SPRINGFIELD – Less than a year after State Senator Julie Morrison and her family ran for their lives as a man opened fire from a rooftop in Highland Park, she passed a measure to enhance public safety through the use of drones.

“Drones provide an invaluable resource that can be used to monitor large crowds for suspicious activity,” said Morrison (D-Lake Forest). “This technology exists – there’s no reason we shouldn’t put it in the hands of law enforcement.”

The Morrison-led measure allows law enforcement to use drones to monitor special events, like parades and festivals, to detect breaches and identify public safety issues.

It comes in response to the Fourth of July mass shooting that killed seven and wounded dozens more in Highland Park. The shooter fired a rifle on parade crowd from the rooftop of a downtown building.

“The devastating July day in Highland Park underscored the need for increased public safety initiatives for large events,” said Morrison. “I can’t help but wonder what the outcome of that July day would’ve been had this law been in place.”

“The City of Highland Park appreciates the work of Senators Morrison and Holmes leading on legislation that will broaden the use of drones by public safety in certain situations, specifically for preventative use against public safety threats towards public gatherings,” said Highland Park Mayor Nancy Rotering. “Allowing our public safety personnel the use of drones to monitor large scale public events will increase their ability to secure an area, and save time while improving the delivery of life-saving services.”

House Bill 3902 passed the Senate Wednesday.

SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois State Senate passed a revenue package Wednesday containing a number of tax credits and tax emptions, including two measures championed by State Senator Christopher Belt that provide tax incentives to electric vehicle manufacturers and aircraft engine suppliers and manufacturers.

“The electric vehicle industry showcases the potential for the future of our state,” said Belt (D-Swansea). “Not only do these measures incentivize growth of the electric vehicle and aircraft engine industries, but also it will drive economic prosperity in Illinois while reinforcing the state’s commitment to fostering a sustainable business environment.”

SPRINGFIELD – The City of Kankakee will now be the latest community to be a part of the River Edge Redevelopment Zone Program, thanks to State Senator Patrick Joyce’s leadership to get Senate Bill 1963 over the finish line.

“When I was growing up, downtown Kankakee was a vibrant area full of small businesses and things to do,” said Joyce (D-Essex). “By adding Kankakee to the list of towns eligible to be in the River Edge Redevelopment Zone, investors and small business owners alike will have tax incentives to invest in the downtown area. This action aims to bring back businesses and give old river communities another chance for development.”  

The River Edge Redevelopment Zone Program helps revive and redevelop environmentally challenged properties adjacent to rivers in Illinois. Currently, the River Edge Redevelopment Zone Act authorizes the Illinois Department of Commerce to designate zones in five cities: Aurora, East St. Louis, Elgin, Peoria and Rockford. This new legislation will add Kankakee and Joliet to the list of authorized municipalities in the zones.

SPRINGFIELD – On Feb. 15, 2019, a mass shooting took place at Henry Pratt Company in Aurora. Within 90 minutes of the shooter’s arrival, five people had been killed by the gunman. Five police officers were injured along with another civilian. The Aurora Police Department began reviewing the case for opportunities to use their drones at events; over the next three years, a plan was formed.

On Wednesday, Aurora’s State Senator Linda Holmes brought the work of law enforcement agencies who studied how the use of drones could play a role in protecting the public in mass shooting events, and House Bill 3902 – the Drones as First Responders Act – was heard and passed in the Senate.

“This measure gives police and other first responders critical information in a chaotic situation where lives are at stake,” said Holmes (D-Aurora). “This capability could spare another community the suffering and trauma we experienced here.”

SPRINGFIELD — State Senator Mattie Hunter advanced a bill that will equitably distribute proceeds from specialty lottery scratch-off tickets, as well as create two new causes to provide educational opportunities to Black and Brown youth.

“By establishing a Joint Special Instant Scratch-Off Game, we are providing an opportunity for our residents to contribute to causes that make a meaningful impact in our communities,” said Hunter (D-Chicago). “This legislation will streamline operations and better distribute proceeds — ultimately benefiting both the Illinois Lottery and the causes it supports.”

