SPRINGFIELD- State Senator Laura Murphy (D-Des Plaines) voted today to override Gov. Bruce Rauner’s veto of Senate Bill 250. The proposal creates an automatic voter registration system, which would allow easier access to the democratic process and significantly cut administrative costs of registering voters.

“Encouraging more people to get involved in our democratic process – at a lower cost to taxpayers – can only be beneficial to our state,” Murphy said. “The governor’s veto of legislation that initially received overwhelming bipartisan support is pure gamesmanship.”

Under the initial proposal, Illinois citizens would be automatically registered to vote when they renew their driver’s license or state ID. They can still choose to opt out of registering to vote if they wish.

The legislation will also help clean up the voter rolls by increasing the number of cross-checks the State Board of Elections must conduct between the statewide voter database and the National Change of Address Database from two to six.  

The override passed the Senate with a vote of 38-18 and will now head to the Illinois House.

SCHAUMBURG – When 91-year old Leroy Wolff received a letter in May stating nearly $40,000 in stock he owned had been transferred to Illinois’ unclaimed property division, he didn’t know where to turn.

“The letter stated the account had been determined to be inactive due to correspondence from the company being returned,” Wolff said. “It didn’t make any sense. I was reading a letter from the company saying correspondence had been returned. I was dumbfounded.”

Wolff, a native of Chicago’s Humboldt Park neighborhood who now resides in Friendship Village of Schaumburg, tried resolving the issue with the company, Duke Energy, to no avail. He discussed his predicament with State Senator Laura Murphy (D – Des Plaines) at an event held at Friendship Village a few weeks later.

“I consider myself lucky the senator was here talking with the seniors,” Wolff said.

Immigrants from more than 30 countries became citizens recently during a Naturalization Ceremony held at the Schaumburg Township District Library.

The library, which has hosted five similar ceremonies in the past, offers courses where immigrants can learn English and begin the process of becoming a citizen.

State Senator Laura Murphy (D – Des Plaines) attended Friday’s Naturalization Ceremony.

“Immigrants have enriched our neighborhoods and have been part of the fabric of our country since inception,” Murphy said.

The ceremony opened with a speech by the Branch Chief for United States Citizenship and Immigration Services and concluded with the Oath of Allegiance.

Read more:  
Schaumburg Township District Library Holds U.S. Naturalization Ceremony

SPRINGFIELD – Earlier this year, State Senator Laura Murphy (D-Des Plaines) passed a measure through the Illinois Senate that will bring much-needed transparency and accountability to the state budgeting process. Her proposal, Senate Bill 2585, was signed into law by the governor on Friday.

It will require the governor’s budget office to annually produce a report containing a four-year budget forecast that also lays out detailed solutions to solve any predicted budgetary shortfalls. The report also must be posted online so it is available to the general public.