SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Laura Ellman (D-Naperville) released the following statement in response to the passage of the state budget for fiscal year 2022:

“I am pleased that the budget passed by the General Assembly takes essential steps to improve our state’s fiscal status while continuing to invest in areas that promote growth for our state: health care and social services, education, and business development. This budget puts Illinois back on a path to financial stability.

“By paying down the entire $3.2 billion in short-term loans Illinois took out during the COVID-19 pandemic, we will save tens of millions of dollars in interest payments for taxpayers. This should send a strong message to the nation and to bond rating agencies that Illinois is serious about fiscal discipline.”

SPRINGFIELD – A resolution sponsored by State Senator Laura Ellman (D-Naperville) which establishes January 17, 2022 as Muhammad Ali Day in the state of Illinois passed the Senate on Monday.

“State commemorative holidays are an opportunity to recognize people who provided an example of what it means to be the best we can be,” Ellman said. “Muhammad Ali deserves this recognition for his achievements, hard-working and courageous, both in and out of the ring.”

SPRINGFIELD – Alex’s Law, a measure sponsored by State Senator Laura Ellman (D-Naperville) that aims to decrease deaths from opioid overdoses passed the Senate on Saturday. The legislation would ensure that people who seek emergency assistance for an individual experiencing symptoms of an opioid overdose will not be arrested for any crime related to the use of drugs at the scene.

“Saving lives has to be our first priority,” Ellman said. “Fear of criminal charges should never prevent someone from seeking help.”

The idea for the measure came from the death of a 25-year-old Naperville resident, Alex Green, who died of a fentanyl overdose in 2018. Alex had been with others at the time of his overdose, but none of the others on the scene called 911 for assistance. This meant the officers who arrived on scene were not able to identify what had happened until it was too late, despite having Narcan (a medicine used to treat opioid overdoses) with them at the time.

SPRINGFIELD – Legislation sponsored by State Senator Laura Ellman (D-Naperville) that would allow the student member of the Illinois Student Assistance Commission to retain their seat until a new member is appointed passed the General Assembly on Thursday.

“It’s important that there’s always student representation on the Student Assistance Commission,” Ellman said. “It can’t truly perform its mission without the student perspective.”

SPRINGFIELD – Legislation sponsored by State Senator Laura Ellman (D-Naperville) that would allow students to use 529 college savings accounts for other education-related purposes without additional taxation passed the General Assembly on Thursday.

“This legislation would allow college savings plans to be used in more ways to reflect the realities of modern-day higher education,” Ellman said. “Students need and should be able to use their savings plans to pay for loans or job-training programs.”

SPRINGFIELD – Legislation sponsored by State Senator Laura Ellman (D-Naperville) that would allow students to use 529 college savings accounts for other education-related purposes without additional taxation passed the General Assembly on Thursday.

“This legislation would allow college savings plans to be used in more ways to reflect the realities of modern-day higher education,” Ellman said. “Students need and should be able to use their savings plans to pay for loans or job-training programs.”

The legislation would allow up to $10,000 to be used for additional education-related purposes without being taxed, making Illinois law consistent with federal law.

SPRINGFIELD – A measure sponsored by State Senator Laura Ellman (D-Naperville) that would ensure no person is arrested while seeking help for someone suffering an opioid overdose passed committee on Tuesday.

“No one should ever go without lifesaving care, because another person is worried they will be charged with a crime,” Ellman said. “We need to ensure that the good deed of trying to save a life does not result in punishment.”

The measure, also known as “Alex’s Law,” would ensure that people who seek emergency assistance for an individual experiencing symptoms of an opioid overdose will not be arrested for any crime related to the use of drugs at the scene. The legislation aims to prevent situations where an individual dies from an opioid overdose due to the other people present fearing arrest if they call for help.

The idea for the measure came from the death of a 25-year-old Naperville resident, Alex Green, who died of a fentanyl overdose in 2018. Alex had been with others at the time of his overdose, but none of the others on the scene called 911 for assistance. This meant the officers who arrived on scene were not able to identify what had happened until it was too late, despite having Narcan (a medicine used to treat opioid overdoses) with them at the time.

“Had an unknown person who was on hand accompanied Alex into a public business and alerted staff that his friend was overdosing, proper 911 calls may have been made,” said Bill Green, Alex’s father and the original proponent of the legislation. “Friends, strangers and passersby need to know that it’s always safe to help someone in distress, so they may see those they love at least one more day.”

Ellman, Green, and other proponents hope that Alex’s law will lead to more people contacting 911 when others around them suffer an opioid overdose, potentially saving lives.

House Bill 3445 passed the Senate Criminal Law Committee by unanimous vote and now heads to the Senate floor for further consideration.

NAPERVILLE – With the release of the Illinois Department of Transportation’s multi-year plan to improve Illinois’ roads and bridges, State Senator Laura Ellman (D-Naperville) is pleased to see the Illinois Route 38 expansion between Wheaton and Winfield proceeding in 2022.

“Investing in our area’s roads and highways is essential to the safety of both drivers and pedestrians,” Ellman said. “I am thankful that the state is taking the next step toward making Route 38 more accessible and safe for people in our community.”

The IL Route 38 project proposes to widen the highway to include two 11-foot wide lanes in each direction and expand to a 16-foot wide barrier median. It also includes a proposed 8-foot wide shared-use path on the north side of the highway for bikers and pedestrians. IDOT’s plan expects the project to be completed within six years and to drastically improve the highway’s safety for both drivers and pedestrians.