SPRINGFIELD, IL - On Wednesday, State Senator Michael Frerichs (D-Champaign) passed legislation through the Illinois Senate State Government and Veterans Affairs Committee to create the Commission on the Elimination of Poverty. The Commission has the task of drafting a strategic plan to eliminate poverty.

"Creating this commission is the first step towards our goal of reducing extreme poverty by fifty percent or more by 2015," said Senator Frerichs. "Senate Bill 2074 is a sign that Illinois is taking a proactive role in dealing with our poverty problems.

According to the legislative findings of this bill, just under 1,400,000 people are living in poverty in Illinois and over 678,000 people live in extreme poverty. Vermilion County has a poverty rate of eighteen percent, six percent higher than the state average, and Champaign County has one of the top ten highest rates of poverty in Illinois.

"We hear about recession all the time in the media," said Senator Frerichs. "We need to understand this problem and come up with a comprehensive plan to deal with poverty before more people start to experience it."

The Commission will investigate how much access Illinois residents have to food and nutrition, affordable housing, quality education, healthcare, transportation, and childcare. They will also examine if Illinois residents have adequate opportunities to earn a living wage.

"Our constitution states that eliminating poverty is a fundamental goal of our government," said Senator Frerichs. "I think it's time for us to take this goal seriously and find a way to combat poverty and its effects."

The Commission will be charged with releasing its plan in 2010. The Commission will have specific policy and fiscal recommendations for the General Assembly. The measure now awaits action by the full body of the Senate.