Senator Morrison reminds local businesses to apply for grants before deadline

HIGHWOOD – State Senator Julie Morrison (D-Lake Forest) is encouraging local businesses struggling from pandemic losses to apply for the latest round of the Back to Business grant program before the Oct. 13 deadline.

Overall, the B2B program will provide $250 million in American Rescue Plan dollars for small businesses negatively affected by the pandemic. Grants will range from $5,000 to $150,000 per business and can be used to cover a wide range of operations, such as staff and overhead costs.

“Small business owners in Lake and Cook County and throughout the state experienced unforeseen financial difficulties that will be challenging to bounce back from without help,” Morrison said. “While reopening has been beneficial to many businesses, they are still constantly facing financial obligations to keep their stores clean and employees protected.”

Priority is given to businesses in hard-hit industries, in hard-hit areas, and with revenues less than $5 million, as well as businesses that have not yet received any government assistance.

More than a dozen businesses in the district Morrison represents have already received $860,000 in grants. They include restaurants, theatres and salons demonstrating the diversity of the local small business community and how many different kinds of businesses are eligible for grants.

“Small businesses are a part of our communities. They invest in our economy, employ our friends and neighbors and support local events,” Morrison said. “Helping them keep their doors open is a top priority.”

Learn more about the B2B grant program and start an application on the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity website .The deadline to submit an application is Oct. 13.

Morrison on ending subminimum wage: People with disabilities are valued

HIGHWOOD – Following years of discriminatory practices against people with disabilities in the work place, State Senator Julie Morrison (D-Lake Forest) is happy their dignity will be restored with the signing of an executive order to eliminate subminimum wage.

“Having a job means having dignity, independence and purpose, regardless of whether a person has a disability,” Morrison said. “The state should be a leader in showing that people with disabilities are just as capable in the workplace and have a valued role in contributing to our state and our economy – and the executive order does just that.”

The executive order signed by Governor JB Pritzker on Monday ensures people with disabilities receive equal pay for work they perform as employees of state vendors by preventing them from being paid subminimum wage – a move Morrison has long fought for.

During the previous legislative session, Morrison successfully passed three laws to provide people with disabilities greater employment opportunities with the state. She helped create a training program to prepare people with disabilities for full-time employment with state agencies and implemented an annual seminar for hiring personnel to better seek out employees with disabilities.

Further, Morrison passed a law for the state to better facilitate the hiring of individuals with disabilities by requiring Central Management Services to send the Successful Disability Opportunities List to state agencies when they are hiring.

“The monumental move is a win for both our state and for people with disabilities. Workers with disabilities are dependable, productive and add value to the workplace – and now they will be fairly treated as such,” Morrison said. “I am proud of the executive order signed by Governor Pritzker, but our work to guarantee equal protection and pay is just getting started.”

Morrison: Today’s energy vote is a vote for our future

SPRINGFIELD – A long-awaited win for environmentalists, the sweeping energy package that transitions Illinois to 100% clean energy by 2050 garnered support from State Senator Julie Morrison (D-Lake Forest) Wednesday.

“We are in a climate crisis, and we need a unified response to climate change,” Morrison said. “Today, with the passage of the Energy Transition Act, we are one step closer to a just and equitable transition to clean energy.”

The comprehensive energy plan would set Illinois on a path toward 50% renewable energy by 2040 and 100% renewable energy by 2050. Municipally owned coal- and natural gas-fired power plants would also have to reduce their carbon emissions to zero by 2045.

The measure would require all privately owned large coal to close by 2030, and coal plants owned by municipal utilities and electric cooperatives to close by 2045. All privately owned natural gas plants must either repower to a carbon-free source, like green hydrogen, or close by 2045. The largest municipal coal plant – Prairie State – must close by 2045.

“People are feeling health impacts from coal-burning power plants right now – imagine the sickness and death our grandchildren’s generation would see if we don’t take action now,” Morrison said. “The vote today was a vote for our future. I am proud to support this renewable, reliable and affordable plan.”

Senate Bill 18 passed the Senate Wednesday and heads to the House for further consideration.

Insurance companies must clarify what fertility services they offer under new law by Morrison

SPRINGFIELD – Families will now receive greater transparency as to what fertility services are and are not offered under their insurance plans thanks to a new law championed by Senator Julie Morrison (D-Lake Forest).

It comes after conversations with a number of women who lived through issues with infertility and the barriers posed by lack of disclosure in employer-sponsored health insurance plans.

“Infertility is a difficult diagnosis for a family to receive,” Morrison said. “They may assume treatment will be covered, only to find out their insurance plan was written in another state and they’re stuck with sky-high out-of-pocket costs.”

Senate Bill 1905 – which was signed into law Friday – will require employer’s health insurance coverage to disclose a written list of services that are and are not covered if the plan is not written within Illinois.

Under previous Illinois law, fertility treatment – including in vitro fertilization – is required to be covered, but that’s only for policies written within the state. Women could assume they have this coverage because they work in Illinois, only to later learn their plan was written out of state. The new law will disclose what treatment is available up front, so families aren’t blindsided in an already stressful situation.

“We should ensure families know if they will receive the coverage they so desperately long for,” Morrison said.

Senate Bill 1905 takes effect immediately.