SPRINGFIELD - Suicides, gang conflicts and mass shootings similar to the South Florida school shooting last week account for approximately 30,000 firearm deaths in the United States every year.

In some cases, individuals displayed signs of dangerous behavior prior to a shooting that, if identified, could have thwarted tragedy. State Senator Julie Morrison (D – Deerfield) advanced a proposal today that would empower families and law enforcement to take steps to protect their loved ones and the general public.

“We know that family members and those close to an individual displaying threatening behavior can be the difference between life and death,” Morrison said. “We need to ensure there are systems in place to respond to these calls for help and step in before a tragedy occurs.”

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SPRINGFIELD – A proposal to increase the age to legally purchase tobacco products in Illinois to 21 passed the Senate Public Health Committee this afternoon. State Senator Julie Morrison (D-Deerfield) is sponsoring the plan and was joined by Highland Park High School Assistant Principal Dr. Steven Tucker, who testified in support of raising the age to purchase tobacco.

“From my lens, as a school leader and administrator, there is nothing more important that my deans have to deal with than the discreetness, the violation and the consequences for students who are using and abusing tobacco or tobacco-related products,” said Dr. Steven Tucker, Assistant Principal at Highland Park High School.

Morrison’s plan, contained in Senate Bill 2332, would make Illinois the sixth state to raise the age to buy tobacco to 21. Fourteen Illinois jurisdictions – including Highland Park, Deerfield, Buffalo Grove and unincorporated Lake County – have all adopted local Tobacco 21 ordinances.

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SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Julie Morrison (D – Deerfield) released the following statement this afternoon after attending the governor’s State of the State address in Springfield:

“Our human service providers took the brunt of Illinois’ protracted budget impasse, causing many providers to simply bleed out and close their doors. The damage that has been done will not be mitigated overnight, and will take years, at best, to recover.

“I didn’t seem to hear any sense of urgency today from the governor in relation to the condition of our human service network. I am concerned the governor will further cut already decimated programs, and I look forward to the governor’s budget address when details of how he plans to balance the budget and invest in our social services are made public.”

SPRINGFIELD – For the first time in years, overall tobacco use rates in teens is rising, thanks in part to increased use of e-cigarettes.

To prevent teens from ever starting to use tobacco, State Senator Julie Morrison (D – Deerfield) joined colleagues, advocates and health professionals today in support of a popular proposal to increase the age to legally purchase tobacco products in Illinois to 21.

“We have known about the dangers of tobacco use since the 1960s,” Morrison said. “While that information is certainly not new, we continue to battle the problem of teens picking up a cigarette for the first time and smoking for the rest of their lives. Decreasing the rate of smoking starts with teens, as nearly 9 in 10 current smokers first tried tobacco by the age of 18.”

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