Morrison measure to make local governments more efficient passes with bipartisan support

SPRINGFIELD- State Senator Julie Morrison (D-Lake Forest) advanced a bipartisan measure out of the Senate to make units of local government more accountable, efficient and transparent.

Under Morrison‘s measure – the Decennial Committees on Local Government Consolidation and Efficiency Act – units of local government would be required to review and report at least once every 10 years ways in which they can improve efficiency.

“With approximately 7,000 units of local taxpayer funded governments, it is time for these government bodies to be evaluated for efficiency and accountability,” Morrison said. “Our communities have evolved over the decades and taxpayers deserve accountability.  If you cannot justify your existence to those who fund you, you should turn off the lights, turn in your keys, and save the taxpayers their money.”

This measure requires three public meetings which would accept input from local residents. Each local government – except municipalities, counties and schools – would collect data, research, analysis, and public input regarding governing statutes, ordinances, shared services, and intergovernmental agreements, among other items. It would then be tasked with creating a report with recommendations regarding efficiencies and increased accountability.

Senate Bill 3789 passed the Senate Thursday with bipartisan support. 

Morrison: Reporting of patient-on-patient abuse is about safety and decency

SPRINGFIELD –State Senator Julie Morrison (D-Lake Forest) is leading a commonsense measure through the Senate to ensure patient-on-patient abuse is reported to law enforcement.

“Any instance of mental, physical or sexual misconduct must be taken seriously and reported immediately,” Morrison said. “Oftentimes, patients cannot advocate for themselves – so they need staff to step up and advocate for help on their behalf.”

Morrison’s proposal requires hospital staff to report to law enforcement and the Illinois Department of Public Health if a patient abuses another patient. Currently, only abuse committed by a staff member of a health care facility must be reported.

Morrison’s proposal comes following a ProPublica report that found a patient at a Chicago-based psychiatric ward sexually assaulted another patient but was not reported to the police for several week.

To ensure patients are given the same protections against other patients as they are against hospital staff, Morrison is leading the charge to update the Hospital Licensing Act to include patient-on-patient abuse as misconduct that must be immediately reported.

“Patients are already struggling with illness and trauma – the last thing they need is to feel unheard or unprotected,” Morrison said. “It’s disheartening this isn’t already law – but I’m hopeful this is the year that changes.”

Senate Bill 2977 passed the Senate Wednesday.   

Morrison measure to prioritize spouses of long-term care facility patients passes Senate

SPRINGFIELD – Spouses of people in Medicaid-funded long-term care facilities could soon be able to keep more of their own personal savings thanks to a measure sponsored by State Senator Julie Morrison (D-Lake Forest).

“By aligning Illinois’ allowance for community spouses with the rest of the country, we are signaling to older adults that we care for them and wish to give them the ability to care for themselves and their spouse with no added stress,” Morrison said.

Morrison’s measure would put Illinois in line with nearly every other state in the nation by increasing the allowance for the community spouse resource allowance for older adults whose spouses are in nursing homes and receiving Medicaid benefits. The allowance is the amount of resources a spouse can keep of the couple’s resources without affecting their husband or wife’s long-term care facility nursing home application.

In 2012, Illinois froze its rates for spouses of individuals who receive Medicaid-funded, long-term care at $2,739 per month, so those spouses are not receiving an annual bump in their benefits. However, in many other states across the country, the amount is set at $3,259.

Senate Bill 2962 passed the Senate Wednesday.

Morrison: Children taking school buses should be safe from reckless drivers

SPRINGFIELD- State Senator Julie Morrison (D-Lake Forest) advanced a bill to include community service as a possible punishment if a person speeds in a school zone or illegally passes a stopped school bus with its stop arm extended.

“Children taking the bus to school should be worried about their schoolwork, not worried about reckless drivers,” Morrison said. “This measure will further deter folks from speeding or passing school buses and really reflect on how their actions could harm members of their community.”

Morrison is a longtime advocate of transportation safety. She previously added community service as a possible punishment for violations of Scott’s Law, which requires that drivers reduce speeds and change lanes for emergency vehicles. She hopes that her latest measure will emphasize the importance of driving safely around school buses to keep children and bus drivers out of harm’s way.

Currently, people who speed in school zones or pass stopped school busses must pay fines ranging from $150 to $1,000, depending on the frequency of their violations. Morrison hopes this initiative will further deter people from violating these regulations.  

Senate Bill 3793 passed the Senate Wednesday. It now goes to the House for further consideration.