LIBERTYVILLE — State Senator Mary Edly-Allen (D-Libertyville) announced more than a dozen school districts across the area will receive over $8.1 million in additional funding to help address the financial challenges of recent years.

“As an educator, I have a strong commitment to ensuring every student is given equal opportunities to succeed regardless of their ZIP code or financial status,” said Edly-Allen. “Students in Lake County deserve the best educational opportunities, and I’m proud to see we’re continuing to prioritize funding for our schools.”

SPRINGFIELD – Thanks to a new law advanced by State Senator Mary Edly-Allen, artists will be protected if their songs or likenesses are stolen through the means of artificial intelligence (AI).

“In the last few years, we have seen an explosion of AI tools and AI-generated content, often created and distributed without authorization. While AI is a powerful tool with the potential to do much good, guardrails are necessary to protect artists and the general public,” said Edly-Allen (D-Libertyville). “I’d like to thank the numerous groups who worked in collaboration to ensure this measure is effective including the Motion Picture Association, TechNet, the Software Alliance and more. This is an important piece of legislation that will help protect Illinois artists.”

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Mary Edly-Allen passed a new law to fill gaps in current breast cancer screening coverage to ensure that all Illinoisans are able to receive screening that accurately detects breast cancer.

“We must ensure we are putting people’s health over profit, and require insurance plans to cover all medically necessary tests – not just the bare minimum,” said Edly-Allen (D-Libertyville). “Unfortunately, insurance companies may deny further testing that is needed beyond a mammogram. This lack of testing can lead to life-threatening situations for those who cannot afford additional tests.”

SPRINGFIELD – Under a new law led by State Senator Mary Edly-Allen, a collaborative public safety task force will be established to collect and present accurate data on crime in the state.

“In order to effectively deploy law enforcement and help respond to the needs of communities across Lake County and the state of Illinois, our state’s crime data software system needs a major update,” said Edly-Allen (D-Libertyville). “This legislation is a public safety win for both residents and first responders because it brings together experts in academia, law enforcement and the legal profession."

House Bill 2323 creates the Uniform Statewide Crime Statistics Task Force. This concern was brought to Edly-Allen by Lake County State’s Attorney Eric Rinehart. The task force will meet at least quarterly to assist the Illinois State Police in the development and implementation of an integrated software system for gathering and publishing crime data from all law enforcement agencies throughout the state.