Morrison leads measure to require law enforcement plans in schools, just weeks after a student brought a gun to Highland Park High School

SPRINGFIELD – To ensure that Illinois schools have a crisis response plan in case of an emergency, State Senator Julie Morrison is advancing a measure that would require rapid entry protocol for law enforcement and first responders, including the threat of firearms. 

“It seems like every day there is a new violent threat made against schools – we just saw that at Highland Park High School,” said Morrison (D-Lake Forest). “While we have taken strides to curb gun violence in Illinois, we must continue to develop new strategies in partnership with law enforcement and first responders so that our schools are as safe as possible.” 

Morrison’s House Bill 3559 would require schools’ emergency and crisis response plans to include procedures for local law enforcement to rapidly enter the school building in the event of an emergency.

House Bill 3559 passed the Senate Education Committee just two weeks after five students at Highland Park High School were taken into custody following a report of a student with a handgun. The threat left the community shaken, as it came less than a year after the 4^th of July mass shooting that took the lives of seven innocent community members.

“The threat at Highland Park High School could have become a tragedy,” said Morrison. “Law enforcement should be equipped to handle safety threats immediately and without hesitation.”

The measure now heads to the full Senate for further consideration.

Senator Morrison on Juul settlement: It’s about time the people responsible for the prevalence of the vaping epidemic are held accountable

SPRINGIFELD – State Senator Julie Morrison (D-Lake Forest) released the following statement after an announcement that Illinois is receiving $67.6 million from a settlement with Juul, the e-cigarette maker. The troubled company has been largely accused of contributing to the rise of vaping among youth.

“Vaping and e-cigarette-related deaths and illnesses quickly became a nationwide epidemic that no user is immune to — no matter how young they are. It’s about time the very people responsible for the prevalence of this outbreak are held accountable.

“While this won’t bring back the lives who have been taken by the harmful effects of e-cigarettes, this serves as a positive step forward to protecting future generations of young people from the dangers. I will not stop fighting against the big tobacco industry until no other child has access to these deadly products.”

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, Morrison passed the Preventing Youth Vaping Act last year and is working to ban the use of e-cigarettes indoors during the current legislative session.

Morrison moves to regulate explosive targets found in Highland Park shooter’s home

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Julie Morrison is leading a measure to regulate deadly explosive materials.

Morrison’s measure would prohibit prepackaged explosive components from being sold to people who do not have a FOID card, and would require firearm dealers to keep record of any sale of such item. A commonly used "pre-packed explosive component" is Tannerite, which is marketed as a product that explodes when hit with a high velocity bullet.

The proposal comes after federal agents found “bomb-making materials” in the home of the Highland Park mass shooter. When later questioned by investigators, the shooter said he had considered planting explosives as part of his deadly attack on the parade in Highland Park, but didn't.

The current lack of regulation could potentially allow someone to amass large quantities of the substance and cause a subsequent large explosion, creating a threat to public safety.

“I saw first-hand how heinous acts of violence can tear apart a community,” said Morrison. “Imagine the outcome had the shooter moved forward with using the explosives he had made.”

Senate Bill 754 passed the Senate and heads to the House for further approval.

Morrison measure to ban use of e-cigarettes indoors clears Senate

SPRINGFIELD – A steadfast champion of Illinois laws to keep harmful tobacco products away from young people, State Senator Julie Morrison expanded upon her work passing a measure to ban e-cigarettes inside public places.

“A tobacco epidemic continues in our state,” said Morrison (D-Lake Forest). “We have made great progress, but the surge of use of e-cigarettes has threatened that progress and lured more people toward a deadly addiction.”

Passed in 2007, the Smoke Free Illinois Act prohibited smoking in public and within 15 feet of entrances, and required “no smoking” signs to be posted on the prohibited public place. However, this law took effect when people primarily smoked cigarettes and cigars.

In recent years, the use of e-cigarettes – like vapes – has increased tremendously, leading Morrison to work to add such products to the Smoke Free Illinois Act through Senate Bill 1561.

“By including e-cigarettes and vaping in Illinois’ comprehensive smoke-free law, the State is taking an important step to keeping our workplaces free from the toxins and carcinogens in secondhand smoke,” said Joel Africk, president and CEO of Respiratory Health Association.

Morrison has been an advocate for putting an end to tobacco use by teens since entering the General Assembly. In 2019, she successfully passed a law that increases the age to legally purchase tobacco to 21 and last year passed a measure to place a number of restrictions on marketing e-cigarettes to children.

“We applaud Senator Morrison for her leadership in strengthening our state’s smoke-free law by passing SB1561 to protect people from harmful secondhand exposure to e-cigarettes in virtually all indoor public places,” said Kristina Hamilton, Illinois advocacy director, American Lung Association. “On behalf of patient advocacy organizations across the state, we look forward to our continued work together to pass this measure in the full Senate and ultimately in the Illinois General Assembly.”

Senate Bill 1561 passed the Senate Thursday. It now heads to the House for further consideration.