SPRINGFIELD –State Senator Doris Turner (D-Springfield) filed Senate Bill 3197 today to protect the families of Illinois social workers killed in the line of duty.

“When tragedies like this happen, we must ensure the families of those who serve our most vulnerable populations are cared for,” said Turner. “Deidra died as a dedicated public servant for our community, so this is the least we can do to honor her commitment to our state.”

Under the Public Safety and Police Benefits Act, if a law enforcement officer is killed in the line of duty, his or her spouse and children under the ages of 18 are eligible to receive health insurance benefits.

Senate Bill 3197 will extend the Public Safety and Police Benefits Act to include DCFS workers, providing benefits to the survivors of social workers killed in the line of duty.

The legislation will be retroactive for one year to ensure the family of the late Deidra Silas receives benefits from the state.

SPRINGFIELD — State Senator Doris Turner (D-Springfield) and the Illinois Department of Revenue announced that victims of severe storms, straight-line winds and tornadoes beginning December 10, 2021 now have until May 16, 2022, to file various individual and business tax returns and make income tax payments.

“My heart still aches for the residents and businesses affected by the severe tornado storms that ravaged through our communities last December,” said Turner. “May this extension give taxpayers, home and businesses owners additional relief to prepare for tax time without incurring penalties as deadlines approach.”

SPRINGFIELD – The subject of agricultural sciences can now be counted toward admission to an Illinois public university under a plan backed by State Senator Doris Turner (D-Springfield).

“The expansion of agricultural education for high schoolers and college students will validate rural students who choose this career path,” said Turner. “I’m extremely proud of the work done to expand our current curricula to include specialized sciences.”

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Doris Turner (D-Springfield) released the following statement regarding the tragic loss of life of Deidra Silas, a Department of Children and Family Services’ employee. Silas was stabbed to death in Thayer Tuesday afternoon while performing a home visit.

“The senseless death of Deidre Silas, a DCFS investigator who dedicated her career to helping at-risk youth, is devastating. My heart goes out to all who love her during this difficult time.”

“The work is challenging, and can clearly be dangerous. One death in the line of service is too many. We must do a better job of protecting those who serve in positions like these.”

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Doris Turner (D-Springfield) announced a $1.4 million state investment to help maintain and upgrade the Taylorville Municipal Airport on Wednesday.

“The Taylorville Municipal Airport provides good-paying jobs and economic stability to our community,” said Turner. “The new funding will allow for improvements to runway rehabilitation, which is critical in ensuring the safety of our commuters.”

The 96 projects selected for funding will help meet the needs of airports large and small in both urban and rural communities. Projects will include planning, construction, reconstruction, development and improvement of public airports to increase safety and efficiency. Communities also will benefit from increased aviation access, good-paying jobs during construction and long-term opportunities for workforce expansion.

Among the projects to receive funding, the Taylorville Municipal Airport is set to receive $1.4 million for construction to the airport’s runway.

“The Illinois aviation system is one of the largest in the nation,” said Turner. “These funds will help maintain and develop the area to help workers thrive after such a tough year.”

A full list of recipients can be viewed on the Department of Transportation’s website.

SPRINGFIELD – In an effort to support service members overseas, State Senator Doris Turner (D-Springfield) is collecting new and gently used cell phones to be sent to soldiers. 

“I can think of no better way to support those who serve to protect our freedoms than giving them a reliable way to call home,” Turner said. “This is a great program that allows our troops to stay connected to their families during the holiday seasons and beyond.”

The national Cell Phones for Soldiers program collects new and gently used cell phones and tablets for soldiers and their families. People with old cellphones, MP3 players or tablets laying around are encouraged to donate them to be refurbished or recycled. Proceeds from those sales are used to send prepaid international calling cards to troops and to provide emergency funding to veterans. All cell phone donations are tax deductible.

To donate, people can stop by Turner’s Decatur office located at 1210 S. Jasper St. or her Carlinville office located at 130 East Main St. Suite B. Each office will accept donations from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday until Nov. 30.

Turner urges residents with questions or concerns to contact her office at 217-854-4502 or visit www.CellPhonesForSoldiers.com.

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Doris Turner (D-Springfield) is encouraging incoming students to take advantage of Common App – a tool to apply for multiple Illinois colleges at once.

“Common App makes college more accessible by making the application process less tedious and stressful,” Turner said. “Illinois’ best and brightest now have a streamlined and simplified process to apply to all public universities in our great state, like the University of Illinois Springfield.”

Incoming students applying to college will now be able to submit applications to any of Illinois’ 12 public universities and dozens of private institutions using just one form on commonapp.org. Once a student makes a Common App account, they will be asked to confirm which schools they’d like to apply to and review the admission requirements for those schools. They’ll then submit their application on the website, where they’ll be able to track its status.

Low-income students and their families can apply for a waiver to help cover the application cost. Over the last two years, more than 470,000 students using Common App across the country were granted a fee waiver.