SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Mary Edly-Allen passed an initiative through the Senate Insurance Committee to fill gaps in current breast cancer screening coverage and ensure that all Illinoisans are able to receive screening that accurately detects cancer.

“Standard mammograms aren’t always effective on patients with dense breasts. Unfortunately, insurance companies may deny having additional tests that are needed to detect cancer. This can lead to life-threatening situations for those who cannot afford additional tests,” said Edly-Allen (D-Libertyville). “We must ensure that we do not put profit over people’s health and require these insurance plans to cover all medically necessary tests, and not just the bare minimum.”

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Mary Edly-Allen (D-Libertyville) advanced legislation through the Senate Special Committee on Criminal Law and Public Safety on Wednesday to create the Uniform Statewide Crime Statistics Task Force.

“This legislation is a public safety win for both residents and law enforcement,” said Edly-Allen. “By bringing law enforcement agencies, academics, and experts together, the task force members will work together to help respond to the needs of neighborhoods and communities across Lake County and our state.”

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Mary Edly-Allen advanced new legislation in collaboration with the Illinois Department of Natural Resources to update the existing rules on additions to the state’s Exotic Weeds Act.

“As an environmental advocate, I always welcome working with our state’s environmental agencies to make current laws more efficient,” said Edly-Allen (D-Libertyville). “To protect Illinois’ landscapes from invasive species, we need to continually modernize the list.”

GURNEE – State Senator Mary Edly-Allen and State Representatives Laura Faver Dias and Joyce Mason are reminding residents of their upcoming event, “Getting Answers: An Information Forum for Families of Adults with Disabilities,” that will run from 2-4 p.m. on Saturday, March 16 at the Warren-Newport Public Library in Gurnee.

“It was brought to my attention by two of my constituents, who are also disability advocates, that there was a need to have an event that would be not only educational, but be a safe place for people to share their stories with each other,” said Edly-Allen (D-Libertyville). “As an educator, I knew the best way to create such an event was through a combination of local experts and agencies that could best explain ways to help the community in their daily life.”

The informative event was created for families and caregivers of adults with disabilities. It will give them the opportunity to hear from experts from residential agencies, day programs, lawyers, independent service coordination agencies and other experts in addition to sharing their own experiences.