SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Julie Morrison led the effort on the passage of a new law to expand property tax relief by allowing more veterans to qualify for the Disabled Veterans’ Homestead Exemption.

“This law is one way of honoring the sacrifices veterans and their families have made,” said Morrison (D-Lake Forest), who serves on the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee. “I will continue to champion the needs of this group of brave individuals.”

Under the new law, disabled veterans of World War II can receive a 100% reduction in their home’s assessed value – leading to a $0 property tax bill. Additionally, it will allow disabled veterans who receive disability compensation at 70% or more, and the surviving spouses of veterans whose deaths were service-connected, to qualify for the exemption of the first $250,000 of their home’s assessed value.

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Julie Morrison passed a resolution to encourage election authorities to sign eligible students up to serve as deputy registrars.

“Increasing civic engagement and creating more informed young citizens will have a positive impact on them and on Illinois,” said Morrison (D-Lake Forest). “It’s important for young people to have a say on things that will affect their future.”

Senate Resolution 532 urges election authorities to conduct outreach and training to qualified high school students to serve as deputy registrars. Deputy registrars are appointed by a county clerk to register eligible individuals to vote. Individuals who are at least 17 years old can serve as deputy registrars.

“Increasing the rate at which young people participate in civic activities has been a goal of mine for years,” said Morrison. “It is my hope that starting young people’s participation in the electoral process early will result in a more involved community going forward.”

Senate Resolution 532 was adopted by the Senate Saturday.

SPRINGFIELD – Tons of trash and debris are dumped annually into Illinois rivers, negatively impacting wildlife and damaging both the aesthetic and biological qualities of the rivers. State Senator Julie Morrison passed a resolution to name September 2024 as River Clean Up Month to encourage Illinoisans to promote clean-up efforts across the state. 

“Illinois contains more miles of rivers than any other state east of the Mississippi River,” said Morrison (D-Lake Forest). “It is imperative that we keep our rivers clean not only for the ecosystem, but also so we can continue to enjoy the many activities the rivers provide.”

This resolution calls on chambers of commerce, area group and associations, local schools and colleges to organize and coordinate local clean-up activities along portions of rivers and waterways in their area.

“Rivers and water ways are extremely important in Illinois,” said Morrison. “With this resolution, we are honoring that importance and focusing on keeping our environment clean.”

Senate Resolution 702 was adopted by the Senate Saturday.

SPRINGFIELD – Building off her efforts to make voting more accessible, State Senator Julie Morrison is leading a measure to help people in veterans’ homes, nursing homes, and hospitals cast their ballots in a safe, secure way.

“Voting disparities among people with disabilities is a pressing issue,” said Morrison. “Increasing opportunities for voters with disabilities, many of whom are veterans, to utilize vote by mail will have a positive impact on their participation.”

House Bill 4488, among other things, would allow election authorities to deliver vote by mail ballots to voters who live in veterans’ and nursing homes, hospitals and mental health facilities, in addition to the authorities' preexisting ability to administer supervised, on-site voting. This vote by mail initiative is just one part of a bigger package of proposals to increase voting accessibility and make elections more transparent.

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Julie Morrison is leading a measure to allow more veterans to qualify for the Disabled Veterans’ Homestead Exemption.

“People who served in the U.S military should feel appreciated for their service,” said Morrison (D-Lake Forest). “Honoring our disabled veterans by lowering their property taxes is one important way of thanking them and their families for their sacrifice.”

Currently the Veterans’ Homestead Exemption allows qualifying veterans to receive a property tax reduction if their home’s value does not exceed a certain amount. However, if the home’s value increases to above the cap, they no longer qualify for any exemption.

SPRINGFIELD – Finding out your vehicle is totaled can be a difficult situation and the last thing you want to do is research the cost of each part of your car. State Senator Julie Morrison passed a measure to require vehicle insurance companies to do that work for you.

“I am committed to increasing transparency between insurance companies and consumers,” said Morrison (D-Lake Forest). “This measure will save people time and energy during an already trying experience.”

House Bill 5559 would require auto insurers to provide a description of how the total loss of vehicle determination was made, as well as include any available repair estimates, estimated vehicle salvage value, assessed market value of the pre-damaged vehicle and any other costs or calculations.

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Julie Morrison passed a measure to bring more diversity to clinical cancer trials.

“Better representation in clinical trials will improve progress and innovation in cancer care and mitigate some inequities that currently exist in health care,” said Morrison (D-Lake Forest).

House Bill 5405 would require the Illinois Department of Public Health to work with the University of Illinois and other relevant organizations to conduct a study examining what demographics are currently underrepresented in clinical trials, identify barriers to participation and pinpoint ways to improve upon outreach to these communities. IDPH would report the findings of this study to the General Assembly by July 1, 2026.

“Prioritizing accessibility and equity in cancer research is vital as cancer disproportionately impacts marginalized communities,” said Morrison. “This bill will ensure participation from historically underrepresented communities.”

House Bill 5405 unanimously passed the Senate Thursday.

SPRINGFIELD – Standing alongside advocates from various health care organizations, State Senator Julie Morrison outlined her plan to expand private insurance coverage for medically necessary glucose monitors and related supplies.

“Increasing coverage of medically necessary services can greatly improve an individual’s quality of life,” said Morrison (D-Lake Forest). “As chair of the Senate Health and Human Services Committee, I am devoted to protecting people’s health and livelihood.”

Senate Bill 3414 would require insurance companies to cover glucose monitors, related supplies, and training in the use of glucose monitors for individuals diagnosed with any form of diabetes. The measure includes that an individual won’t need to have prior authorization for coverage for a glucose monitor and prohibits insurance from imposing cost-sharing requirements.