane hit the island, causing devastating damage, Martinez remained in frequent contact with her office, successfully securing the evacuation of 146 Americans stranded along with her at the resort where she was staying.

“People were depending on me to keep the pressure on our contacts at home to get us out of there,” Martinez said. “I knew that I had to work to get as many people home with me as I could.”

Martinez took shelter in a bathroom during the storm, waiting for over 4 hours while 200+ mph winds battered the hotel. Hurricane Irma was a Category 5 hurricane when it hit St. Maarten, killing at least 27 people on the island.

“You hear how bad a Category 5 hurricane will be, but nothing can prepare you to live through it,” Martinez said. “It was the worst experience of my life.”

In the days following the hurricane, Martinez and others surveyed the damage and made their way to an area with cell phone service where she borrowed a local’s cell phone to call home. There was no power or running water in the aftermath of the storm, and stagnant floodwater posed a risk of infections.

After Martinez’s office established contact with her family and office, they reached out to officials including Gov. Bruce Rauner, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin, Senate President John Cullerton, Kenneth Romero of the National Hispanic Caucus of State Legislators, and Luis Davila-Pernas from the Office of Puerto Rican Federal Affairs in Washington D.C. They in turn worked with Puerto Rico Governor Ricardo Roselló and Senator Carmelo Rios on an evacuation plan, and by Saturday, Martinez and the other Americans were in Puerto Rico awaiting flights home.

“I want to thank everyone who worked so hard to bring us home,” Martinez said. “Without those efforts, I don’t know if we would have made it out when we did.”

The Department of State along with the Dutch and French embassies continue their efforts to evacuate U.S. citizens remaining on the island.