Morrison applauds congress for nationwide Tobacco 21 legislation

• Tobacco 21

SPRINGFIELD – The sale of tobacco products to people under the age of 21 could soon be prohibited nationwide, less than a year after State Senator Julie Morrison (D-Deerfield) passed the same law in Illinois.

“Illinois led by example by being one of the first 10 states to ban the sale of tobacco for young people under 21,” Senator Morrison said. “The state is a leader in protecting the health of teenagers and reducing both health-care complications and premature death.”

The law would make it illegal for people under 21 to purchase traditional tobacco products, vape products and e-cigarettes. Raising the legal age to buy tobacco would make it more difficult for high school students to access nicotine, according to the Food and Drug Administration.

“Most smokers start when they’re teenagers, so it is imperative to cut off the supply of the harmful and deadly substance as early as possible,” Senator Morrison said. “I am pleased the federal government is taking a step toward reducing access to tobacco to the country’s youngest population, and in turn working to bring smoking rates down and saving the nation millions in health care.”

The bipartisan legislation, co-sponsored by U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-Illinois), is part of the massive government funding bill expected to pass by the end of the week.

Morrison supports attorney general’s action against JUUL

• E-cigarettes
• Vaping
• publich health

SPRINGFIELD – During the past year, nearly 200 Illinoisans have become ill and five have died from lung injuries stemming from e-cigarettes. State Senator Julie Morrison (D-Deerfield) has called on both lawmakers and constitutional officers to regulate, or possibly even ban, the use of these harmful products.

Illinois Attorney General Kwame Y. Raoul took action Thursday by filing a lawsuit in the Cook County Circuit Court against California-based JUUL Labs, Inc. The lawsuit accuses the vaping company of marketing its products to min

ors and deceptively advertising the products as “smoking cessation devices.” It calls on the courts to permanently ban the vaping powerhouse from engaging in unfair and deceptive practices.

Senator Morrison released the following statement:

“I have spent the past year working to ban vapes that are intentionally being marketed to children. I commend Attorney General Raoul for taking a step toward addressing the public health epidemic surrounding these harmful products. JUUL – and other similar companies – do not have FDA approval to market the vapes as smoking cessation products and should be held accountable for causing harm to minors through e-cigarettes and other addictive tobacco products.”

Morrison: People with disabilities are regular people whose challenges may be more apparent than others

• Disability Rights
• Developmental Disabilities

SPRINGFIELD — Tuesday is International Day of Persons with Disabilities, and State Senator Julie Morrison (D-Deerfield) would like to bring awareness to the values and rights this important group of people have.

The annual observance of the International Day of Persons with Disabilities on Dec. 3 aims to promote the rights and well-being of people with disabilities, and to increase awareness of the situations this unique group faces in every aspect of political, social, economic and cultural life.

“People with disabilities are regular people whose challenges may be more apparent than others,” Senator Morrison said. “I will continue to strive toward statewide inclusion and fight to provide those with disabilities more well-deserved rights and freedoms.”

As chair of the Senate Human Services Committee, Senator Morrison passed three pieces of legislation aimed at increasing state employment of individuals with disabilities during the spring legislative session. All three measures were signed into law over the summer.

One measure requires 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.

Another creates a disabled persons trainee program at all state agencies with more than 1,500 employees

And lastly, a new law requires the state to conduct an annual presentation to state agencies about what hiring programs are available to individuals with disabilities

“People with disabilities can often face barriers when looking for employment,” Senator Morrison said. “However, Illinois should lead by example to break down those barriers.”

During the past few months, Senator Morrison has also worked with groups to make supportive housing for people with developmental disabilities more accessible throughout the state and has discussed the problems with paying subminimum wage to people with disabilities during a committee hearing.

Morrison: Children need to have a guardian angel watching to make sure DCFS actually follows through with hotline recommendations

SPRINGFIELD — After carefully looking at the problems of the Department of Children and Family Services hotline, State Senator Julie Morrison (D-Deerfield) requested an audit of the organization’s first contact with a case. Six months after recognizing a problem and initiating an investigation, DCFS responded to the senator’s request.

“Children need to have a guardian angel watching to make sure DCFS actually follows through with this and doesn’t get sidetracked with another issue,” Senator Morrison said. “I am committed to looking over the organization to ensure it is putting the well-being of children first.”

In May, Senator Morrison – who chairs the Senate Human Services Committee – requested a review of the DCFS’s Child Abuse and Neglect Hotline after a state audit highlighted issues with the hotline. Between 2015 and 2017, nearly half of all first-time hotline callers were sent to voicemail and were not contacted until days later, the audit found.

The newly released report made 11 recommendations to improve staffing, technology and efficiency that DCFS will adopt to fix the troubled hotline.

Senator Morrison met with DCFS Acting Director Marc Smith to discuss the report when it was released Wednesday. While the Senator is pleased with the outcome of the report, she will continue to push the organization to be more transparent about its challenges and needs going forward.