Senate Bill 1508 amends the Illinois Lottery Law by introducing a Joint Special Instant Scratch-Off Game, which will combine specialty causes into one ticket — limited to 10 causes at any given time — and split the proceeds equally among the causes. Currently, there are eight separate specialty cause scratch-off games benefiting breast cancer research, veterans assistance, multiple sclerosis research, HIV/AIDS prevention, Special Olympics, police memorials, homelessness prevention programs, and Alzheimer’s care. Under the current structure, the Illinois Lottery faces several challenges, including disproportionate proceeds from various specialty games.

SPRINGFIELD – Between 2013 and 2021, health care costs increased by 25% causing Illinoisans to spend, on average, over $7,000 on healthcare per person. In order to protect consumers and small businesses from excessive insurance premium increases, State Senator Laura Fine sponsored House Bill 2296, which would require the state to review and approve health insurance rate changes and make the process more transparent.

“Since becoming a legislator, I have been a fierce consumer advocate to provide quality, affordable healthcare to Illinois residents,” said Fine (D-Glenview). “This initiative empowers the Department of Insurance to reject unsubstantiated increases in insurance premiums and provides essential transparency to the process.”

House Bill 2296 protects consumers by giving the Illinois Department of Insurance (DOI) the authority to approve, modify, or deny excessive premium rate increases for individuals and small businesses. The legislation would also provide transparency on the process of insurance plans changing their rates by requiring DOI to post proposed rates on their website with space for members of the public to comment.

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Mike Halpin advanced House Bill 301 through the Senate, marking a significant milestone in the expansion of the AIM HIGH Grant Pilot Program.

“If we want students here in Illinois to take advantage of our four-year universities, then we need to do something that actually makes it easier,” said Halpin (D-Rock Island). “This legislation is for working families who need just a little help paying for college and is a serious step in expanding access to higher education for Illinois residents, providing part-time students expanded opportunities as well.”

Beginning with the 2019-20 academic year, The Aspirational Institutional Match Helping Illinois Grow Higher Education (AIM HIGH) has provided merit-based, means-tested student financial aid to first-time, full-time undergraduate students and transfer students who are Illinois residents attending any of the 12 Illinois public four-year universities. AIM HIGH-participating universities are required to provide matching funding for institutional awards for students who meet certain eligibility requirements, as well as those established by each individual university.

Creates a framework for the Illinois EPA to approve the use of limestone residual for additional means beyond what is currently permitted

SPRINGFIELD – Limestone quarries provide a number of products encountered every day: on our roads, in our homes and businesses, and in agriculture. One such lime product is used to treat drinking water and remove particulates. Assistant Majority Leader Linda Holmes is the sponsor of legislation to allow the return of the limestone residual back to a limestone mine after that use, projected to save the city an estimated $7 million over 10 years.

“Aurora’s Water Treatment Plan has used limestone in its processes since it was built in 1992, but disposing of the residual product was problematic,” said Holmes (D-Aurora). “The City of Aurora initiated this legislation, as it cost the city quite a bit of money to dispose of it in landfills or to apply it on farmland. Putting that material back into an underground mine cavity 250 feet below ground will save significant taxpayer dollars.”

House Bill 3095 creates a framework to allow limestone residual material to be deposited safely back into unused mines. Under this measure, the Pollution Control Board is tasked with adopting rules to ensure the material is regulated and stored in a manner that best protects the health of the environment.

“For the sake of preserving our natural world, it’s vital that we not immediately dispose of materials so reactively termed ‘waste products,’” said State Representative Barbara Hernandez (D-Aurora), who sponsored the measure in the House. “As we work to build a greener future, it’s time to stop overlooking the potential to reclaim resources that can be valuable to the community.”

A measure in the works for several years with Holmes’ leadership, House Bill 3095 has now passed the Senate.