Caucus News

DEERFIELD — State Senator Julie Morrison advanced legislation that would ensure that schools can provide undesignated prescription glucagon to students with diabetes suffering from a hypoglycemia emergency.

“Diabetes is a life-long disease that requires timely and attentive maintenance to ensure proper blood sugar levels,” said Morrison (D-Lake Forest). “It is imperative that our school professionals are not only equipped with proper training, but have access to life-saving medication that can help avert hypoglycemic emergencies.”

Glucagon is a life-saving medication used to treat severe hypoglycemia, which works by raising blood glucose levels to a safer range. Leaving hypoglycemia emergencies untreated can lead to confusion, seizures or even loss of consciousness.

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Adriane Johnson passed legislation aimed at strengthening medical education around perimenopause and menopause care by allowing this coursework to count toward Illinois’ required implicit bias awareness training.

“Too many women are told that their symptoms are just a part of aging without meaningful support or guidance,” said Johnson (D-Buffalo Grove). “This legislation will help providers deepen their understanding and empower them with the tools to enhance patient-centered care.”

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Paul Faraci advanced an initiative that would honor the legacy and lasting impact of the late State Senator Scott Bennett by renaming the railroad trestle bridge on Kickapoo Rail Trail.

“Scott Bennett was not only a mentor to me, he was also a dear friend whose dedication to his communities has inspired much of my work in the Senate to date,” said Faraci (D-Champaign). “Renaming the bridge on Kickapoo Rail Trail in honor of his life and work is common sense. He made tangible, necessary and valuable change for our communities with our residents’ best interest always at the forefront, and nothing deserves recognition more than that.”

Faraci’s proposal would honor Bennett’s memory in Vermilion County by designating the railroad trestle bridge on Kickapoo Rail Trail as the Senator Scott Bennett Memorial Bridge. The measure would also allow the Illinois Department of Natural Resources to erect plaques in recognition of the designation, pending the agency’s funding availability.

SPRINGFIELD — State Senator Julie Morrison joined Child Advocacy Center leaders from across the state to raise awareness about support the centers’ provide to children and advocate for the passage of Senate Bill 3510.

“Think about a child who has been abused or sexually assaulted. Rather than passing them from the police station to another room, they go to one place – one environment – to tell their story once,” said Morrison (D-Lake Forest). “It is so impactful that we have Child Advocacy Centers in Illinois that allow this streamlined approach.”

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Mike Simmons passed legislation through the Senate on Wednesday that would expand the 2022 Jett Hawkins Act to include protections for religious hairstyles in private schools throughout the state.

“I fought hard to pass the Jett Hawkins Act,” said Simmons (D-Chicago). “Now, Illinois is expanding protections to include hairstyles and facial hair in public schools specific to Jewish faith and tradition, specifically the Orthodox tradition, as a condition of registration or recognition with ISBE or the State.”

Simmons’ legislation, Senate Bill 3361, would require private, non-religious schools to affirm they will not prohibit religious hairstyles or hair-related religious practices, including facial hair worn pursuant to a student’s or employee’s sincerely held religious beliefs, in order to register with the Illinois State Board of Education.

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Steve Stadelman advanced legislation through the Senate that would strengthen protections for survivors of domestic violence and stalking by eliminating gaps that can occur between emergency and final orders of protection, ensuring continuous enforcement during the transition.

“This proposal came directly from a real situation where someone’s safety was put at risk because of a delay,” said Stadelman (D-Rockford). “We shouldn’t allow technicalities to override common sense when it comes to protecting victims.”

DEERFIELD — State Senator Julie Morrison lead a measure that would provide addiction services and resources to Illinoisans affected by gambling disorders.

“Gambling addictions have long burdened residents and families across Illinois – financially destroying lives and creating long-term mental health distress,” said Morrison (D-Lake Forest). “By classifying gambling as a disorder through the Department of Humans Services, the state will be able to provide addiction services to those affected.”

According to the Illinois Department of Human Services, roughly 3.8% of adult Illinoisans are considered to have a gambling problem, with an additional 7.7% at risk of developing a gambling problem. 

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Celina Villanueva joined SEIU Healthcare, seniors and advocates at a rally at the Illinois State Capitol on Thursday to demand equitable wages for home care workers under the Community Care Program.

“I know first-hand how demanding home care work is, as it was home care workers who stepped in when my grandmother was ill – ensuring she was clean, fed, took her medicine on time and, most importantly, could continue living in her community with dignity,” said Villanueva (D-Chicago). “We must work to pass this measure to ensure their wages are reflective of their effort, and I am determined to lead that fight in Springfield this spring.”