DES PLAINES – To encourage more young people to enter the education field, State Senator Laura Murphy (D-Des Plaines) is proud to announce nine local schools will receive Education Career Pathways Grants from the Illinois State Board of Education.

“Teachers are among the most important members of our workforce—a great teacher can make all the difference in a child’s life,” said Murphy. “The grants will help our schools recruit a diverse, well-trained and passionate team of educators to lead their classrooms.”

The Northwest Education Council for Student Success has been awarded $249,000, which will be distributed to nine high schools in the Northwest Suburbs to assist these schools in developing Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs to prepare students for careers in education.

CTE programs help students develop technical and employability skills while strengthening their core academic abilities to enable them to pursue higher education opportunities and succeed in the workforce. Students in CTE programs also have the opportunity to earn dual credit or credentials and certifications from partner institutions prior to high school graduation.

The programs will place a special focus on recruiting underrepresented students into education careers to help meet the high demand for teachers of color across Illinois.

“Students succeed when they can relate to their teachers,” said Murphy. “Investing in our local teacher pipelines encourages Illinois students to return to the communities where they grew up and give back to the next generation.”

Nearly $2 million in total funding has been awarded to 11 Education for Employment Systems statewide to recruit and support future educators at 62 high schools and vocational centers across the state. For a full list of grant recipients or to learn more about career and college readiness programs in Illinois, visit www.ISBE.net/CTE.

Hospitals have experienced a dire shortage of blood donations during the COVID-19 crisis, inspiring State Senator Laura Murphy (D-Des Plaines) to host a community blood drive Wednesday, July 29, from 2 to 6 p.m. at the Prairie Lakes Community Center, located at 515 E. Thacker St. in Des Plaines.

“At the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, many blood drives were cancelled, causing a shortage that put many patients at risk,” said Murphy. “Now that we have the necessary safety protocols in place, I encourage healthy people to make an appointment to donate.”

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate that about 17.2 million units of blood are used in transfusions every year for accident victims, cancer patients, hemophiliacs, surgery patients and more. In March, the CDC issued a statement encouraging healthy people to donate blood at blood centers that adhere to public health and safety guidelines.

Murphy has partnered with Versiti Blood Center of Illinois to host the event. To ensure the safety of all staff and donors, Versiti will be performing temperature checks, symptom screenings and frequent cleaning procedures. Masks will be required, and chairs in all areas will be at least six feet apart.

Appointments are preferred, but walk-ins may be accommodated if there are open slots. To schedule an appointment to donate, visit https://bit.ly/BloodDrive-7-29-20. 

DES PLAINES – To comfort individuals who may be concerned about identity theft after recent reports of unemployment fraud, State Senator Laura Murphy (D-Des Plaines) assures Illinoisans the Illinois Department of Employment Security is aggressively cracking down on fraudsters filing false claims and encourages victims to file a report.

“This problem isn’t just affecting a few people—nationwide, scammers are using the uncertainty of the pandemic to take advantage of vulnerable people,” said Murphy. “If you believe you’ve been the victim of fraud, report it immediately. With your help, we can hold these scammers accountable.”

Last week, reports surfaced of individuals receiving KeyBank debit cards and unemployment letters in the mail, despite never having applied for benefits. According to IDES, people who received these erroneous mailings may be targets of fraud.

After receiving these reports, IDES uncovered and launched an investigation into a nationwide fraud scheme targeting applicants to the federal Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) program. IDES said ambiguous federal guidelines—developed hastily to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic—leave PUA claimants open to attack. IDES maintains this scheme is not connected to the PUA program access issue experienced in May.

A dedicated team of staffers is now working directly with individuals whose identities are being used or have possibly been stolen. The department is also working with local and federal law enforcement authorities to pursue and prosecute those committing fraud.

Individuals who have received debit cards in the mail without applying for benefits should call IDES immediately at 1-800-814-0513 to report identity theft. Do not activate the debit card.

Victims of fraud are also encouraged to check their credit reports for possible suspicious activity, post a fraud alert and visit the Federal Trade Commission’s website for helpful tips on recognizing and reporting identity theft.

DES PLAINES – In response to federal court documents that implicate an unnamed Illinois official in a bribery scheme involving electric utility company ComEd, State Senator Laura Murphy (D-Des Plaines) has issued the following statement:

“The court documents filed Friday include troubling allegations of corruption within our state government. These crimes are a breach of the public’s trust, and they cannot be tolerated.

“Our elected officials should be held to a higher ethical standard, and as such, I urge a thorough federal investigation of these wrongdoings.

“But whether or not the investigation ends with an indictment, I will continue to push for significant reforms to eradicate greed in all levels of government, hold bad actors accountable, and show the public we can and will do better.”