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CHICAGO – State Senator Celina Villanueva is uplifting the voice of Jesus Emmanuel Alvarez after his father, the man who allegedly killed his wife, Karina Gonzalez, and 15-year-old daughter, Daniela Alvarez, in a domestic shooting in 2023 – resulting in Villanueva passing Karina’s Law – passed away before the case could be taken to trial.  

“Jesus Emmanuel Alvarez is one of the bravest people I’ve ever met, stepping up in the midst of so much uncertainty to ensure no other family has to endure the pain that his did,” said State Senator Celina Villanueva (D-Chicago). “His courage during one of the darkest periods of his life is just one of the many reasons I’m proud to know Jesus, and I’m thankful this reign of trauma in his life is ending.”

Villanueva worked with Jesus Alvarez to create Karina’s Law in honor of his mother and sister, legislation sponsored by Villanueva in 2024, and signed into law in 2025, that addresses the excessive danger of domestic violence situations involving firearms.  

SPRINGFIELD – Illinois residents are on track to receive much-needed financial relief, thanks to the efforts of State Senator Celina Villanueva, who passed a responsible revenue package Monday that bolsters new revenue sources without placing taxes on everyday people.

“All year long, my colleagues and I were told we had to ‘cut’ our way out of budget challenges, but we recognize that bulldozing the essential resources and services Illinois’ working families rely on is not the way to meet the ever changing demands of our economy,” said Villanueva (D-Chicago). “We know the wealth to fully fund programs in our communities exists; it’s just being hoarded. This revenue package steps up to the moment to ensure Illinois has progressive revenue policies centered around fairness and stability for all residents.”

Senate Bill 3019 – the revenue package – would implement a stream of equitable revenue enhancements that uplift working families across Illinois, including making corporations pay their fair share and reinstating the back-to-school tax holiday.

Among the initiatives included in the package is a new social media fee that is expected to generate $200 million for K-12 public education and for the state to use as a safety net in light of federal funding decisions. The proposal would implement a fee on social media platforms based on their average number of monthly users located in Illinois, materializing as a three-tier structure that would cap fees at $165,000 annually plus $0.50 per month per user for platforms with over one million users. To protect Illinois users, platforms would not be allowed to charge residents higher prices, reduce features or otherwise treat them differently in order to recover costs.

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Celina Villanueva (D-Chicago) released the following statement after the Senate passed the Fiscal Year 2027 state budget Monday:

“As chair of the Senate Revenue Committee, I know firsthand the extreme hardships our residents have been experiencing due to poor leadership in Washington, cuts to critical services and programs that help working families stay afloat and harassment toward Latino communities who are simply trying to live in freedom.

“At a time when so many Illinoisans are forced to live in fear and instability, we are making it clear we value affordability, safety and dignity for our residents – especially immigrant communities – by passing a responsible budget that funds education, food security, health care, violence prevention programs and other essential resources and services.

“This process required tough conversations and practical decisions, but we worked together to uplift those most in need in our state and prioritize affordability for our residents. Our work is far from over, but this budget will act as a crucial line of defense against continued attempts from the federal government to wreak havoc in the lives of working, low-income and immigrant families.”

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Celina Villanueva has sent a strategic approach to addressing domestic violence, sexual violence, stalking and human trafficking to the governor’s desk, advancing the Family Center Justice Act out of the Senate Saturday.

“For many people who have experienced violence, accessing services is a daunting task, often overwhelming for survivors who need assistance with a range of needs or traumas,” said Villanueva (D-Chicago). “The Family Center Justice Act would help close these gaps in care, ensuring the state, local governments and nonprofits work together to support survivors and provide them with adequate resources.”

A Family Justice Center is a multi-agency, multi-disciplinary service center where public and private agencies assign staff members on a full-time or part-time basis to provide services to survivors of domestic violence, sexual violence, stalking and human trafficking. These centers increase access to services for survivors and their children by reducing the number of times survivors must repeat their accounts and the number of places survivors must go for help. The goal is to ensure families have comprehensive support in one centralized location.