Disability Employment Summit - Sept. 27

• Events
• Highland Park
• Disability Rights

Join Senator Julie Morrison, Division of Rehabilitation Services Bureau Chief Louis Hamer, representatives from Aspiritech and a host of other distinguished guests on Sept. 27 at Highland Park Country Club as they discuss employment opportunities for Illinoisans with disabilities.

Questions?
Contact Senator Morrison's office in Deerfield at (847) 945-5200.

Click on the flyer for more information

Hearing discusses Morrison plan that would give municipalities ability to ban assault weapons

• SB 2130
• Gun Safety
• Assault Weapons

CHICAGO – Advocates in support of restoring the ability of Illinois municipalities to ban assault weapons testified in favor of a proposal introduced by State Senator Julie Morrison (D-Deerfield) at a Senate committee this morning in Chicago.

“Military-style weapons, designed for war and not for sport, have no use on our streets and in our neighborhoods,” Mark Walsh with the Illinois Council Against Handgun Violence said.

Morrison’s proposal, contained in Senate Bill 2130, restores Illinois municipalities’ right to ban assault weapons and high-capacity magazines. Current Illinois law prohibits municipalities from enacting assault weapon bans. The practice was legal until 2013, when the controversial law allowing Illinois residents to carry concealed weapons was passed.

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Morrison’s plan expanding patient rights signed into law

• HB 3549
• Health Care
• Step Therapy

SPRINGFIELD – A new law that will give more flexibility to medical patients who are benefiting from a certain drug but are required by their insurance companies to take a less-costly medication was signed into law recently by the governor.

“Patients suffering from chronic conditions, such as cancer, multiple sclerosis or mental illness, rely on effective medical treatments to manage their conditions,” State Senator Julie Morrison (D - Deerfield) said. “When an insurance bureaucrat tells a patient the medication they are currently taking will no longer be covered, it can bring uncertainty and worry to patients already struggling with a serious health concern.”

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New law expands court protections for individuals with disabilities

• SB 3106
• Criminal Law
• Disability Rights

SPRINGFIELD – A new law passed by Senator Julie Morrison (D – Deerfield) earlier this year and signed today by the governor will expand court protections for individuals with intellectual disabilities, cognitive impairments and developmental disabilities.

“For victims of physical or sexual assault, taking the stand and confronting an accuser is often a very emotional and trying experience,” Morrison said. “For an individual with an intellectual disability, the process can be completely overwhelming.”

Current Illinois law allows an individual with an intellectual disability, who has been the victim of certain crimes involving physical or sexual assault, to designate someone to testify in court on their behalf. Known as a hearsay exception, the law is vague and excludes many vulnerable victims.

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