SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Laura Murphy (D-Des Plaines) issued the statement below following the Illinois Senate’s vote to override Gov. Rauner’s veto of MAP grant funding.

“How many of the 130,000 MAP grant recipients in Illinois will be forced to drop out before the governor realizes we have to prioritize education funding? These grants are the only opportunity many of these students will have to be prepared in the challenging job market.

“This vote was for the almost 2,000 students in my district who are unsure if they will be able to continue their education this fall. The governor has to stop playing political games with people’s lives.”

Chicago - On Tuesday, a group of legislators from Chicago and the suburbs announced their bipartisan effort to help bring relief to the more than one million residents impacted by adverse noise from O’Hare International Airport.

According to Rep. Christine Winger (R-Wood Dale) many constituents have suffered the endless noise from O’Hare for many years.  Others are experiencing the excruciating ill effects of aircraft noise for the very first time with the addition of the newest runway that opened last October. Still more can expect to join the ranks of those enduring aircraft noise when future runways become operational.

“Our constituents are discouraged by the seeming lack of concern by the Chicago Department of Aviation and the FAA,” said Winger. “Their daily lives are in the hands of these two entities whose missions, quite frankly, do not include protecting the health and quality of life of area residents. That’s why we need to get involved.”

State Representative Michael McAuliffe (R-Chicago) and Senators Laura Murphy (D-Des Plaines) and John Mulroe (D-Chicago) joined Rep. Winger in outlining their legislative plan that would reduce the noise level from O’Hare, help constituents soundproof their homes and identify the ill effects of O’Hare on the people living in the communities impacted by noise.  

"Every day I hear from my constituents about the difficulty of living near O'Hare because of recent moves being made beyond their control, said Rep. Michael McAuliffe. “We're calling on our friends in the legislature to help us fight on their behalf.”

Read more: Lawmakers Announce Bipartisan Effort to Help Families Impacted by Expansion of O’Hare

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Laura Murphy (D-Des Plaines) issued the statement below following Gov. Rauner’s veto of MAP grant funds.

“It’s disappointing that two days after the governor identified education as his top priority, he vetoed funds that give 120,000 students an opportunity to go to college. We have to fund these grants to give Illinois students a chance at a better future.”

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Laura Murphy (D-Des Plaines) issued the statement below following Gov. Rauner’s second annual Budget Address.

“While I do appreciate the governor’s call to live within our means, Democrats and Republicans must come together to invest in our neediest populations,” Murphy said.

“Last year, the governor drastically slashed programs for people with autism on World Autism Day and proposed cutting services to women with breast and cervical cancer. Giving him total control of the budget could have drastic consequences for our state’s most vulnerable citizens.”