The General Assembly will reconvene on Wednesday, November 19 for fall veto session where we will address legislation vetoed by the governor.  The two hot agenda items that continue to be widely-discussed are the ridesharing bill and the minimum wage. Stay tuned for more updates on other agenda items. 

Last week, I joined former U.S. Rep. Patrick Kennedy, Chicago Bears wide receiver Brandon Marshall and other mental health advocates in launching The Kennedy Forum Illinois-- a new initiative that brings business and civic leaders, and philanthropists together to raise awareness, strategize and implement effective ways to end the stigma attached to mental illness and substance abuse. Providing adequate resources and care for those whose lives have been touched by mental illness and substance abuse are at the core of the Forum. For more information, or if you or someone you know is in need of care, please click here. 

Thanksgiving is around the corner, and we have 106,000 reasons to be thankful-- it is always a pleasure serving the residents of the 12th district. If you are looking for meaningful ways to give back to the community, our local food pantries can always use a helping hand to serve our community's most vulnerable. To find food pantries and groups serving hot meals near you, visit the Greater Chicago Food Depository for a complete list. We hope you can join us in volunteering  this holiday season!