SPRINGFIELD – During the past year, nearly 200 Illinoisans have become ill and five have died from lung injuries stemming from e-cigarettes. State Senator Julie Morrison (D-Deerfield) has called on both lawmakers and constitutional officers to regulate, or possibly even ban, the use of these harmful products.

Illinois Attorney General Kwame Y. Raoul took action Thursday by filing a lawsuit in the Cook County Circuit Court against California-based JUUL Labs, Inc. The lawsuit accuses the vaping company of marketing its products to min

ors and deceptively advertising the products as “smoking cessation devices.” It calls on the courts to permanently ban the vaping powerhouse from engaging in unfair and deceptive practices.

Senator Morrison released the following statement:

“I have spent the past year working to ban vapes that are intentionally being marketed to children. I commend Attorney General Raoul for taking a step toward addressing the public health epidemic surrounding these harmful products. JUUL – and other similar companies – do not have FDA approval to market the vapes as smoking cessation products and should be held accountable for causing harm to minors through e-cigarettes and other addictive tobacco products.”

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Julie Morrison (D-Deerfield) sponsored a resolution to create a commission tasked with changing the negative, and sometimes unethical, culture in Springfield that has taken over headlines.

“Legislators are elected to the Illinois General Assembly to be accountable to the residents of their districts and honorably represent them,” Senator Morrison said. “This commission should be a platform from which we develop and reform.”

House Joint Resolution 93 creates the Joint Commission on Ethics and Lobbying Reform to review and make recommendations for changes to a number of current statutes, including the State Officials and Employees Ethics Act, the Illinois Governmental Ethics Act and the Lobbyist Registration Act.

The commission will be made up of 16 members, appointed by the majority leaders, minority leaders, attorney general, secretary of state and governor. Members of the commission cannot be registered lobbyists in Illinois during their service or less than five years prior.

Under the resolution, the commission must hold public hearings and issue recommendations to the General Assembly and constitutional officers by March 31, 2020.

“Illinois residents expect credibility, trust, honor and accountability from their elected officials – and nothing less,” Senator Morrison said.

SPRINGFIELD – In an effort to provide more transparency among elected officials, State Senator Julie Morrison (D-Deerfield) filed a measure that would require lawmakers to state if they have a conflict of interest on a bill.

“This is simply about honesty and transparency,” Senator Morrison said. “The people of Illinois deserve to know lawmakers are best serving voters and the community — not themselves.”

Senate Bill 2299, which was read into the record Tuesday, would require a member of the General Assembly to disclose if they have a conflict of interest on a measure they are taking official action on – which includes voting for a bill. If the legislator does have a conflict of interest, they would be responsible for filing a written statement declaring the conflict or stating their conflict during floor debate.

“It is more important than ever for us to strive for more transparency, greater disclosure and a higher standard of conduct,” Senator Morrison said. “This common sense legislation will call for lawmakers to work in the best interest of the people of Illinois by reporting if they have a conflict of interest on a legislative matter they are voting on.”

SPRINGFIELD – Long-overdue upgrades to U.S. Route 41 and Illinois Route 176 in the 29th District will begin next year, State Senator Julie Morrison (D-Deerfield) announced Tuesday.

The state is investing more than $35 million for local road and bridge projects in 2020.

Parts of the northern suburbs in Lake and Cook counties will receive updates to the roads as part of Gov. JB Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Transportation’s $23.5 billion, five-year highway improvement plan – pegged as “Rebuild Illinois.”

Over the next five years, the district Sen. Morrison represents will receive approximately $182 million to complete 54 projects.

“For years, drivers on these roads have dealt with delays and unsafe road conditions,” Sen. Morrison said. “I am proud to have worked with local officials to secure funding to fix this stretch of roadway in the Rebuild Illinois Program.”

Pritzker and IDOT announced the plan Monday and outlined projects that will take place in each Senate district. The 14 projects expected to take place in the 29th District next year will span 11.28 miles.

Projects that will begin in 2020 include the following:

- Fixing pavement on U.S. Route 41 at Dorchester Avenue to north of Illinois 120; West Park Avenue to Lake-Cook Road; and ramps at Clavey Road and Skokie Valley Road
- Pavement construction on U.S. Route 41 at Illinois Route 176
- Bridge improvements on U.S. Route 41 at Deerfield Road
- New shoulders and other improvements on Illinois Route 176 at Crescent Knoll Drive to west of U.S. Route 41
- Intersection improvements from U.S. Route 12 to Kennedy Drive

Alongside road and bridge projects, work will also be done to alleviate persistent flooding on U.S. Route 41 at Deerpath Road. A new pump station and emergency generator is expected to be built near the area.

“The work that will be done on U.S. Route 41 and Illinois Route 176 are important projects that will create jobs and make the roads safer for drivers,” Sen. Morrison said. “I applaud my fellow lawmakers for their bipartisan support on this comprehensive project.”

The multi-year plan will invest $23.5 billion to maintain, preserve and expand more than 4,000 miles of roads and 9.2 million square feet of bridges across the state. It is part of the of the $45 billion infrastructure plan passed by lawmakers in the spring.