SPRINGFIELD – Senate leaders will be limited to 10 years in leadership under a new Senate rule passed by State Senator Julie Morrison  (D-Deerfield) today.

"Leading any public body is a privilege that should never become a lifetime career," Morrison said. "Democracy has always worked best when everyone has a voice in confronting the challenges facing its citizens."

Under Senate Resolution 3, the Senate president and Senate minority leader will be limited to five two-year leadership terms in office.

The rule, which was passed on the first day of the 100th General Assembly, goes into effect immediately and does not need to be signed by the governor.

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Julie Morrison (D – Deerfield), vice-chairwoman of the Senate Human Services Committee, questioned leaders with the Department of Human Services (DHS) today over the recent Chicago Tribune investigative report highlighting improperly handled cases of abuse and neglect at group homes across the state.

The series, titled ‘Suffering in Secret,’ found allegations of abuse cover-ups and a complete lack of transparency that left the public and family members of abused group home residents in the dark.

“I am very disturbed by reports of abuse and neglect of some of our most vulnerable residents,” Morrison said. “It is the state’s responsibility to ensure there is sufficient oversight of these centers and that policies exist to effectively prevent and respond to the very serious allegations in this report. It is more than obvious the state failed these vulnerable residents.” 

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SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Julie Morrison (D – Deerfield) responded this afternoon after voting to override the governor’s veto of a plan to institute automatic voter registration in Illinois.

“Streamlining our voter registration process saves local governments money, decreases the risk of voter fraud and has the potential to expand citizen’s voice in our democracy,” Morrison said. “It is important the state take advantage of rapid advancements in technology that increase government efficiencies and strengthen the core of our democracy.”

Senate Bill 250, co-sponsored by Senator Morrison, would move Illinois into an opt-out voter registration system instead of the current opt-in system, meaning residents would be automatically registered to vote when visiting the Secretary of State’s office and similar state agencies for services.

Four states, including California, Oregon, West Virginia and Vermont, have implemented automatic voter registration systems and have realized significant savings for local and state governments.

SPRINGFIELD – Every year, the State of Illinois receives billions of dollars in federal money that helps offset the cost of everything from school funding to health care services for low-income residents. The federal funds do not appear automatically, however, as state agencies must apply for available grants to receive the funds.

At a time when there is increased pressure on the state budget, State Senator Julie Morrison (D – Deerfield) has introduced a plan that would ensure the state is taking full advantage of all available federal grants.

“Common sense dictates the state maximize the use of available federal dollars during these tough fiscal times,” Morrison said. “It is nothing short of wasteful for the state to be passing up these funds.”

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