Below is an excerpt from a recent Deerfield Review article regarding Senator Julie Morrison. To read the entire article, please click here.

While some of her colleagues were dealing with high-profile legislation like pension reform and gay marriage, Morrison said she stuck to issues where she felt she could make a difference. Now boat operators will be treated with more scrutiny and political appointees will be held more accountable. All four proposals passed unanimously or with overwhelming majorities.

“All the oxygen this session was sucked out of the air by the big issues,” Morrison said. “I sought issues important to me (where) I felt I could persuade my colleagues and chip away at some of the issues that affect everyday lives but don’t make the headlines every morning.”

“Parents shouldn’t have to make a choice between keeping their children and abandoning them to get them the mental health care they need.” - State Senator Julie Morrison

SPRINGFIELD – A new law should help end a disturbing trend: parents turning their children over to the Department of Children and Family Services because it is the only way the kids can get the mental health care they need.

Parents who make this heart-wrenching choice have usually already exhausted every other option. Their private insurance refuses to pay any more, but they make too much money to qualify for Medicaid.

The new law will give exhausted parents the ability to get state assistance without giving up their children to the foster care system.

SPRINGFIELD – Today, the governor signed a set of new laws sponsored by State Senator Julie Morrison’s (D-Deerfield) that will improve the transparency, accountability and effectiveness of the Department of Children and Family Services.

“DCFS is the last line of defense for abused and neglected children,” Morrison said. “We should be able to expect nothing but the best from this critically important agency.”

SPRINGFIELD – A new law sponsored by State Senator Julie Morrison (D-Deerfield) will enable county boards to remove appointed officials who violate the public trust.

“Everyone who serves the public should be held to the highest ethical standards,” Morrison said. “It shouldn’t matter if you are elected, appointed or hired. If you violate the public trust, there should be a way to remove you from your position.”

Morrison introduced the law at the request of Lake County Board. It allows the boards of the collar counties to remove appointed officials with a two-thirds majority vote. To initiate the process, the county board or county executive must find that the appointed official violated the county’s code of conduct, and the county board must hold a hearing.