- Ira Silverstein
Infobox_State_Senator
name=Ira Silverstein
state_senate=Illinois
state=Illinois
district=8th
term=1999 -
preceded=
succeeded=Incumbent
date of birth=birth date and age|1960|10|10
place of birth=Chicago, Illinois
date of death=
place of death=
spouse=Debra Silverstein
profession=attorney
religion=Jewish
party=Democratic|Ira I. Silverstein is a Democratic member of the
Illinois Senate , representing the 8th district since1999 .Early life
Silverstein attended Boone Elementary School, Mather High School, and then earned his bachelor’s degree from
Loyola University . He later received his law degree from the John Marshall Law School.Silverstein still practices law, he maintains offices in downtown Chicago and a neighborhood office on Devon Avenue, serving small business owners and residents in matters such as elder law, estate planning and business issues.
Senate career
Silverstein was elected to his position in
1999 . His election was an upset, as he was the first non-party endorsed democrat to be nominated for a northside senate seat since Dawn Clark Netsch in1972 .Silverstein’s father was a public school teacher, and partly because of that, Silverstein has worked for increased funding for schools. Early in his career as a senator, Silverstein earmarked the largest share of his legislative grants to public schools in his district. Silverstein supported a bill for tax credits for private school tuition, which was signed into law in 1999.
In March of
2006 , Silverstein sponsored a bill to provide additional benefits to those who are diagnosed with pervasive developmental disorders, the most commonly known is autism. This bill allowed more doctor’s visits and increased coverage for speech therapy.Recently, Silverstein has worked to change the laws regarding identity theft to make it harder for personal information to be shared. Prior to this bill, names and passwords on the computer; cell phone records; e-mails; instant messages; and records of websites visited by an individual were not considered “personal identifying information.” This bill would include that information as private and would prohibit such personal information by brokers.
Silverstein is the Chairman of the Senate Executive Committee, and he serves on the Senate Judiciary and Licensed Activities committees, and the Joint Committee on Administrative Rules (JCAR). JCAR reviews regulations imposed by state departments on business and citizens to ensure they are in accordance with the department’s legal authority.
Personal life
Senator Silverstein is married to Debra Silverstein, and they have four children together.
External links
* [http://www.ilga.gov/senate/Senator.asp?MemberID=1009 Illinois General Assembly - Senator Ira I. Silverstein (D) 8th District] official IL Senate website
** [http://ilga.gov/senate/SenatorBills.asp?MemberID=1009 Bills] , [http://ilga.gov/senate/SenCommittees.asp?MemberID=1009 Committees]
* [http://votesmart.org/bio.php?can_id=CIL22919 Project Vote Smart - Senator Ira I. Silverstein (IL)] profile
*"Follow the Money" - Ira I Silverstein
** [http://www.followthemoney.org/database/StateGlance/candidate.phtml?si=200614&c=419756 2006] [http://www.followthemoney.org/database/StateGlance/candidate.phtml?si=200414&c=396002 2004] [http://www.followthemoney.org/database/StateGlance/candidate.phtml?si=200214&c=18742 2002] [http://www.followthemoney.org/database/StateGlance/candidate.phtml?si=200014&c=355534 2000] [http://www.followthemoney.org/database/StateGlance/candidate.phtml?si=199814&c=355124 1998] campaign contributions
* [http://www.senatedem.ilga.gov/page_display.asp?PID=34 Illinois State Senate Democrats - Senator Ira I. Silverstein] profile
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