SPRINGFIELD — State Senator Mary Edly-Allen’s measure requiring training related to Alzheimer’s and dementia for public guardians was signed into law, taking an essential step toward ensuring guardians have the necessary tools to provide compassionate care.

“The emotional toll of Alzheimer’s and dementia cannot be overstated as these diseases not only rob individuals of their memories and cognitive function, but also take away their independence,” said Edly-Allen (D-Libertyville). “Equipping caregivers with the knowledge they need will promote a safe and supportive environment for those receiving care.”

This law requires public guardians to undergo at least one hour of training on how to recognize, care for and interact with patients who have Alzheimer’s or dementia. The training must be completed within six months of the guardian’s appointment and renewed annually.

"We're thrilled by the overwhelming bipartisan Senate support for providing guardians with a basic level of dementia training. This training will better equip guardians to protect and serve vulnerable individuals living with Alzheimer's," said Jennifer Belkov, vice president for public policy at the Alzheimer's Association Illinois Chapter.

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Mary Edly-Allen passed a measure through the Senate to crackdown on the abusive and harmful use of digital imitations known as “deepfakes.”

“Deepfakes are a way to deploy gender-based violence, harnessing artificial intelligence to exploit, humiliate and harass through the ages-old tactic of stripping women of sexual autonomy and to silence innocent women,” said Edly-Allen (D-Libertyville). “Despite the rise of deepfakes there are no consequences for bad actors.”

House Bill 2123 would create a civil cause of action against any person who knowingly distributes, creates or solicits a digital forgery of another individual without their consent and for the purposes of harassing, extorting, threatening or causing harm to the falsely depicted individual.

“These videos may be fake, but the emotional impacts are real. The sad reality is, deep fake technology is predominately being used to create sexual videos of women without their consent,” Edly-Allen said. “Now is the time to take action to end the disturbing trend of non-consensual dissemination of intimate images (NDII).

House Bill 2123 passed unanimously out of the Senate on Thursday.

LIBERTYVILLE – State Senator Mary Edly-Allen was pleased to see the Home Repair and Accessibility Program will provide $450,000 to help low-income homes in northern Lake County with much needed repairs.

“The COVID-19 pandemic hit Illinoisans hard and many were struggling to make ends meet. This made housing a serious concern,” said Edly-Allen (D – Libertyville). “This funding will provide financial assistance for residents in our community who can’t afford the necessary repairs for their home.”

The grant program will help provide low-income homeowners with health, safety, accessibility, and energy efficiency repairs to their homes. The funding is designed to serve underfunded communities and ensure residents are able to stay in their homes.

The grant was awarded to the Community Partners for Affordable Housing, a Libertyville-based organization with a combined 80 years of experience that has helped develop or preserve over 1,750 units of affordable housing and provided housing-related services for over 25,000 residents.

“I encourage anyone who can’t afford structural repairs to their home to apply for this grant,” said Edly-Allen. “Aging and low-income residents deserve a safe, secure and welcoming home.”

More information on eligibility and a list of administering agencies can be found at https://www.ihda.org/my-community/revitalization-programs/

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Mary Edly-Allen passed a measure to lessen the use of plastic and Styrofoam.

“In order to reduce waste in our landfills and be more conscientious of our impact on the environment, we need alternatives like using consumer-owned containers,” said Edly-Allen (D-Libertyville). “Not only will restaurants save money on packaging, grocery stores will also help the environment by allowing their customers to use their own items for bulk purchases.”

Edly-Allen’s measure would allow restaurants and retailers to fill and refill consumer-owned containers with bulk or ready-made food.

A restaurant or retailer has to take necessary precautions to prevent cross contamination and make those written procedures available to the Illinois Department of Public Health.