Unnecessary educational mandates to be tackled under Edly-Allen measure

SPRINGFIELD — To bring the Illinois School Code mandates up to date, State Senator Mary Edly-Allen worked with State Senator Meg Loughran Cappel, chair of the Senate Education Committee, and multiple statewide education stakeholders to create Senate Bill 1740, which passed the Senate.

“Public school teachers play a critical role in shaping our young minds and preparing them for the future,” said Edly-Allen (D-Libertyville). “The proposed School Code Mandate Reduction Council will begin evaluating the 699 mandates introduced since 1982 – an essential step toward improving our laws to fit with the evolving education landscape.”

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Trauma-informed response training strengthened under Edly-Allen measure

SPRINGFIELD — After an Illinois woman had a negative experience with police when filing her sexual assault report, State Senator Mary Edly-Allen worked alongside her to create Anna’s Law, or Senate Bill 1195, to address a lack of trauma-informed response training within the state.

“No one should be subjected to being re-traumatized and invalidated in any situation,” said Edly-Allen (D-Libertyville). “After working with the Illinois State Police, Illinois Sheriffs’ Association, Illinois Law Enforcement Training and Standards Board and the Illinois Chiefs of Police I am hopeful that this will greatly improve the current training practices in place.”

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Senate committee hears Edly-Allen measure aimed at safeguarding personal data from unauthorized sharing, exploitation

SPRINGFIELD — On Wednesday, the Senate Executive Subcommittee on AI and Social Media held a subject matter hearing on a bill led by State Senator Mary Edly-Allen that would protect consumers from their sensitive data being harvested and sold without their consent.

“Leaning on the federal government at this time is not an option. With the absence of comprehensive legislation federally, it is imperative for the state to take action in protecting our citizens and fill these gaps. Companies that collect our data must be aggressive with their consent requirements,” said Edly-Allen (D-Libertyville). “After the Dobbs decision in 2022, there has been a growing fear across the nation about women’s health apps. This common-sense legislation addresses the lack of consent on data being sold and tackles major privacy concerns.”

Senate Bill 2121 would make it unlawful for a business entity to collect or process an individual’s location information while in Illinois unless it is for a permissive purpose.

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Storytime at Warren-Newport Public Library

April is Child Abuse Prevention Month. I am proud to partner with the Lake County Children's Advocacy Center for an afternoon storytime at the Warren-Newport Public Library on Thursday, April 24, from 4:30-5:30 p.m.

The Children's Advocacy Center will be sharing information about their Blue Kids Program, raising awareness on child abuse prevention, and providing valuable resources, giveaways, and more! Let's come together to build a safer community. I hope to see you there!

Registration is encouraged, but walk in's are also welcome. Sign up here!

To learn more about the Lake County Children's Advocacy Center Blue Kids Program visit their website.