SPRINGFIELD – Since first entering the General Assembly, Senator Julie Morrison (D-Lake Forest) has been an advocate for decreasing the smoking rate – having passed the monumental Tobacco 21 law. Today, Morrison celebrates the 15^th Anniversary of the Smoke Free Illinois Act and the progress that has been made in recent years.

“Fifteen years ago, we began to change the culture of smoking,” said Morrison. “Thousands of lives have been saved since its passage – and that’s just the start. Through legislative action, I hope to continue to decrease the usage of these products and move Illinois to be tobacco free.

The Smoke Free Illinois Act banned smoking inside public buildings. It was the first step toward changing the culture around smoking.

Morrison’s measure, House Joint Resolution 75, commemorates the 15^th anniversary of the Smoke Free Illinois Act, but also directs the Illinois Department of Public Health to issue a data brief by 2023 examining the impact the Act has had since the agency issued its last report in 2013.

Morrison has been an advocate for putting an end to tobacco use in teens since entering the General Assembly. In 2019, she successfully passed a law that increases the age to legally purchase tobacco to 21. After the success of that law, Attorney General Kwame Y. Raoul worked with Morrison to pass a law – the Preventing Youth Vaping Act – last year to place a number of restrictions on electronic cigarettes, including prohibiting marketing tactics that use images of cartoons or video games that appeal to children.

HJR 75 passed the Senate last week.

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Julie Morrison (D-Lake Forest) declared the state’s Fiscal Year 23 budget a win for families, local government, and the financial stability of the state.

“My district is concerned about the state of Illinois paying down its bills, our pension debt, and helping our local governments keep property taxes as low as possible,” Morrison said. “The budget we passed today is a step in the right direction. It is a responsible spending plan“.

The budget passed by the Senate Saturday includes increased funding for the Local Government Distributive Fund, property tax relief to homeowners, and ensures fiscal responsibility by depositing $1 billion in to the state’s Rainy Day fund.

Additionally, $500 million in pension contributions, beyond the required annual payment was included. The budget also invests an increase of $350 million into public school funding through the evidence-based funding model for education.

Morrison, a Senate Majority Whip, is a member of the Appropriations Committee and was actively involved in budget negotiations to push for greater funding to support law enforcement. She negotiated funding for the Illinois State Police to obtain ballistics testing equipment, which received a $4 million allocation. Her legislation created a fund dedicated to providing grants across the state to law enforcement agencies to offer tools and training, as well as to recruit and retain officers.

An additional $120 million for the developmentally disabled community was designated to address the shortfall.

“While we are grateful to see this increase there is still a great deal to do if we are to provide for the thousands of Illinois residents who rely upon this funding,” Morrison said. “They deserve more.”

The budget heads to the governor for final approval.

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Julie Morrison (D-Lake Forest) passed a measure to provide law enforcement officers with additional tools and training opportunities to help keep communities safe.

“One message that I frequently hear across the district is that public safety and a rise in crime continue to be a major concern,” Morrison said. “Yet staffing shortages are hindering police from best protecting their communities.

Morrison is the Senate sponsor of House Bill 3863, which would create the Law Enforcement Recruitment and Retention Fund to support departments through the hiring and training processes and help with retention strategies.

The measure would provide grants to law enforcement agencies for hiring and retention of officers. Funds could also be used for mental health care for officers, safety equipment and training, or improvements in jails. Mental health services for inmates could also be funded through this grant.

“The measures I have introduced can help keep our communities safer,” Morrison said. “These efforts support the valuable work that law enforcement does in our communities and in our state every day and every hour.”

Morrison is also supporting a number of other measures this session to help law enforcement officers. Body cameras are critical for keeping officers safe as well as improving evidence quality and reducing liability for agencies. House Bill 4608 would for video retention for evidentiary value and allows grant funds to be used for data storage costs.

In an effort to improve the correctional system and reduce recidivism, House Bill 4364 would create the Mental Health and Substance Use Prevention Fund which would allow the Department of Human Services to offer grants and programs in county jails for incarcerated individuals or people who have been recently released.

Morrison’s House Bill 3863 passed the Senate Thursday.

One message that I consistently hear across the district is that Public Safety and a rise in crime continues to be a major concern.  As the spring legislative session nears its end, I wanted to share with you some measures that I have introduced to help police keep our communities safer, either through better and more advanced tools related to their jobs, or to retain them in our communities.

1) SB3754 (Morrison) would create the Protect Our Communities grant program. It aims to help hire and retain officers. It can also be used for mental health care for officers, safety equipment and training, or improvements in jails. Mental health services for inmates could also be funded through this grant.

2) SB4067 (Morrison) would provide $4 million to the Illinois State Police for equipment called NIBIN. The National Integrated Ballistic Information Network Program allows gun cartridge cases found at the scene of a crime in Illinois to be matched with other cartridges from across the nation, giving law-enforcement a huge advantage in solving crimes.

3) To encourage more law enforcement officers to continue in this important work, I have introduced SB4183 (Morrison), a homestead exemption deducted from the property’s value for any member of the law enforcement community.

4) I also am supporting a measure in the budget that would provide a signing bonus for all Illinois State police cadet graduates to receive upon successful completion of the training academy.

5) Locally, in Lake County, SB3779 (Morrison), I introduced a bill for that would create a pilot program for text messaging to victims and the surviving family members of crime to inform them about upcoming court dates.

Combined with other measures before the General Assembly, I believe these are measures that can help keep our community safer and support the valuable work that law enforcement does in our community and in our state, every day and every hour.