Senate passes Fine legislation to expand access to health insurance with state-based marketplace
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SPRINGFIELD – To facilitate access to affordable health care services, State Senator Laura Fine advanced a measure that will assist in the transition to a state-based health insurance marketplace.
“It has always been my aim to have our insurance marketplace reflect the needs of Illinoisans by providing accessible and affordable health care for all,” said Fine (D-Glenview). “Establishing a state-based marketplace prioritizes the needs of our residents.”
Legislation passed last year established a state-based health insurance marketplace, allowing Illinois to offer affordable insurance coverage options. Illinois will complete the transition to the state-based health insurance marketplace by 2026.
Belt joins Secretary of State to highlight the need for organ donations
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SPRINGFIELD – In an effort to raise awareness of the ongoing need for organ and tissue donation, State Senator Christopher Belt joined Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias in a press conference about the topic on Thursday.
“As an organ donor recipient, I know firsthand how critical one’s life may be in if they are on the transplant list waiting for the news an organ has become available to them,” said Belt (D-Swansea). “It doesn’t matter your gender, age, race or any other factors. What matters is the fact you can save many lives by being a donor, and I will always urge everyone to add their name to the list.”
Currently, more than 7.5 million Illinoisans are registered with Illinois' Organ and Tissue Donor Registry with more than 2,000 transplants taking place each year. Yet, approximately 4,000 people remain on the transplant waiting list, and about 300 die waiting for a transplant every year.
Read more: Belt joins Secretary of State to highlight the need for organ donations
Preston’s measure to ban harmful food additives passes Senate
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SPRINGFIELD — State Senator Willie Preston advanced legislation to ban harmful chemicals in candy, soda and other food items sold and produced in Illinois.
“The FDA has failed to take action on this pressing issue,” said Preston (D-Chicago). “Safer alternatives are already being used in the EU and other places. We need to make sure that safer choices are available to families in Illinois and hopefully, other states will follow so all consumers have access to the healthiest options.”
Over the last few decades, studies show that the number of chemicals being added to foods is steadily increasing and are linked to heightened health risks.
Read more: Preston’s measure to ban harmful food additives passes Senate
Stadelman measures aim to help local newsrooms
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SPRINGFIELD – As newsrooms across the state and nation continue to shrink, State Senator Steve Stadelman’s measures to encourage local ownership of newsrooms and recruit more students to the journalism profession have passed the Senate.
“Investing in journalism education is investing in the future of our democracy,” said Stadelman (D-Rockford).
One part of the measure involves the sale of local news organizations to other companies. The issue is private equity firms are buying newspapers and consolidating them until they provide very little local news with few to no local journalists, eventually shutting them down. The legislation would require a local news organization to notify the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity and employees 120 days before a sale occurs. The goal is other local newspapers, companies or non-profits will have the opportunity to step in to keep the publication local.
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SPRINGFIELD – To offer clarity for patients and pharmacies, State Senator Laura Ellman is sponsoring a measure to ease restrictions on medication containing ephedrine – a drug commonly used to treat allergies and low blood pressure – if it is prescri...
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