Democrats introduce measures to empower community involvement and investment

SPRINGFIELD – To work to reduce crime in neighborhoods and invest in education opportunities, Democratic legislators unveiled a package of legislation to help better address the equity needs of local communities at a press conference Friday.

“Public Safety is an issue that has touched me and my neighbors directly and that is why I am in favor of greater community involvement,” said Senator Robert Peters (D-Chicago). “We can achieve real public safety for all by listening to communities and expert input, not by continuing the misguided policies of the past.”

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Pacione-Zayas measure promoting transparency at Department of Corrections advances

SPRINGFIELD – People reentering society after being released from the Illinois Department of Corrections facilities should have access to documents regarding their time committed. State Senator Cristina Pacione-Zayas (D-Chicago) championed legislation to allow incarcerated individuals to request a summary of their master record.

“People should have the right to double-check their file for false or misleading information, especially if an individual is applying for clemency or other legal remedies,” said Pacione-Zayas. “As Illinois continues to commit itself to a focus on restorative justice, making sure people have the resources they need to reflect and rehabilitate is vital.”

House Bill 4559 would allow people committed to IDOC facilities to request one summary of their master record file a year. It would also allow a committed person’s attorney an additional request of the summary of the master file annually.

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Senate approves Murphy’s plan to authorize more health care professionals to administer COVID-19 vaccine

SPRINGFIELD –To address the rising demand for COVID-19 vaccinations, State Senator Laura Murphy (D-Des Plaines) advanced an initiative to allow more health care workers to administer the vaccines.                                                        

“With more people wanting to protect themselves against COVID-19, at times there were not enough administrators for the number of individuals trying to get vaccinated,” Murphy said. “To offer more flexibility, vaccination clinics should be able to hire qualified health care professionals to administer COVID shots.”

Getting vaccinated for COVID-19 is vital to stopping the spread of the virus and lowering mortality rates. However, if there are not enough people able to administer vaccines, people may experience delays in making appointments to get their shot or booster. Currently, physicians, pharmacists, PAs, and APRNs are authorized to administer COVID-19 vaccines, but with the public demand for these shots, some health care centers are struggling to find enough administrators with these qualifications.

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Jones measure to require insurers to provide annual prostate cancer screenings

CHICAGO – State Senator Emil Jones III (D-Chicago) is sponsoring legislation to mandate and require private insurers to allow men to get annual prostate cancer screenings free-of-charge.

“It’s important to be aware of your health risks — this bill will make prostate cancer screenings more accessible for men across the state,” Jones said. “Prostate cancer is life threatening — a simple test can detect it early and save a life.”

House Bill 5318 would require private insurers to provide all qualifying male policyholders with an annual prostate cancer screening upon the recommendations of a physician.

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