SPRINGFIELD – To keep human traffickers off Illinois roadways, bring to justice to victims of human trafficking and shield everyday Illinoisans from unnecessary exposure, State Senator Laura Murphy passed legislation to expand the expressway camera program to target traffickers while prohibiting images taken by license plate readers from being released via FOIA requests.

“The expansion of this program would empower law enforcement with the tools necessary to swiftly identify human traffickers in real time,” said Murphy (D-Des Plaines). “This bill sends a clear message that Illinois will not be used as a safe haven for these criminals.”

Human traffickers often use highways to transport victims. Truck stops in particular are often hotspots for this kind of illicit activity and those vehicles can be tracked using an expressway camera.

Building on Murphy’s efforts to address public safety in 2022, the new initiative would expand the existing expressway camera program to Lee, Ogle and Whiteside counties and enable police to use expressway cameras for human trafficking and involuntary servitude investigations. The current camera program is limited to target gun violence, vehicular hijacking and other offenses.

Law enforcement has already used these cameras to great effect in the 20 counties currently authorized for their operation. According to Illinois State Police, automated license plate readers helped identify a suspect or a witness in 82% of interstate shootings in 2024.

On the issue of privacy, Murphy’s legislation would exempt images captured on automated license plate cameras from Freedom of Information Act requests. This is in line with current state law prohibiting data collection tools like license plate readers from being used by out-of-state law enforcement to target people traveling to and around Illinois to access reproductive and gender-affirming care.

“There are bad actors out there who may use these images to track or stalk someone,” said Murphy. “Additionally, if the public or media gain access to photos while building a criminal case, it could tip off criminals. Exempting photos taken from expressway cameras is the right thing to do for public safety.”

House Bill 3339 passed the Senate Friday.

SPRINGFIELD – To keep human traffickers off Illinois roadways, bring to justice to victims of human trafficking and shield everyday Illinoisans from unnecessary exposure, State Senator Laura Murphy has pushed forward a bill to expand the expressway camera program to target traffickers while prohibiting images taken by license plate readers from being released via FOIA requests.

“We are giving our law enforcement an invaluable tool to bring human traffickers to justice,” said Murphy (D-Des Plaines). “This legislation proves we are serious about cutting down on length of investigations, rescuing victims and making the police’s job easier.”

Human traffickers often use highways to transport victims. Truck stops in particular are often hotspots for this kind of illicit activity and those vehicles can be tracked using an expressway camera.

Building on Murphy’s efforts to address public safety in 2022, the new initiative would expand the existing expressway camera program to Lee, Ogle and Whiteside counties and enable police to use expressway cameras for human trafficking and involuntary servitude investigations. The current camera program is limited to target gun violence, vehicular hijacking and other offenses.

DES PLAINES – State Senator Laura Murphy announced $4.9 million to fund the construction of several multi-use paths in Des Plaines and Elk Grove Village.

“Multi-use paths are more than just a way to get from point A to point B — they create safe, accessible spaces for walking, biking and connecting with others,” said Murphy (D-Des Plaines). “These grants are investments in our community’s health and safety.”

Three projects have received funding in the 28th District. The first is a 10-foot wide, half-mile long multi-use path in Des Plaines along Devon Avenue from Stillwell Drive to Des Plaines River Road, which received $1.2 million. Elk Grove Village is set to receive $1.47 million for an 8-foot wide multi-use path for pedestrians and cyclists from north of Devon Avenue to Clearmont Drive. The village also received $2.2 million for bike and pedestrian projects along Tonne Road, including a 1.55-mile path within the center median, street and pedestrian lighting, a sidewalk, and enhanced landscaping.

The grants were administered as part of the Illinois Transportation Enhancement Program through the Illinois Department of Transportation. The program is focused on improving bike and pedestrian travel, as well as making other improvements that promote options for safely traveling around communities.

“Pedestrian and cyclist safety is vitally important,” Murphy said. “Our state’s continued commitment to improving our infrastructure shows our dedication to the safety of all travelers, not just those who use our roadways.”

The grant is part of IDOT’s commitment to improving non-motorized transportation options and supporting local infrastructure development across Illinois. For a full list of projects, visit IDOT’s website.

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Laura Murphy passed a measure to protect consumers by cracking down on unlicensed car dealers deceiving consumers with sales of defective cars.

“Unlicensed car sales bypass inspections, hide serious damage and leave families with costly repairs or unsafe transportation,” said Murphy (D-Des Plaines). “Ending curbstoning is about safety, transparency and fairness for every car buyer.”

The goal is to make the already illegal practice of “curbstoning” — a scheme where individual sellers draw car shoppers to places like parking lots and side streets to sell used cars without a license — more difficult. The cars are sold for more money than they are worth and typically have significant issues such as water damage, mileage rollbacks, mechanical issues, or salvaged titles — which are only issued if the car has sustained enough damage to be declared a total loss.

Under the measure, vehicle dealers would not be able to park and advertise cars on public streets or highways, public parking lots or public property. Law enforcement agencies would be allowed to authorize towing services to remove a car if it is displayed for sale with a damaged, destroyed, removed, covered or altered vehicle identification number.

In addition, the legislation would create the Unlicensed Motor Vehicle Dealer Enforcement Task Force to review unlicensed car dealership enforcement in the state. The task force would recommend ways to extend additional protections to customers, investigate online sellers, and explore enhanced penalties and enforcement mechanisms.

“Empowering law enforcement to have unlicensed dealers’ cars towed will deter curbstoners and protect consumers,” Murphy said. “We need to hold unlicensed car dealers accountable and ensure every car sale meets the standards of safety and honesty.”

House Bill 2751 passed the Senate Wednesday.