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.

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Laura Murphy joined the rally to Fight for Illinois Families on Friday to speak about the importance of the SAFER Communities Act.

“This bill gives individuals reentering society the opportunity to secure a stable job so they can take care of their families,” said Murphy (D-Des Plaines). “It’s possible to decrease the rate of recidivism by providing incentives to businesses to hire formerly incarcerated individuals.”

Murphy’s measure – the SAFER Communities Act – would task the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity with creating a program that would help formerly incarcerated individuals gain reliable employment. Additionally the program would provide tax credits to employers who hire program participants, with a greater amount offered to small businesses.

Grants would be provided to help reduce barriers including, but not limited to, transportation, housing and childcare for participants, as often times they can serve as an insurmountable obstacle for many.

“The small businesses of Illinois are in need of workers, and we have the employees ready to work,” Murphy said. “It's a great partnership!”

House Bill 3418 is set to be heard in the Senate Appropriations Committee.

New Illinois program would place a refundable deposit on beverage containers at the point of sale

SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois Senate Executive Committee held a hearing today on Sen. Laura Murphy’s (D-Des Plaines) bill to create a beverage container recycling refund program in Illinois that would place a refundable deposit on beverage containers at the point of sale. The refundable deposit would be 10 cents for containers 24 ounces or less, and 15 cents for containers more than 24 ounces. Once consumers are done with the beverage, they return the container to get their refund.

Currently, 10 states have beverage container recycling refund programs, and those states consistently see higher beverage container recycling rates than states without such programs. This bill would make Illinois the first state in decades to create a new recycling refund program, giving the state the benefit of incorporating lessons learned from programs in other states and around the world.

“Beverage container recycling refund programs have a proven track record of success and creating these incentives for consumers to recycle is effective,” said Sen. Murphy, a member of the Executive Committee. “The system proposed in my bill would be fiscally self-sustaining, while immediately reducing litter, cutting carbon emissions, and saving costs on trash cleanup in communities across the state. Today’s hearing is a major step toward getting this bill passed by the legislature.”

Read more: Executive Committee Holds Hearing on Sen. Murphy’s Beverage Container Recycling Refund Bill