Dear Neighbor,

It’s been an exciting, productive few weeks in the 20^th District! From the celebration of the signing of House Bill 5581 creating the Polish Heritage Corridor to commemorating Juneteenth, it was great to reflect on the cultures and diversity that make our communities so rich.

As the weather gets hotter, read on for more information on resources, opportunities for kids and teens in the city and more. Additionally, COVID-19 vaccines have now been approved for children as young as six months of age. Come out to Rincon Family Services at 3710 N. Kedzie Ave. on Friday, June 24 from 10 a.m. to noon for an opportunity to get vaccinated, or visit our featured resources page for more information on getting vaccinated in Chicago.

As always, feel free reach out to my office for assistance by calling 773-278-2020, sending a text message to 773-207-7838, or sending us a note at www.senatorpacionezayas.com/contact-us.

Sincerely,

State Senator Cristina Pacione-Zayas | 20^th District

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CHICAGO – To recognize the ways Polish culture has influenced Chicago, State Senator Cristina Pacione-Zayas (D-Chicago) spearheaded a new law to designate Milwaukee Avenue from Sangamon Street in Chicago to Greenwood Road in Niles as the Milwaukee Avenue Polish Heritage Corridor.

“Designating this area is a great way to promote Chicago Polish businesses while also recognizing their impact on the culture, food and art in our city,” Pacione-Zayas said. “This law is just one way to highlight the importance of Polish culture, and I look forward to highlighting additional ways to recognize the unique cultural diversity of Chicago.”

Under House Bill 5581, a section of Milwaukee Avenue will be recognized under the Illinois Department of Transportation as the Milwaukee Avenue Polish Heritage Corridor.

Last year, Sen. Pacione-Zayas, along with House Assistant Majority Leader Delia Ramirez (D-Chicago) passed a law to allow the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity to designate cultural districts to help affirm the identity of communities in Illinois. The new law signed last week provides a stepping stone for this community to be designated in this way.

"We commend Sen. Cristina Pacione-Zayas and Leader Delia Ramirez for their efforts as sponsors of HB 5581 to designate and establish the Milwaukee Ave Polish Heritage Corridor,” said Bogdan Pukszta, Executive Director of the Polish American Chamber of Commerce, which resides in the district Pacione-Zayas represents. “From our Chamber's perspective the designation will help promote existing businesses along the corridor, attract new businesses to fill empty storefronts, and position Milwaukee Avenue on the map of Chicago's tourist attractions."

HB 5581 was signed by Gov. JB Pritzker on Friday. A celebration of the new law will be held Thursday, June 16 at 2 p.m. at the Polish Museum of America, 984 N. Milwaukee Ave. in Chicago. Press and other organizations are encouraged to register for the celebration here.

CHICAGO – Expanding on efforts to create meaningful partnerships within the community, State Senator Cristina Pacione-Zayas was excited to host a series of Youth Advisory Council meetings with teens from across the district she represents.

“Giving our young people the tools they need to advocate for themselves and their community is important to forming strong, confident leaders,” said Pacione-Zayas (D-Chicago). “By centering the experiences and voices of teens in our community, we can ensure our policies work for everyone.”

The 20^th District Youth Advisory Council met five times through May and June. Participants are high school-aged students with a passion for community-building and the legislative process.

The meetings allowed local young people discuss collective values and goals for their communities, formulate policy ideas and more.

The council built upon the work of the 20^th District Policy Roundtables, which feature participants who live and work in the district coming together to inform a legislative agenda in the core areas of health, housing, education, environment, small business/workforce and violence prevention.

“I have always said that the people closest to the problems are often the ones with the best solutions,” Pacione-Zayas said. “Seeing these young people come together and share ideas was invigorating, and it gives me hope that our future is in good hands.”

Some members of the Youth Advisory Council look forward to continuing work in Sen. Pacione-Zayas’ district office through the One Summer Chicago program.

People interested in getting involved in the policymaking process are encouraged to learn more and sign up for the 20^th District Policy Roundtables here.

CHICAGO – Thanks to support from State Senator Cristina Pacione-Zayas, a law to protect restaurants, bars and retailers from having their brand used by third-party entities without permission was signed into law Friday.  

“Local businesses are the heart of our communities, and it’s imperative we protect them from practices carried out by third parties that may misrepresent them or lose them business,” said Pacione-Zayas (D-Chicago). “This issue came to my attention from a constituent who was taken advantage of by a third-party delivery service, and I am proud to see this law addressing their issue directly.”

The Fair Food & Retail Delivery Act prohibits a third-party delivery service from posting or advertising a menu or other trademarked property belonging to a restaurant or retailer without express written consent from the business.

Local businesses have reported delivery services listing menus and items on their platform without making the business aware—essentially using the brands of these establishments that might not want to utilize delivery services.

“Now, our businesses will have more control over their brand and their products,” Pacione-Zayas said. “Hopefully, this law will also discourage third-party delivery services from partaking in these deceptive practices to begin with.”

The Fair Food & Delivery Act goes into effect Jan. 1, 2023.