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.

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.

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.

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Julie Morrison (D-Lake Forest) championed a recently signed law to ensure people store their guns in a safe and secure manner.

“Recognizing that unsecured guns pose a public health risk is an important step in preventing accidental injuries and deaths,” Morrison said. “These programs will serve as a reminder of the lethal power of firearms and that proper storage can help prevent tragic accidents.”

Morrison sponsored a law signed Friday that directs the Illinois Department of Public Health to develop a two-year, multi-phase statewide firearm storage and safety campaign that would include distribution of gun locks and safes, buyback programs in partnership with law enforcement and an evaluation piece to measure the impact of the program.

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, an unsecured gun in the home can be extremely dangerous, especially for children. Every year, nearly 1,300 children die from accidental shootings and many more are seriously injured.

“Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago commends Senator Morrison for her outstanding leadership in enacting legislation that will help address gun violence, a public health crisis with tremendous negative and lasting consequences for children, families, and communities in Illinois,” said Dr. Tom Shanley, president & CEO at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago.  "With suicide and homicide continuing to rank in the top 3 leading causes of death for children and young adults, ages 10-24, this legislation is critical to help safeguard Illinois children and families.“

House Bill 4729 was signed into law Friday.