SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Laura Murphy (D-Des Plaines) issued the following statement after the Senate passed the FY 24 budget:

“Illinois legislators have once again delivered a balanced budget that addresses the needs of working families – from education, to support services and pensions. We continued to make smart spending decisions that improve our fiscal health, while also prioritizing our most vulnerable communities.

“We’ve ensured that money is going to support those who need it most. This budget protects programs that prevent crime and illegal firearm activity, invests in kids and seniors, and protects our communities. Additionally it prepares us for fiscal uncertainty. As a state we have lived through a recession and a pandemic within recent memory, and we will not forget the lessons we learned.

“By providing more funding to MAP grants and the AIM HIGH program, we maintain our commitment to make college more affordable and attainable for working and middle-class families. We continue to ensure that we uplift our students so that they can receive the best possible education.”

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Laura Murphy championed legislation to establish ethical guidelines to address ongoing concerns regarding automated traffic enforcement.

“The public deserves to have the utmost trust in their government and their law enforcement,” said Murphy (D-Des Plaines). “We need to ensure that there is accountability and honesty on all levels.”

The measure prohibits campaign contributions from contractors who provide the automated traffic enforcement equipment, any political action committee created by such a contractor and any affiliates. Campaign contributions from such sources have been a cause for controversy in past years.

Further, beginning six months before an automated traffic law enforcement system is installed at an intersection, a county or municipality may not change the yellow light interval at that intersection.

Additionally, IDOT can revoke any permit for red light cameras if any official or employee who serves that county or municipality is charged with bribery, official misconduct, or a similar crime related to the placement, installation, or operation of the automated traffic law enforcement system in the county or municipality.

“Illinoisans deserve to be able to trust their elected officials aren’t being influenced by campaign contributions,” Murphy said. “Government officials should serve the people—not their own financial interests.”

House Bill 3903 passed the Senate with bipartisan support.

SPRINGFIELD – To ensure that Illinoisans in need of insulin have affordable access to the life-saving medicine, State Senator Laura Murphy has introduced a measure to cap its price at $35.

“It’s time to ensure that individuals with insulin-dependent diabetes can afford the medicine that they need to survive,” said Murphy (D-Des Plaines). “Insulin is a vital medication, and it’s time that we put people’s health ahead of financial gain.”

Under this legislation the price of a 30-day supply of insulin would be capped at $35 for all private individual and group insurance policies.

More than 10% of the U.S. population has diabetes according to the diabetes research institute. 1 in 12 Illinoisans have insulin-dependent diabetes, approximately 1.3 million people. According to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, the cost of insulin has risen 600% in the last 20 years. Americans pay 10 times than that of citizens of 32 other nations. $98.70 on average compared to $8.81.

“Recently, drug manufacturers have announced they will cap the cost of insulin at $35, and I applaud this commitment,” said Murphy. “I want to ensure that this protection is enshrined in law, should pharmaceutical companies raise the prices once again.”

House Bill 2189 passed the Illinois Senate on Thursday.

SPRINGFIELD – To protect people’s freedom to read, State Senator Laura Murphy passed legislation to prevent the banning of books.

“Our nation’s libraries have been under attack for too long—they are bastions of knowledge and proliferate the spread of ideas,” said Murphy (D-Des Plaines). “We have a duty as lawmakers to protect the rights of our people—including the First Amendment right to freedom of speech and expression.”

Under this measure, a library or library system must adopt the American Library Association’s Library Bill of Rights or develop a written statement prohibiting the practice of banning books or materials in order to be eligible for state grants.

Nationally, the number of attempts to ban books has been on the rise, with 681 attempts involving more than 1,600 titles throughout the U.S. in 2021, according to the ALA. Seven states have passed laws to impose restrictions on libraries, including Tennessee, Oklahoma, Florida and Utah. If signed into law, Illinois would become the first state in the nation to ensure intellectual freedom for all across the state.

“Libraries are the beating heart of our communities, providing vital knowledge and invaluable services that allow our communities to thrive,” Murphy said. “Librarians are trained professionals, and we need to trust that they will stock our libraries with appropriate materials—they were hired for their expertise, and they deserve our respect.”

House Bill 2789 passed the Senate on Wednesday.