For many Americans, this is a time of unprecedented political uncertainty and fear.

Every day, we hear new reports of constitutional rights under attack. We're seeing discrimination based on skin color or gender, on religion or mother tongue, or simply based on a cruel guess about who is vulnerable and unable to fight back. Many of these threats originate with the very people who were elected to protect and uphold our constitution.

It’s as important as ever that we understand our civil liberties and know how to fight back against attacks like these – for ourselves and for those who need our protection.

Please join me for an important public seminar next week about the major challenges and threats to our civil liberties today and to learn what we can do to protect our rights under the new federal administration.

What: Protecting Our Civil Liberties free public seminar
When: 7 p.m. Monday, Feb. 27
Where: Unitarian Church of Evanston, 1330 Ridge Ave., Evanston

I am co-hosting this event with state representatives Robyn Gabel and Laura Fine. Joining us will be representatives from civil rights organizations the American Civil Liberties Union, the Illinois Coalition for Immigration and Refugee Rights, Equality Illinois and Planned Parenthood.

The event is free and open to the public, but seating is limited and we strongly suggest that interested guests reserve a spot by calling my district office at 847-568-1250 or by emailing This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Doors open at 6:30 p.m.

I hope you will join me for this important discussion and spread the word to others who may be interested.

SPRINGFIELD – When it comes to the state budget crisis, Gov. Bruce Rauner continues to be unwilling to lay out a clear plan, Senator Daniel Biss (D-Evanston) said today after the governor’s budget address to the General Assembly.

“Gov. Rauner’s top priority has been to protect billionaires like himself who refuse to pay their fair share. This leaves him with only unpalatable options like harmful cuts to key programs and tax increases on the middle class,” Biss said. “Faced with this choice, Gov. Rauner has decided to duck responsibility and deflect blame.”

Biss noted that Illinois is at a fiscal crossroads after two years of Rauner’s budget stalemate with the legislature.

“The pressure on the governor to act is immense, but it’s clear to me that he has no ideas about how to proceed. He’s hoping the legislature will do his job for him,” Biss said.

“It’s time to move forward. We must demand that Gov. Rauner and his billionaire friends stop running government for their own benefit and pay their share so that we can all prosper.”

SPRINGFIELD – The only way to blunt the influence that wealthy donors maintain over government is to return power to the people by amplifying the voice of small donors through public financing of elections, Senator Daniel Biss said Thursday.

Biss, an Evanston Democrat, is sponsoring Senate Bill 1424, which creates the Small Donor Democracy Matching System for Fair Elections Act.

The legislation would establish a small donor matching system for statewide races in Illinois, including governor, attorney general, comptroller, treasurer, secretary of state, state senators and state representatives.

Small donor matching empowers average people to compete financially and ideologically with special interests and wealthy donors. It also opens up the playing field to more diverse candidates for office and offers more options at the ballot box.

“This is about who decides,” Biss said. “Life is getting harder for more and more Americans every day because people who are already doing well have all the power in government – powerful people who are shamefully out of touch with the people they represent.

“We’re only going to fix this problem if we weaken the connection between money and political power and make it easier for small donors’ voices to be heard.”

Read more: Illinois needs small donor matching to amplify local voices

SPRINGFIELD – U.S. presidential candidates would be barred from appearing on the ballot in Illinois until they release five years of their income tax returns under legislation introduced today by Senator Daniel Biss (D-Evanston).

The measure is designed to ensure Illinois voters have important information about the financial interests of candidates who seek the most powerful and influential job in the world.

“As voters are called upon to vote for the best possible candidate for president, they should have as much information as possible about their options,” Biss said. “Donald Trump ran for president in large part by boasting about his business prowess, but he refused to make his tax returns public and deprived voters of the opportunity to check up on that record.”

The legislation, Senate Bill 982, also requires vice presidential candidates to release their returns. Candidates would file copies of their returns with the Internal Revenue Service at least five days prior to certification of the general election ballot.

Biss cited a recent New York Times report that paints an alarming picture of the financial conflicts of interest that entangle President Trump, including several that could sway his foreign policy decisions. The article noted that the extent of Trump’s global financial entanglements is unclear because he has released neither his tax returns nor a list of his lenders.

“In other words, without seeing President Trump’s tax returns, we can’t even figure out what conflicts of interest may be out there,” Biss said. “This situation is dangerous, and it is wrong. It’s our right as Americans to demand the highest ethical standards from those who seek the presidency and ask us to put our trust in them.”