Murphy to governor: It’s past time to take the budget impasse seriously

SPRINGFIELD- State Senator Laura Murphy (D-Des Plaines) issued the statement below after Gov. Bruce Rauner called the Illinois legislature back to Springfield for special session on June 21.

“I’m willing to negotiate a balanced budget with the governor any time or any place. The Senate spent six months this spring negotiating a balanced budget to provide much-needed stability for our state.

“The budget plan we put together includes $3 billion in cuts and many of the reforms he initially proposed. It’s disappointing that during those negotiations he was traveling the state on a campaign tour.

“Hopefully now the governor will begin to take his job seriously and join us to negotiate a balanced budget that protects colleges and universities, services for the most vulnerable citizens of our society and provides stability for small businesses and our entire state.

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Murphy, Moylan to host Community Shred Day to fight identity theft

SPRINGFIELD- Over 15 million United States residents have their identity stolen every year, resulting in nearly $50 billion stolen from victims. Many of these crimes are committed by criminals sifting through trash in search of credit card bills and other personal information, allowing them to steal their unknowing victim’s information.

To cut down on future financial fraud, State Senator Laura Murphy (D-Des Plaines) is joining with State Rep. Marty Moylan (D-Des Plaines) to host a Community Shred Day to give local residents an opportunity to securely dispose of their personal information.

“The number of financial crimes committed each year is staggering,” Murphy said. “This shred day will give local residents the peace of mind to know their personal information won’t fall into the wrong hands.”

The shred day will be held on Saturday June 17 from 9 a.m. – Noon at Juno Lighting, 1300 S. Wolf Road in Des Plaines.

It is a free event, but there are some restrictions, including:
•    Limit two boxes per car
•    Cardboard boxes cannot be left at the event
•    Residential shredding only
•    Shredding only accepted until shred trucks reach capacity
•    Please remove all paper clips, staples and other bindings

For more information, please call State Sen. Laura Murphy’s office at 847-718-1110. 

Murphy: School funding reform key to lowering property taxes

SPRINGFIELD- It’s no secret that Illinois property taxpayers have been paying more than their share of costs of school funding for years. While other states pay their fair share of funding, Illinois ranks near the bottom in the amount the state contributes, putting the burden of funding education on local taxpayers.  

State Senator Laura Murphy (D-Des Plaines) voted in support of legislation that will begin to shift the burden of paying for schools off of property taxpayers and back onto the state.

“I voted in support of this legislation that will begin to shift the burden of paying for schools away from property taxpayers and make the state pay its fair share,” Murphy said. “Our antiquated school funding formula has resulted in sky-high property taxes for suburban families. This legislation is a step toward lessening the burden of funding schools and putting it back on the state where it belongs.”

In the school funding formula, none of the schools in the 28th District will lose any funding. The legislation contains a hold harmless provision that would prevent school districts from receiving less funding in the future.
 
“Pitting school districts against each other by forcing cuts on one to try to benefit another is unfair to our students,” Murphy said. “The hold harmless provision in this proposal prevents cuts from being forced on our schools to provide stability for teachers and students alike. Furthermore, it will provide long-term property tax relief.”
 
The legislation, Senate Bill 1, has passed both chambers of the Illinois legislature and I encourage the governor to sign this bill.

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Senator Murphy hosts three town hall meetings

State Senator Laura Murphy (D-Des Plaines) hosted three town hall meetings this week to discuss the state budget, school funding reform and other issues facing our state.

Murphy held the town halls across her district in Schaumburg, Elk Grove Village and her hometown of Des Plaines.

“In-person town hall meeting are a fundamental way to get feedback from the constituents I represent,” Murphy said. “Thank you to everyone who attended to discuss the critical issues we are facing.”

Discussions centered largely on the ongoing state budget stalemate and school funding reform proposal that passed in both houses of the General Assembly in late May.

Murphy also offered an in-depth look at the state budget impasse with a presentation about the state’s spending priorities and the long term cost the state budget will have on Illinois families.

While Sen. Murphy’s first series of town hall meetings has concluded, she looks forward to hosting more meetings in the future.

Murphy’s key legislative initiatives this spring included increasing women’s access to health care, protecting First Amendment rights and increasing the transparency and accountability of Medicaid contracts.