ZION — State Senator Mary Edly-Allen (D-Libertyville) alongside Governor JB Pritzker and elected local officials across the Lake County area came together Monday to celebrate the milestone of the Illinois State Beach Park Shoreline Stabilization project’s completion with a ribbon cutting.

Illinois Beach State Park required immediate intervention to restore the natural lakefront, which was eroding at more than 100 feet per year and putting rare habitat at risk. The $73 million investment by the Rebuild Illinois capital plan allowed for the necessary construction of new offshore stone breakwater structures to shelter the Lake Michigan shoreline from wave energy. The breakwaters assist in retaining the newly-placed sand, preserve the surrounding ecosystems, and enhance public access to the beach.

“This project was urgently needed and Illinois now stands as a leader in responsible shoreline stabilization,” said Edly-Allen. “This intervention was necessary to protect the last remaining natural shoreline in the state. I want to thank the governor and the General Assembly for this waterfront project that will help Lake County’s shoreline, native species, residents and visitors.”

SPRINGFIELD – To unify the policies and procedures in jails and prisons in Illinois keeping new and expectant mothers safe. State Senator Mary Edly-Allen worked alongside the Women’s Justice Institute (WJII) to introduce a new law, HB5431, providing comprehensive protections for committed pregnant people, including banning the use of restraints. As the number of incarcerated pregnant women has increased over the years, many of these pregnancies have been left without adequate support.

“This law aligns every jail and prison in Illinois to have safe policies and procedures when it comes to pregnant and postpartum incarcerated individuals,” said Edly-Allen (D-Libertyville). “I am proud to see Illinois strengthen protections and ensure these policies are equitably and humanly applied under this law.”

SPRINGFIELD –State Senator Mary Edly-Allen passed a law to remove the requirement that all reports of child abuse and neglect made by mandatory reporters must be confirmed by Child Protective Service Unit.

“By streamlining and clarifying how abuse is reported, we are taking a step toward making the reporting process more efficient and thorough,” said Edly-Allen (D-Libertyville). “This legislation will ensure that concise and accurate reporting is the standard in Illinois as our future generations deserve nothing less.”

CHICAGO – State Senator Mary Edly-Allen, alongside Illinois State Treasurer Michael Frerichs, announced at a press conference Thursday that a resident in the 31st Senate District will receive $500,000 from a life insurance policy through the I-CASH program.

“My constituent was shocked when he learned that his wife had taken out a life insurance policy that added up to such a life-changing amount of money,” said Edly-Allen (D-Libertyville). “However, far too often constituents are hesitant to believe my office when we call them about unclaimed property due to fear of fraud. It often takes my staff several contacts to gain trust.”

The State Treasurer’s Office reached the I-CASH program’s $2 billion mark in May by returning over $500,000 to a Lake County veteran whose late wife, also a veteran, had taken out a life insurance policy through a former employer, unbeknownst to the husband.

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Mary Edly-Allen passed an initiative to align nutrition and restraint protections for pregnant and postpartum incarcerated individuals in state prisons.

“Every jail in Illinois has their own policies and procedures when it comes to pregnant incarcerated individuals and their rights,” said Edly-Allen (D-Libertyville). “This bill ensures that every pregnant, postpartum, and breastfeeding individual in all county jails and prisons has the same protections.”

House Bill 5431 seeks to align rights statewide to address the lack of humane treatment of pregnant and postpartum people. Additionally, this legislation requires annual reporting on pregnancies, births, miscarriages, and the use of restraints in facilities as well as requiring supplemental nutrition for pregnant and breastfeeding prisoners.

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Mary Edly-Allen passed a measure through the Senate to protect artists if their songs or likeness are stolen through the means of artificial intelligence (AI).

“In the last few years, we have seen an explosion of AI tools and AI generated content, often created and distributed without authorization,” said Edly-Allen (D-Libertyville). “While AI is a powerful tool with the potential to do much good, guardrails are necessary to protect artists and the general public. I’d like to thank the numerous groups that worked in collaboration to ensure this measure is effective including the Motion Picture Association, TechNet, the Software Alliance and more.”

House Bill 4875 would create a private right of action for the artist or music studio to sue when a digital replica of the individual was disseminated or made available publicly without authorization of the artist or music studio.

SPRINGFIELD – Recording artists will soon have more protections from AI replicating their voice or work thanks to new legislation introduced by Senator Mary Edly-Allen.

“Musicians often spend years of their lives perfecting their craft. It is unfair that their hard-earned talents can be stolen for other purposes in a matter of seconds without compensation,” said Edly-Allen (D-Libertyville). “We need strong regulations and protections in place to safeguard artists when people try to steal their work and pass it off as their own using artificial intelligence (AI).”

As an emerging technological platform, there are no current restrictions on AI models replicating a music artist’s voice. Without regulations, some organizations and even music studios have sought to establish a monopoly of control over their artists’ voices and melodies for AI projects.

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Mary Edly-Allen passed an initiative through the Senate Insurance Committee to fill gaps in current breast cancer screening coverage and ensure that all Illinoisans are able to receive screening that accurately detects breast cancer.

“Standard mammograms aren’t always effective on patients with dense breasts. Unfortunately, insurance companies may deny having additional tests that are needed to detect cancer. This denial can lead to life-threatening situations for those who cannot afford additional tests,” said Edly-Allen (D-Libertyville). “We must ensure that we do not put profit over people’s health, and require these insurance plans to cover all medically necessary tests, and not just the bare minimum.”