The resulting 13 modules were probably some of the clearest, most evolved, impactful, informative, and potent, action-based, new content I’ve ever done! Pass the entire Build Back Better agenda, and pass it now, so that every parent knows their child is safe from lead contamination.The most universal and success-probable techniques, strategies, tactics, and concepts that ANY entrepreneur – large or small companies, product or service providers – could immediately and profitably apply to dramatically increase the business they run and multiply sales, profits, and preemptive, competitive posture… It’s time for Congress to put partisanship aside and act in the interests of every person, child, and family in Peoria, Illinois, and our country. Replacing all of our state’s lead service lines could create up to 224,500 jobs and generate $23 billion in additional economic activity – the post-pandemic boost our families and local economies need.
The Build Back Better agenda will create hundreds of thousands of jobs in Illinois, including good-paying, union jobs. More: Police say Peoria violence is from 'hybrid street gangs.' Here's what they meanĪnd replacing these pipes will bring with it significant economic investment. It’s no surprise that Peoria and Chicago, which have some of the highest rates of lead pipes, also have some of the highest rates of violence. Increasingly, studies have found a link between lead poisoning and rates of violent crime because lead poisoning can affect parts of the brain responsible for emotional regulation and impulse control. Removing lead service lines could address another critical issue as well - the violence plaguing our communities. From Flint, Michigan to across our state, we’ve seen what happens to health outcomes in communities of color around the country when the legacies of environmental racism aren’t addressed. Black and Latino residents in Illinois are twice as likely to live in communities with lead service lines than white residents – a reality we must address immediately. This is unacceptable, and if unaddressed, will have a demonstrable impact on the next generation of Illinoisans, as our children’s still-developing brains are at great risk from lead poisoning.Īddressing the threats that lead service lines pose to all of us will also help confront the environmental racism present in infrastructure policy decisions of years past. Here in Peoria, 17% of our water service lines – more than 10,500 lines – contain lead, and communities in Pekin, East Peoria, and Peoria Heights also face the threat of contamination. Illinois has more lead service lines than any state in the country.
While this bill was an important step toward lead service line replacement in Illinois, it didn’t provide the funds to do so – and that’s why the Build Back Better agenda is so crucial. State legislators demonstrated a shared commitment to bringing clean drinking water to everyone in the state and a clear understanding of the health and safety risks posed by Illinois’ hundreds of thousands of lead pipes, including the potential to cause irreversible brain damage, learning disabilities, behavioral problems, and more. I was proud to support this legislation, which passed with bipartisan support and was signed into law by Governor Pritzker this summer. 'Life of Linda': Why the White House picked Peoria for Biden's Build Back Better plan This funding will be critical to ensure that our state can deliver on its promise to provide safe, lead-free drinking water for all Illinoisans, a promise we made by enacting the Illinois Lead Service Line Notification and Replacement Act earlier this year. The Build Back Better bill contains an additional $10 billion for lead service line replacement.