SPRINGFIELD – House Bill 5418, passed by State Senator Julie Morrison (D-Lake Forest) and signed into law Friday, will give children access to intervention and counseling services within the first 24 hours after removal from a home and require the DCFS division of child protection to assess a child’s wellbeing each month.

“Being removed from your home at a young age is an anguishing experience,” Morrison said. “We must provide these children with the support they need immediately.”

As youth in care grow older and the time comes for them to live on their own, this law requires DCFS to ensure they receive classes and instructions on independent living and self-sufficiency in the areas of employment, finances, meals and housing.

Further, under the measure, youth in DCFS care will be provided a document that describes inappropriate acts of affection, discipline and punishment by guardians, foster parents and foster siblings.

“By giving children an understanding of appropriate affection and discipline, we are ensuring they know which acts they should report and the treatment they deserve,” Morrison said.

The law was signed Friday.

SPRINGFIELD – Following through on her commitment to provide greater accessibility for all Illinois voters, State Senator Julie Morrison (D-Lake Forest) championed a newly signed law to allow people with certain disabilities to electronically mark their ballots using their own assistive technology.

“While we have expanded vote by mail in many ways, we have yet to provide the same opportunities to voters who cannot read print because of a visual, physical, perceptual, developmental, cognitive or learning disability,” Morrison said. “Equal access at the voting box is a keystone to our democracy. The inclusion of this process into state law will provide safe, private and equal voting opportunities for voters.”

The law will allow voters with a print disability to receive and mark their ballot electronically on an assistive device. It will be printed, sealed and signed before being returned through the mail. The voting procedure will be in place for the November 2022 General Election, and all subsequent elections.

“For years, Illinois law required voters with print disabilities who chose to vote by mail to fill out a paper ballot, necessitating assistance by a person without a disability.” said Cheryl Jansen, Public Policy Director of Equip for Equality.  “As a result, unlike voters without disabilities, they were denied the right to vote privately and independently.  SB 829 is a very important step towards addressing this disparity.  We highly commend Senator Morrison for her leadership and support of this legislation and look forward to working with her on additional steps to ensure that voters with print disabilities have full privacy and independence when voting by mail.”

Senate Bill 829 was signed into law Friday.

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Julie Morrison (D-Lake Forest) released the following statement after an audit of the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services found the agency failed to implement multiple reforms.

“The Performance Audit of the DCFS Child Safety and Well-Being findings released yesterday are, once again, disheartening. I continue to stand ready to assist the governor in his commitment to protect the most vulnerable children in Illinois. The time has passed for more legislative hearings where we hear the same thing on ‘rinse and repeat.’ It's time to take decisive action and I am ready to assist in any way I can.”

LAKE BLUFF – State Senator Julie Morrison secured $1.25 million in the Fiscal Year 23 budget to bring a pedestrian bridge to Lake Bluff – building on her commitment to make her district a safer, more accessible community.

“Safety of the community is – and always has been – my top priority,” said Morrison (D-Lake Forest). “We must do all we can to make our communities safer – and that starts with ensuring people can travel safely through the area.”

Morrison led efforts to allocate $1.25 million from the upcoming state budget to bring a pedestrian bridge to Lake Bluff after local residents expressed safety concerns to the Senator. The bridge will be over the train tracks located on Green Bay Road, south of Buckley Road and north of Rockland Road.

Green Bay Road – a main thoroughfare in the area – is highly trafficked by both drivers and pedestrians. However, a pedestrian bridge doesn’t currently exist – leaving people to commute by foot on a busy road.

"We applaud Senator Morrison for securing this funding," said Gavin Farry, executive vice president for finance and administration at Rosalind Franklin University, which sits just north of the bridge. "This pedestrian bridge will have multiple benefits to the residents of Lake Bluff and North Chicago. Our students and campus community can utilize this bridge to safely commute, walk, bike, and enjoy the trail systems between the Village of Lake Bluff and City of North Chicago."

By building a bridge, residents will be able to walk or bike to Lake Bluff Elementary School, Lovell Federal Health Care Center, Rosalind Franklin University, trail system, Metra Station, and other areas safely.

“I am extremely grateful to Senator Morrison and her team who have worked exceptionally hard in collaboration with the Village of Lake Bluff to garner the funding to complete this project,” said Lake County Board Chair Sandy Hart. “The pedestrian bridge will solve very real safety issues not only for students going back and forth for school, but also for walkers and bicyclists. It will increase safe access for residents and visitors to the community to enjoy nature and partake in living a healthier lifestyle.”

The $1.25 million allocation championed by Senator Morrison is part of the Fiscal Year 23 budget, which takes effect July 1.