SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Julie Morrison (D-Deerfield) issued the following response this afternoon after a fire in a Little Village apartment killed 10 children last weekend.

Three of the four mothers of the children who died in the fire had histories with the Department of Child and Family Services. One of the mothers was investigated at least 21 times:

“With that many red flags, it is incomprehensible that no action was taken to protect these children,” Morrison said. “DCFS investigated these families for years and still missed opportunities to make sure the children were safe. It’s unacceptable that nothing was done for this family or these children.

“This fire confirms that there needs to be long-lasting systemic changes in this agency, so we can prevent such a tragedy from ever happening again.”

SPRINGFIELD – A proposal passed by State Senator Julie Morrison (D-Deerfield) to improve medical care for survivors of rape and sexual assault was signed into law today.

“Survivors of rape or sexual assault face many hurdles, including physical and mental obstacles that can prevent healing and justice,” Morrison said. “This new law will ensure our medical facilities and their staff are able to provide top-notch care to victims and help them overcome at least some of the obstacles.”

Morrison’s new law, passed under House Bill 5245, House Bill 5245 is a package of reforms meant to expedite the overall medical care of sexual assault survivors. The proposal would ensure survivors of sexual assault receive prompt medical treatment within 90 minutes of arriving at a hospital and also that medical personnel are trained to perform rape kits and other examinations needed after a sexual assault.

Ensuring all rape kits and examinations are performed in a timely manner by trained medical professionals makes prosecuting offenders much more attainable.  

Attorney General Lisa Madigan championed the proposal after increased attention has been drawn to the issue of untrained medical professionals treating survivors of sexual assault.

House Bill 5245 was signed into law today and takes effect immediately.

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Julie Morrison (D-Deerfield) passed a new law to provide greater safety protections to police dogs.

House Bill 1671, signed by the governor last week, creates the Police Service Dog Protection Act. It requires a vehicle transporting a police dog to be equipped with a heat sensor that remotely alerts law enforcement if the vehicle reaches 85 degrees. Vehicles will also be equipped with a safety mechanism to lower the temperature.

“Police dogs are extraordinary animals that play an integral role in law enforcement,” Morrison said. “It’s important for us to have a law that offers necessary protections in the treatment and transportation of our police K-9s.”