News Archive - Sound of the State

For the month of October, the nation honors those affected by breast cancer and raises awareness to help promote early detection, treatment, and a cure. In this episode of the Sound of the State, State Senator Laura Ellman discusses the significance of this annual observance and shares her personal story about overcoming breast cancer.

The second Monday in October is recognized as Indigenous Peoples’ Day, which honors the sovereignty, resilience and contributions of Indigenous communities. State Senator Mark Walker joins the Sound of the State to highlight legislation he’s led to address past injustices, including the repatriation of Native remains and artifacts and an effort to transfer land back to the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation.

 Illinois safeguards the fundamental right to choose — including the right to choose when and how to start a family. This episode with Senator Cristina Castro and Representative Margaret Croke dives into a new law expanding coverage for fertility treatments like IVF.

State Senator Dave Koehler and Shreya Nallamothu, the high school student who helped develop this legislation, discuss Illinois' newly-enacted Kidfluencer law and how it protects young people from exploitation on social media.

Legislative measures from the final week of the 2024 spring session are featured in this edition of the Majority Report, including bills to address maternal mortality rates and protect Illinois consumers from unwanted automatic membership renewals.

The Illinois Senate concluded its 2024 spring session with members of the Illinois Senate Democratic Caucus leading the way in passing a balanced budget prioritizing education, public safety, and more. Get details on the new budget which takes effect on July 1st, in this edition of the Majority Report.

State Senators Michael Hastings and Mike Porfirio join the Sound of the State to commemmorate Memorial Day with reflections on their service in our nation's military, what the holiday means for them, and legislative steps Illinois has taken to assist service members, veterans, and their families during and after their service.

Senators Dave Koehler and Doris Turner sat down to discuss the progress of the Underground Railroad Task Force. The task force, which includes Koehler and Turner, is working to develop a plan to create a cohesive statewide history of the Underground Railroad in Illinois.