SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Julie Morrison (D-Deerfield) will serve as vice-chair of the Illinois Senate’s Human Services committee for the next two years, a position she intends to use to help get the troubled Department of Children and Family Services back on track.

“It seems like we hear new horror stories about DCFS every year,” Morrison said. “I’m committed to turning this important agency around, and I intend to use my new position on the Human Services Committee to help push forward an aggressive reform agenda.”

Morrison is planning to introduce measures to help protect abused and neglected children in the care of DCFS, partially in response to damning media reports that found hundreds of allegations that children in residential treatment centers are raped and assaulted by their peers while authorities fail to act.

SPRINGFIELD – Using drones to get an advantage when hunting and fishing wouldn’t just be unfair, it would also be illegal under a new law proposed by state Senator Julie Morrison.

“Let’s keep the man – or woman – in outdoorsman,” the Deerfield Democrat said. “Using drones to hunt makes the process too easy. That’s not fair for hunters and fishers who are seriously into the sport, and it’s not fair for the animals that deserve a chance to escape.”

While small animals that fear birds of prey run when they see unmanned aerial vehicles, big game animals like deer are unfazed by the small aircraft, making them easy pickings for high-tech hunters.

SPRINGFIELD – The General Assembly met in a special session at the State Capitol on Thursday to debate a proposal to create a special election for Illinois comptroller in 2016.

“Our state Constitution says that the comptroller is an elected office. We shouldn’t have a politically appointed comptroller for four years. The people should have the right to decide who’s making decisions on their behalf,” said State Senator Julie Morrison (D-Deerfield), who supports a special election. “It’s common sense and good government.”

Under current law, Gov.-elect Bruce Rauner will be able to appoint someone to the position for the next four years due to the untimely death of Comptroller Judy Baar Topinka.

SPRINGFIELD – After outgoing Governor Pat Quinn appointed a new executive director at the Illinois Sports Facilities Authority with little more than a month left in his term in office, State Senator Julie Morrison decided to find a way to prevent such appointments by future governors.

“The executive director of the Illinois Sports Facilities Authority is among the highest paid state employees,” Morrison said. “A governor who’s leaving office shouldn’t be able to use the position as a cushy landing spot.”

The executive director of the Sports Facilities Authority is paid $160,000 per year.