SPRINGFIELD- State Senator Laura Murphy (D-Des Plaines) voted to create an automatic voter registration in Illinois last week. Senate Bill 1933, which Murphy co-sponsored, passed the Illinois Senate unopposed.

The legislation would allow Illinois citizens to automatically register to vote when they choose to renew their driver’s license or state ID. They can still opt out of registering to vote if they wish.

“Encouraging more people to get involved in the democratic process will only be beneficial to our state,” Murphy said. “The measures included in the legislation to save taxpayer money and prevent election fraud are additional benefits.”

Other states that have enacted similar proposals have seen the cost of processing an application to vote from 83 cents to 3 cents.

Penalties for submitting false voter registration data and increasing the number of cross-checks to the State Board of Elections must annually conduct between the statewide voter database and the National Change of Address Database were also included in the legislation.

It will now head to the Illinois House for consideration.

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SPRINGFIELD – Only about 18 percent of Illinois companies have women on their corporate boards, despite a recent study by the Credit Suisse Report that shows companies with women on their boards tend to be less risk-averse and have higher income growth.

Today, State Senator Laura Murphy passed Senate Resolution 140 through the Illinois Senate, which encourages more equitable and diverse gender representation on corporate boards and urges corporations in Illinois to increase the number of women on their boards.

"Women bring a diverse viewpoint to the workforce and promote higher corporate income growth. It’s past time for corporations to recognize this and ensure women are represented at the highest level in their companies,” Murphy said.

Murphy is sponsoring the initiative on behalf of Women on Boards 2020, which aims to have company boards made up of at least 20 percent women by 2020.

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SPRINGFIELD- State Senator Laura Murphy (D-Des Plaines) advanced legislation through the Illinois Senate today to require insurance companies to cover an MRI if a patient is diagnosed with dense breast tissue, a possible indicator of cancer. Currently, insurance companies are only required to cover an ultrasound in Illinois.

“This is a significant, life-saving step forward for women, and I’m proud to advance it days after thousands of women rallied at the Capitol to support women’s health care,” Murphy said.

Studies show that dense breast tissue can be up to six times more likely to develop cancer. Because cancer is a non-fatty tissue, it can also be harder to detect within dense breast tissue. An MRI can find up to an additional 8 percent of breast cancers not initially detected by a mammogram or ultrasound.

“Experts agree – early detection is vital to giving women the best chance to beat breast cancer,” Murphy said. “Giving women with dense breast tissue, a potential indicator of cancer, the option to consult their doctors and conduct an MRI will save lives.”

The legislation, Senate Bill 314, passed the Illinois Senate unopposed and will now head to the House for consideration.  
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