SPRINGFIELD –State Senator Laura Murphy (D-Des Plaines) is strongly supporting the Illinois State Democrats’ package of initiatives focused on supporting law enforcement officers and improving the state’s criminal justice system.

“Law enforcement officers bravely risk their lives every day to keep our communities safe,” Murphy said. “I am proud to support legislation aiming to keep them safe in the line of duty, and make sure they have the tools they need to address rising crime rates.”

Among the measures Murphy supports are: House Bill 4608, which allows grants for body cameras to cover storage of video data, and House Bill 3893 allows investigators to continue recording conversations for qualified sex and drug offenders.

The package also includes legislation to address mental health concerns many law enforcement personnel experience from witnessing difficult situations in the line of duty. House Bill 1321 would create a fund to provide behavioral health services to first responders, making mental health care more accessible for the law enforcement community.

Further, to encourage people to consider a career in law enforcement and support those who continue to serve their community in this field, House Bill 4228 would require a county sheriff’s salary to equal at least 80% of the county states attorney’s salary; this promotes fair compensation across the state. The measure ensures sheriffs are adequately compensated for their current duties and prior work experience as officers. House Bill 3863 creates the Law Enforcement Recruitment and Retention Fund to support departments through the hiring and training processes and improve retention strategies.

“Our law enforcement officers are willing to protect us at great cost to their own safety,” Murphy said. “I’m happy to stand up and advocate for their concerns and needs.”

With the support of The Illinois Sheriff’s Association, the Fraternal Order of Police Labor Council and the Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police, Senator Murphy plans to continue to work with her colleagues to advance these bills before the scheduled April 8 adjournment.

SPRINGFIELD –To address the rising demand for COVID-19 vaccinations, State Senator Laura Murphy (D-Des Plaines) advanced an initiative to allow more health care workers to administer the vaccines.

“With more people wanting to protect themselves against COVID-19, at times there were not enough administrators for the number of individuals trying to get vaccinated,” Murphy said. “To offer more flexibility, vaccination clinics should be able to hire qualified health care professionals to administer COVID shots.”

Getting vaccinated for COVID-19 is vital to stopping the spread of the virus and lowering mortality rates. However, if there are not enough people able to administer vaccines, people may experience delays in making appointments to get their shot or booster. Currently, physicians, pharmacists, PAs, and APRNs are authorized to administer COVID-19 vaccines, but with the public demand for these shots, some health care centers are struggling to find enough administrators with these qualifications.

To ensure more people can get vaccinated at a timely rate, Murphy’s initiative would authorize optometrists—doctors specializing in eye care—to administer COVID-19 vaccines to patients 17 years or older. Optometrists who wish to distribute these vaccines would be required to complete 4 hours of approved education and be certified in basic life support.

“People should not have to wait to get their vaccines,” Murphy said. “Optometrists can be certified to give vaccines. With additional training, those who choose to should be able to work as COVID-19 vaccine administrators to meet the growing demand for these shots and to do their part to get us all back to normalcy.”

HB 4929 passed the Senate on Thursday. It now goes to the governor’s desk.

SPRINGFIELD – The burdensome costs of textbooks and course materials for college students often deters them from making the purchase, which in turn can cause a learning barrier and hinder a student’s grades. Members of the Illinois Senate Democratic Caucus outlined a plan during a press conference Wednesday to break down those barriers.

Senator Laura Fine (D-Glenview) is leading a measure – Senate Bill 819 – to allow students who receive MAP Grants to use the funds for room and board, as well as coursework materials including books, software and website access. Currently, MAP Grants can only be used for tuition and necessary fee costs.

“While there are initiatives that ease the financial burden of higher education, there are many essentials to university success, such as textbooks, electronics, and nearby housing, that are often overlooked,” Senator Fine said. “We need to make these resources more accessible to students from all economic backgrounds so that they can be successful as they pursue their education.”

Data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that even as tuition has risen, no cost of college life has increased faster than textbooks. The bureau found that book prices rose 88% between 2006 and 2016, and the College Board — which administers the SAT exam — reported that students budget more than $1,200 each year for textbooks and other class supplies, including technology.

Under Senator Scott Bennett’s (D-Champaign) Senate Bill 3856, public universities and community colleges would be required to provide all necessary coursework materials for rental free of charge for Illinois students.

Many public universities and community colleges, such as Southern Illinois University, already include free textbook rentals in their tuition and fee costs for all students. Recent studies have found that these more affordable course materials can deliver student cost savings of 29% to 35% annually.

“As chair of the Senate Higher Education Committee, I know students face additional costs that can put financial strain on their families making it difficult for them to finish college,” Bennett said. “This textbook incentive will not only reduce that financial burden, but will ensure students are set up for success by having access to all of their course materials.”

While there are currently many initiatives to make higher education more affordable for children from low-income families, few provide relief for middle-class families who also come under large financial strain when sending their children to college.

To address this issue, Senator Laura Murphy’s measure – Senate Bill 1145 – would allow a taxpayer who either is a student or claims one or more students as dependents to earn a tax credit of up to $1,000 toward tuition and fees for Illinois public institutions of higher education.

“Paying for higher education can be a massive financial undertaking for working families,” Murphy said. “It is important that we provide relief to middle-class families working hard to send their children to Illinois schools.”

Mardell Davis, a Springfield High School senior, is in the process of deciding which college to commit to. The costs associated with each school could be a deciding factor for him.

“As a future college student, I am aware of the sometimes high costs attributed to earning a degree,” Mardell said. “I appreciate that the Senate is working on a bill that will make sure all necessary class materials are more affordable.”

For more information on the bills outlined at the press conference, people can visit https://www.illinoissenatedemocrats.com/HigherEd.

SPRINGFIELD –State Senator Laura Murphy (D-Des Plaines) is one step closer to officially designating official events held on the Republic of Ireland Day in Illinois, adding to the existing statute establishing April 18 in honor of Irish-American Illinoisians.

“It is important for us to honor the one million Irish-Americans who call Illinois home and the lasting contributions they have made on our state,” Murphy said. “Designating this day will show our respect for Irish-Americans’ history, culture, and impact to our communities.”

On April 18, 1949, Ireland officially declared itself independent from Great Britain. Therefore, this date is significant to many Irish-Americans, and many events and celebrations are held in its honor across the state.

Murphy’s bill requires the governor to issue a proclamation announcing the recognition of Republic of Ireland Day within 10 days of April 18th, and designate the official events that are being held in honor of the day. Since Illinois has a large population of Irish-American immigrants and many gatherings in celebration of Irish holidays, designating the Republic of Ireland Day as a commemorative day would further honor Irish-American immigrants in Illinois.

“Given the immense contributions Irish-American immigrants and their decedents have made to our state, it is important that we celebrate their culture by formally recognizing Republic of Ireland Day,” Murphy said. “I look forward to celebrating with the Irish-American immigrants and their decedents in my community on April 18th this year, and in years to come.”

House Bill 4811 passed the Senate on Tuesday. It now awaits the Governor’s signature to become law.