Murphy pushes back against Rauner, fights for transparency

• Transparency
• 2018
• Medicaid

Today State Senator Laura Murphy pushed back against the Rauner administration by advancing a Medicaid managed care transparency measure he previously vetoed.

“The governor made a mistake when he rejected this proposal and attempted to put a multibillion dollar industry before taxpayers and Medicaid recipients,” Murphy (D-Des Plaines) said. “I couldn’t stand for that. I will continue to fight for transparency in Medicaid managed care programs.”

Senate Bill 2447 requires the auditor general to conduct a performance audit of the Department of Healthcare and Family Services’ Medicaid managed care program by Jan. 1, 2019.

The audit would probe whether DHFS has developed and applied standardized quality performance measures to Medicaid Managed Care Entities. It would also examine if the department has implemented measures to automatically assign Medicaid patients into managed care entities.

Performance audits can only be conducted at the request of the General Assembly or the Audit Commission, Murphy noted.

“The governor thought that this type of audit could be conducted as part of an existing investigation, but that’s not how it works,” she said. “I want to ensure the Medicaid managed care program operated by the Rauner administration is effectively using taxpayer dollars. This is one of the state’s largest contracts. It deserves a closer look.”

This transparency measure was formerly Senate Bill 321, which Murphy proposed last year. The governor vetoed it Sept. 22, 2017.

Murphy stands up for equal rights

• 2018

SPRINGFIELD — State Senator Laura Murphy (D-Des Plaines) issued the following statement on the Senate’s passage of the Equal Rights Amendment:

“I am proud to co-sponsor this legislation and support equal rights for women. It is astonishing that in 2018 women are not expressly guaranteed equal rights at the federal level. Ratifying the Equal Rights Amendment to the U.S. Constitution would ensure men and women have equal protection under the law. ”

Murphy proposal would protect the identity of lottery winners

• 2018
• Lottery

Illinois Lottery winners could choose to remain anonymous under a privacy protection measure filed by State Senator Laura Murphy (D-Des Plaines).

“Fortune and fame don’t always go hand in hand. We know of instances around the country of lottery winners being attacked, killed or financially exploited because their identities were publicized,” Murphy said.

“If winners want to be identified, that’s one thing. But the government should not require people to expose themselves to great personal risk simply because they were lucky enough to hit the jackpot one day.”

Under Murphy’s proposal, winners of more than $250,000 can submit a written request that their identity be kept confidential. Similar legislation to Senate Bill 211 has been filed in Georgia.

Murphy places children before guns, unlike Rauner

• 2018

State Senator Laura Murphy voted for community and school safety in a suite of gun violence prevention measures that went before the Senate this week.

“We cannot control gun laws in Indiana or Wisconsin. We can control what we do in Illinois to prevent guns from falling into the hands of criminals and limit access to assault weapons,” said Murphy, a Democrat from Des Plaines, who contrasted her votes with Gov. Bruce Rauner’s veto Tuesday of a bipartisan gun dealer licensing bill.

“Unfortunately, the governor chose to ignore the voices of thousands of Illinoisans and listened to the gun lobby rather than allay the fears of parents who simply want their children to be safe. No parent should bury their child because they sent them to school.”

Murphy voted to prohibit the sale of assault weapons to individuals under 21. She also supported and co-sponsored House Bill 1467 to ban bump stocks and trigger cranks. Lastly, she supported legislation to lengthen the waiting period for assault weapons to 72 hours from 24 hours. This mirrors the existing waiting period for handguns.

“As students were walking out of school across the country in protest of gun violence, the Illinois Senate passed legislation to make our communities and classrooms safer,” Murphy said. “I am proud to stand united with students and do my part to support stricter gun legislation.”