Caucus News

DES PLAINES – State Senator Laura Murphy is leading a comprehensive measure to protect consumers’ data and shield them from targeted advertisements.

“By placing guardrails around consumers’ personal information, we eliminate companies’ ability to collect and sell the most sensitive data of Illinoisans,” said Murphy (D-Des Plaines). “We then put the power in the hands of the people to take any additional action to protect their data and correct inaccuracies about their data.” 

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Laura Murphy is advancing legislation to provide consumers in Illinois with rights to their personal data online.

“Private companies should not have limitless control over the personal data of consumers, and should face consequences if they violate consumer privacy,” said Murphy (D-Des Plaines). “Consumers have a right to know what data is being collected and the steps they can take to limit the use of their data.”

SPRINGFIELD – More people who live near O’Hare and Midway could soon be eligible for sound insulation programs through legislation led by State Senator Laura Murphy.

“With the ongoing expansion and upgrades at O’Hare Airport, we must be proactive in adjusting to the traffic this expansion will bring,” said Murphy (D-Des Plaines). “Increased air traffic means increased noise, so this legislation recognizes that we should be providing insulation to any new households that need it.”

Murphy’s Senate Bill 4041 would require O’Hare and Midway airports to conduct studies every five years on eligibility for residential sound insulation programs. The studies would use modern modeling techniques to collect data, aiming to ensure every household exposed to excessive noise from the airports is eligible for sound insulation assistance.

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Laura Murphy is leading the way to ensure families who live near O’Hare and Midway airports are eligible for sound insulation programs through new legislation.

“As the O’Hare Airport Modernization Program moves forward, we cannot allow residents who are being disturbed by airport noise to slip through the cracks when they need us,” said Murphy (D-Des Plaines). “This legislation ensures that we use updated data to provide accurate coverage of the sound insulation program to residents who need it.”

DES PLAINES – State Senator Laura Murphy received the 2025 Legislator of the Year award from the Metropolitan Township Association in recognition of her leadership and commitment to achieving community-driven progress.

“Throughout my career, I have worked closely with townships and have seen the essential role they play in addressing the specialized needs of their residents,” said Murphy (D-Des Plaines). “I am humbled to have received this award and will continue to support townships and the work they do to ensure residents in their community receive the services they need.”

SPRINGFIELD – Medically necessary equine therapy will soon be covered by health insurance thanks to a law championed by State Senator Laura Murphy.

“There are many effective forms for therapy, but insurance roadblocks and cost barriers often leave patients without access to the care they need,” said Murphy (D-Des Plaines). “Equine therapy can support mental health and emotional growth, and soon it will be available to individuals who could benefit from this treatment but couldn’t afford it.”

Equine therapy encompasses therapies that involve interacting with horses, including specific therapies used by physical, occupational and speech therapists to engage different sensory responses for patients. It has shown positive effects for people living with PTSD, autism and many other conditions.

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Laura Murphy spearheaded a new law to protect consumers by cracking down on unlicensed car dealers deceiving consumers with sales of defective cars.

“This law ensures that we are holding unlicensed car dealers accountable and ensure every car sale meets the standards of safety and honesty,” said Murphy (D-Des Plaines). “Ending curbstoning lifts a burden off of Illinois consumers.”

The goal is to make the already illegal practice of “curbstoning” — a scheme where individual sellers draw car shoppers to places like parking lots and side streets to sell used cars without a license — more difficult. The cars are sold for more money than they are worth and typically have significant issues such as water damage, mileage rollbacks, mechanical issues, or salvaged titles — which are only issued if the car has sustained enough damage to be declared a total loss.

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Laura Murphy’s law to bring to justice to victims of human trafficking by expanding the expressway camera program to target traffickers was signed into law Monday.

“With this law we send a clear message: Illinois is not a safe haven for human traffickers,” said Murphy (D-Des Plaines). “By empowering law enforcement with the tools necessary to identify human traffickers in real time, we are helping with investigations, increasing public safety and saving lives.”

Human traffickers often use highways to transport victims. Truck stops in particular are often hotspots for this kind of illicit activity and those vehicles can be tracked using an expressway camera.