SPRINGFIELD — Despite dedicating their time and safety to serve our country, over 11% of veterans face food insecurity in the U.S. — an issue State Senator Julie Morrison looks to remedy through legislation that will help more Illinois military families access food benefits.

“I’ve seen veterans in my district who are forced to rely on food pantries because their household doesn’t qualify for SNAP benefits,” said Morrison (D-Lake Forest). “Veterans served our state and our nation — they should be able to access the resources they need to live comfortably.”

Morrison’s measure, Senate Bill 32, would raise the income level at which households with a veteran or member of the Armed Forces would be eligible for benefits through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. Under current law, households without seniors or individuals with disabilities must have a gross income at or below 165% of the federal poverty guidelines — for a family of four, this would be a monthly income limit of $4,290 for Fiscal Year 2025. Senate Bill 32 proposes raising this threshold to 200% of the poverty level for veterans and military families, which would bring the monthly income limit to $5,200.

SPRINGFIELD- State Senator Willie Preston along with fellow legislators and advocates gathered to emphasize the importance of requiring health insurance companies to provide coverage for speech therapy as a treatment for stuttering.

“I am dedicated to providing essential speech therapy services to all Illinoisans across the state regardless of their economic status, “said Preston (D-Chicago). “It not only will benefit their speech, but it will also help build their confidence.”

Senate Bill 40 would require health insurers to cover habilitative and rehabilitative speech therapy as a treatment for stuttering for those covered by private or public insurance plans.

Announcement erasing medical debt for 170,000 residents thanks to Simmons' law

CHICAGO — State Senator Mike Simmons celebrated that the latest round of relief in the Illinois Medical Debt Relief Program has erased more than $220 million in medical debt for approximately 170,000 additional individuals statewide.

"As one of the first states in the country to tackle medical debt, Illinois has taken a monumental step toward improving health equity by assisting with burdensome debt weighing on residents across our state," said Simmons (D-Chicago). "When someone has medical debt, they are less likely to seek out medical care that could improve or save their life – a decision no one should have to make. I am proud to have championed this legislation forward into action and I am thrilled Illinois is providing relief to residents while improving the health of our communities in the long run."

Read more.

Morrison calls for collaborative approach to public health

SPRINGFIELD — With more than 60% of infectious diseases in humans originating from animals, State Senator Julie Morrison is working to address public health challenges in Illinois through improved collaboration between health care professionals, veterinarians and environmental experts.

“The well-being of people, animals and our environment are all interconnected,” said Morrison (D-Lake Forest). “Through improved communication and collaboration among agencies, we can more effectively prevent and address health risks across the state.”

Read more.

Car seats, cribs for new moms would be covered by insurance under Belt measure

SPRINGFIELD — State Senator Christopher Belt introduced a new measure to alleviate some costs for new mothers in Illinois by requiring all health insurance plans to cover car seats and cribs.

“New moms are shelling out a couple hundred bucks to purchase cribs and car seats, which is essentially a hidden tax on becoming a parent,” said Belt (D-Swansea). “Every mother in our state should be afforded the luxury of keeping their child safe in their home and on the road.”

Read more.

Sound of the State: The 100-year anniversary of the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters

In this episode, State Senator Elgie R. Sims, Jr. (D-Chicago) sits down with the president of the National A. Philip Randolph Pullman Porter Museum, Dr. David Peterson Jr., to discuss the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters – a pivotal moment in the labor and civil rights movements.

Listen here.

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SPRINGFIELD — Joined by realtors and advocates at a press conference Thursday, State Senator Cristina Castro outlined legislation she’s sponsoring to incentivize saving for a first home.

“I keep hearing from young people who are starting their professional careers, and a lot of them don’t feel like homeownership is attainable,” said Castro (D-Elgin). “This bill will help them prepare for that, and it will help make owning a home attainable.”

Years of low housing inventory have created an inflationary effect on the housing market in Illinois, driving home prices up by nearly 40% in the last five years. Ballooning prices mean that new homebuyers have to put down more of their savings for down payments, further driving up the burden of buying a home. To address this imbalance, Castro is leading a proposal to help consumers save responsibly and create a pathway to homeownership.

CHICAGO – State Senator Mike Simmons celebrated Governor JB Pritzker’s announcement that the latest round of relief in the Illinois Medical Debt Relief Program has erased more than $220 million in medical debt for approximately 170,000 additional individuals statewide.

"As one of the first states in the country to tackle medical debt, Illinois has taken a monumental step toward improving health equity by assisting with burdensome debt weighing on residents across our state," said Simmons (D-Chicago). "When someone has medical debt, they are less likely to seek out medical care that could improve or save their life – a decision no one should have to make. I am proud to have championed this legislation forward into action and I am thrilled Illinois is providing relief to residents while improving the health of our communities in the long run."

The average amount of debt erased per person during this round is nearly $1,300, bringing the program’s total erased debt to more than $345 million dollars for nearly 270,000 Illinois residents.

SPRINGFIELD — To address unnecessary and burdensome Illinois School Code mandates, State Senator Mary Edly-Allen worked with multiple statewide education stakeholders to create Senate Bill 1740, which passed the Senate Education Committee on Tuesday.

“As an educator, I know personally how overly burdensome and duplicative educational mandates can harm schools that are already struggling due time constraints and limited funding,” said Edly-Allen (D-Libertyville). “This bill aims to increase administrative efficiency and create more flexibility for local school districts.”

Senate Bill 1740 initiates the reduction of unnecessary school code mandates agreed upon by statewide educational stakeholders. The bill would create the School Code Mandate Reduction Council, comprised of eight members of the General Assembly and one member from each of the 12 statewide educational organizations, to identify and recommend the removal of mandates that align with the state's goal of providing high-quality education tailored to each student.

SPRINGFIELD – In response to predatory towing practices that take advantage of Illinois motorists, State Senator Celina Villanueva introduced a measure to strengthen enforcement against bad actors and ensure safer roads for drivers during a press conference Wednesday. 

“Legitimate, law-abiding towers also suffer from these bad practices,” said Villanueva (D-Chicago). “This legislation is about protecting drivers, cracking down on predatory towers, and ensuring that Illinois has the enforcement tools necessary to hold violators accountable.”

Currently, the Illinois Commerce Commission issues fines to violators, but many of the worst offenders ignore penalties and continue operating under new business names. Senate Bill 2040 would strengthen enforcement by allowing the ICC to impound unregistered tow trucks, authorizing the Secretary of State to suspend license plates for unpaid fines, and requiring tow operators to register business and storage locations to prevent vehicles from being held at unlisted lots. The bill also would ban fraudulent towers from obtaining new licenses for three years and prohibit operators from placing liens on essential personal property left in a towed vehicle.

SPRINGFIELD — With more than 60% of infectious diseases in humans originating from animals, State Senator Julie Morrison is working to address public health challenges in Illinois through improved collaboration between health care professionals, veterinarians and environmental experts.

“The well-being of people, animals and our environment are all interconnected,” said Morrison (D-Lake Forest). “Through improved communication and collaboration among agencies, we can more effectively prevent and address health risks across the state.”

Senate Bill 291 would establish a One Health Framework Task Force within the Illinois Department of Public Health charged with developing a strategic plan to promote collaboration among physicians, veterinarians and other scientific professionals. The task force would work closely with state agencies to advance health initiatives that benefit both humans and animals, and submit a report of recommendations to the governor and General Assembly by Jan. 1, 2027.