SPRINGFIELD – In order to combat fraud, State Senator Doris Turner passed a measure through the Senate that would create an alert system to notify property owners when a deed or instrument has been filed on their property.

“People work hard to be able to say they own a property in their name,” said Turner (D-Springfield). “This legislation would ensure your hard-earned property is protected from common scam tactics and deception.”

Senate Bill 1523 would require county recorders to establish a fraud referral and review process to review deeds and other instruments and a fraud alert system to notify property owners when a deed or instrument has been filed on their property. The bill creates a legal pathway for any rightful property owner against any person who fraudulently files a deed or other instrument.

SPRINGFIELD – Following the murder of Sonya Massey at the hands of a Sangamon County deputy sheriff, State Senator Doris Turner passed a measure through the Senate that would allow Sangamon County to put a recall process in place for countywide elected officials.

“Alongside Sangamon County Board Chair Andy Van Meter, we created the Massey Commission to address systemic issues in law enforcement practices, mental health responses and community relations,” said Turner (D-Springfield). “The commission, comprised of community members, supported this initiative. Not only as an elected official, but also having a generational relationship with the Massey family, I have been working tirelessly since the horrific incident to make sure our community’s voices are heard.”

SPRINGFIELD – A more comprehensive review of prospective law enforcement officers prior to hiring would be required under an initiative led by State Senator Doris Turner in response to the horrific murder of Sonya Massey.

“When it comes to hiring police officers, we want to that ensure we have the most qualified people,” said Turner (D-Springfield). “In collaboration with the Illinois Sheriffs’ Association and the Illinois Chiefs of Police, we were able to determine necessary guardrails to include in this legislation.”

Senate Bill 1953 would require law enforcement agencies to conduct a more comprehensive review of a prospective officer’s past employment to ensure his or her fitness for duty as a police officer before making an offer of employment.

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Doris Turner, a strong advocate for agriculture education, passed a measure that would allow any agriculture-related course to satisfy the vocational education requirement for public high school students.

“A lot of kids know early on that they want to have a career in agriculture, whether that’s farming, becoming an agricultural economist, farm manager or researcher,” said Turner (D-Springfield). “We should let them take classes that peak their interests, not force them into electives they have no interest in.”

Senate Bill 1605 would clarify in statute that agricultural education, agricultural business or any other agriculture-related course can satisfy the vocational education requirement for public high school students beginning with the 2025-2026 school year. Currently, one year of music, art, foreign language, vocational education or speech and debate are required to graduate from high school.

SPRINGFIELD – Higher education scholarships would be easier to find under a measure sponsored by State Senator Doris Turner that passed the Senate Thursday.

“College is expensive, and scholarships should be easy for students to find,” said Turner (D-Springfield). “There’s a need for a one-stop shop that includes all scholarships for Illinois students seeking higher education.”

Senate Bill 1331 would create the Illinois Scholarship Database, developed and administered by the Illinois Student Assistance Commission, to be used as a tool for improving Illinois students' knowledge of and access to higher education scholarships.

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Doris Turner passed a measure through the Senate to give students and teachers more materials to learn about American Sign Language.

“We have so many residents across Illinois who are either deaf or hard of hearing who use ASL to communicate,” said Turner (D-Springfield). “If we teach our children about ASL at a young age, we could foster a generation of people who can reach out to those in the deaf and hard-hearing communities.”

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Doris Turner is leading a measure to mandate training for emergency medical dispatchers on how to provide CPR instructions to someone experiencing cardiac arrest.

“We are losing too many of our friends and family to heart disease,” said Turner (D-Springfield). “Ensuring that our emergency dispatchers are well-equipped to handle these situations will save lives.”

Senate Bill 1295 would mandate all 911 telecommunicators and emergency medical dispatchers to be trained in telecommunicator CPR. T-CPR involves a dispatcher providing over-the-phone CPR instructions to someone experiencing cardiac arrest. This process is a key part of the chain of survival for cardiac arrest.

SPRINGFIELD – In response to the murder of Sonya Massey, State Senator Doris Turner is leading two measures that advanced out of the Senate Executive Committee Thursday.

“Sonya’s tragic murder brought to light the unjust hiring practices within the Sangamon County Sheriff’s Office,” said Turner (D-Springfield). “The legislative measures come from conversations with state and county officials, law enforcement and community members. We have to take the necessary steps to ensure this never happens again.”