- Details
- Category: Latest News
HIGHLAND PARK – State Senator Julie Morrison was recognized by the Highland Park City Council for her steadfast work in leading a comprehensive law allowing law enforcement to use drones to monitor large events and identify public safety issues.
“It’s more pertinent than ever that law enforcement are equipped with the most modern tools and training to keep communities safe,” said Morrison (D-Lake Forest). “It’s simple: drones will save lives. I thank the Highland Park community for trusting me to represent them in Springfield and bring forth commonsense legislation to make our community safer.”
The law came nearly a year after Morrison’s family and hundreds of people in the Highland Park community ran for their lives as a gunman opened fire on the town from a rooftop, killing seven and injuring 48.
Morrison immediately got to work to put forth legislation to ensure parade goers – and other attendees of large events – can live with better peace of mind. Her measure – House Bill 3902 – allows law enforcement to use drones to monitor special events, like parades and festivals, to detect breaches and identify public safety issues.
It garnered support from Governor JB Pritzker, who said the new measure will give law enforcement another tool to keep our communities safe.
”Part of addressing public safety means constantly adapting to new technologies and tools that can protect our communities, and Senator Morrison’s bill does just that,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “Alongside the banning of assault weapons and strengthening penalties on ‘ghost guns,’ this important law gives law enforcement another tool to work to ensure that Illinoisans can gather together in times of celebration or remembrance without fear of becoming another mass shooting statistic.”
The measure was signed into law June 16 and took effect immediately.
- Details
- Category: Latest News
SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Julie Morrison led a new law to eliminate harmful plastics in drinking water.
“While the prevalence of microplastics is well known, the potential environmental and human health effects are not yet fully understood,” said Morrison (D-Lake Forest). “With increasing levels of plastic being found in our waterways, it is of even greater importance to reduce consumption of plastics whenever possible.”
Morrison’s law requires the Illinois EPA to create a public website with information regarding microplastics and submit a report to the General Assembly and governor regarding microplastics, including what other states are doing to address their prevalence.
Microplastics – very small pieces of plastic often undetectable to the human eye – have been discovered in bodies of water across the globe and have showed up in the digestive tracts of aquatic animals and birds.
“We know microplastic contaminants in our waterways have become a dangerous, expansive problem nationally, but with this law, we will come much closer to understanding the scope of the problem in Illinois,” said Morrison. “We must take microplastic contamination seriously.”
Senate Bill 1563 was signed into law Friday.
- Details
- Category: Latest News
SPRINGFIELD – With bipartisan support and in tandem with the Illinois State Police, State Senator Julie Morrison led a measure to modernize the department, ultimately leading to ISP having greater resources to keep our communities safe.
“Modernization will help Illinois’ strategic planning when it comes to investigating cybercrime and domestic terrorist incidents,” said Morrison (D-Lake Forest). “Giving police the tools they need to best support our communities is a top priority of mine.”
An initiative of ISP, the measure works to align the department with federal regulations, address audit findings and assign duties according to strategic planning of the Illinois State Police.
House Bill 2412 will make the Division of Criminal Investigations responsible for investigating cybercrimes, domestic terrorism and a number of other issues.
It further expands the responsibilities of both the Division of Patrol Operations and the Division of Forensic Services.
“These modernization efforts will help keep up with the times – cybercrimes and cyberstalking were completely unheard of 30 years ago,” said Morrison. “We need to ensure ISP has modern resources to protect our children.”
Morrison worked across the aisle and with the Illinois State Police to pass the measure.
“This legislation signed today strengthens ISP’s ability to address new and emerging threats, interdict human and illegal firearms trafficking, and solidifies ISP’s central role of fighting crime in Illinois,” said ISP Director Brendan F. Kelly. “We thank Senator Morrison for her support of ISP, safety, and justice.”
House Bill 2412 was signed into law Friday.
- Details
- Category: Latest News
HIGHWOOD – The COVID-19 pandemic further exacerbated the health inequities facing communities throughout Illinois. Three organizations in Lake County have been awarded funding to implement health equity strategies, State Senator Julie Morrison announced Wednesday.
“Prioritizing accessibility and inclusivity in our health care realm became even more vital during the pandemic,” said Morrison (D-Lake Forest). “As chair of the Senate Health Committee, I have seen firsthand the need to close health equity gaps in Illinois. The ARISE program is a great step toward improving the health and well-being in our communities that have long suffered care inequities.”
Activating Relationships in Illinois for Systemic Equity (ARISE) is a joint initiative of the Illinois Department of Public Health’s Center for Minority Health Services and The Center for Rural Health, in collaboration with Well-Being and Equity (WE) in the World.
Lake County’s Black and Brown Coalition for Health Equity, YMCA of Metropolitan Chicago, and Islamic Alliance to Advance Health Equity in Lake County are three of the 18 organizations across Illinois awarded funding to address systemic health disparities highlighted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, ARISE intends to support socio-economically disadvantaged and historically marginalized communities outside of Cook County that have been disproportionately impacted by COVID-19. Further, organizations will be able to address enduring health inequities in their communities that have been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The selected ARISE Community Equity Zone communities will engage in a rigorous “learning-and-doing” capacity building program to advance health equity in the short, medium and long term. The community coalitions will address inequities in mental, physical and social well-being in communities that are experiencing the brunt of these disparities by connecting people to vaccinations, food, and other well-being needs. They will also address underlying community needs such as humane housing, reliable transportation, and the root causes of these inequities, including racism and poverty.
“This initiative implements a strategy that will combat preexisting health inequities made worse by the pandemic,” said Morrison. “Through collaborative community efforts, we can put the state on a path toward greater post-pandemic healing.”
To learn more about the ARISE initiative, people can visit www.weintheworld.org/arise-project.
More Articles …
Page 2 of 87