Caption: State Senator Julie Morrison (D-Deerfield) discusses her proposal to incentivize organ donation with State Senator Christopher Belt (D-Cahokia), a kidney transplant recipient.

SPRINGFIELD – A tax credit introduced by State Senator Julie Morrison (D-Deerfield) that would incentivize businesses which offer paid leave of absences to their employees for donating an organ or bone marrow passed the Senate Revenue Committee this afternoon.

“Last year, 3,402 Illinois residents were candidates for a kidney transplant. By the end of the year, however, only 798 people actually received a transplant. That represents less than a quarter of patients who are on the organ donation waiting list,” Morrison said.

Morrison is sponsoring Senate Bill 68, which would create the Organ Donation Tax Credit, allowing private employees to take a 25 percent credit against their withholding taxes if they offer employees who donate an organ paid sick time for at least 30 days.

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SPRINGFIELD – Dental patients with an autism spectrum disorder or developmental disability will have access to expanded dental insurance coverage for anesthesia under a proposal passed today by State Senator Julie Morrison (D-Deerfield).

“Families will have options under this proposal to ensure that dental work is not distressing and is as pain free as possible,” Morrison said. “Unfamiliar environments can be an especially challenging experience for an individual with autism. We want to make sure that needed dental work is not left untreated, as additional health consequences can develop.”

Senate Bill 111 would require health insurance companies to cover anesthetics provided with dental care to patients who have been diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder or who have a developmental disability. The proposal would require coverage until an individual reaches 26 years of age. Currently, the insurance mandate expires once an individual reaches age 19.

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SPRINGFIELD – Illinois is one step closer to joining a growing list of states that have raised the age to legally purchase tobacco to 21 under a plan sponsored by State Senator Julie Morrison (D-Deerfield) that passed the Senate today.

“Limiting the availability of tobacco products has a direct effect on smoking rates among young teenagers, especially those who are 14, 15, 16 or 17 years old,” Morrison said. “The more we limit the availability of tobacco for teens, the lower the chance they have of developing a lifetime addiction that disproportionally affects the adolescent brain and costs state government billions of dollars annually.”

Morrison’s proposal, contained in House Bill 345, would make Illinois the eighth state to pass Tobacco 21 legislation. More than 400 localities across the nation have already raised the age, including 34 jurisdictions in Illinois. Chicago, Highland Park, Buffalo Grove, Evanston and Peoria are a few of the cities in Illinois, both small and large, to raise the age.

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SPRINGFIELD – Individuals with disabilities who for years have worked to take care of state office buildings are concerned about their future after recent news that the State of Illinois has hired a private property management firm to manage several state buildings. That firm was hired under a contract that was signed by the previous administration in October 2018.

State Senator Julie Morrison (D-Deerfield) recently raised her concerns to Central Management Services (CMS) after hearing the private firm was terminating several State Use Program contracts. The State Use Program provides long-term employment opportunities for individuals with disabilities that work for qualified non-profits.

“What kind of example is the state setting with this kind of policy? Pushing aside dedicated individuals who for years have diligently worked on behalf of taxpayers is unfathomable,” Morrison said.

Recently, a provider agency that has a program in Rockford was notified their state contract would be terminated due to the new firm assuming management responsibilities. The new firm, Jones Lang LaSalle, is the largest publicly traded commercial real estate brokerage firm in the world.

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