SPRINGFIELD – Barack Obama may be celebrating his birthday outside the White House this year, but State Senator Emil Jones III (D-Chicago) wants to make sure the former president is not forgotten.

Jones passed legislation during the legislative session that designates Aug. 4 of each year as Barack Obama Day in Illinois.

“President Obama is a man who has inspired millions with his decades of dedicated public service,” Jones said. “He deserves to be honored for his continuous hard work for the people of our nation, our state and our communities.”

Obama worked as a community organizer on the south side of Chicago after graduating from Columbia University and was elected to the Illinois State Senate to represent the 13^th District in 1996. As a state senator, he helped pass ethics reform, negotiated welfare reform and promoted increased subsidies for childcare.

The former president went on to be elected to represent Illinois in the United States Senate in 2004 before becoming the first African-American to be elected President of the United States in 2008.

Senate Bill 55 passed unanimously in both houses and Gov. Rauner signed it into law.

Health care accessibility is a critical need for residents in the 14^th Senate district, which is why Senator Emil Jones III (D – Chicago) opened the door to attract more medical assistants to the Roseland Community Medical District. The new law requires the Illinois Student Assistance Commission to consider giving grants to those attending medical assistants programs in the Roseland Community Hospital District.

Yesterday, in front of a semi packed room in the Kroc Center, State Senator Emil Jones (D-Chicago) hosted a rally with SEIU, CAPS, Roseland Hospital, daycare advocates and area ministers to denounce Governor Rauner’s vicious cuts that target working families.

“We won’t stand idly by and watch our community suffer at the hands of Governor Rauner’s corporate agenda,” said Senator Jones. “What about the family agenda? Governor Rauner is so focused on helping his City Club friends that he has forgotten the working families in Illinois.”

Since July, 2,000 working mothers and fathers have been denied child care assistance. Child care advocates are concerned that more stringent acceptance requirements will force more parents to leave their jobs and rely on more government assistance.