Edly-Allen to host informational disability forum

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.

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Edly-Allen introduces artist protections from AI

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Mary Edly-Allen introduced new legislation that would protect artists and music labels from situations where a third-party creates music using AI and replicates their voice without permission.

“Deepfakes can falsely and convincingly portray anyone saying anything, creating confusion and eroding public trust. This raises serious implications in a world already struggling with rampant misinformation and social media manipulation,” said Edly-Allen (D-Libertyville). “We need strong regulations and protections in place to protect artists from the ever-changing world of AI that intends to steal their work and pass it off as their own.”

Last year, a song, “Heart on My Sleeve,” purportedly by Drake and The Weeknd landed on TikTok and Spotify and quickly spread across the internet. The song was created using AI by a TikTok user, who had trained AI on Drake and The Weeknd’s works and generated the new song, which perfectly mimicked the artists’ voices, lyrics, and musical styles. Within days, his video, which had gained over 9 million views, was removed from TikTok, Spotify, and other platforms in response to claims by the artists’ record label, UMG.

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Edly-Allen hosts town hall in Zion

LIBERTYVILLE – State Senator Mary Edly-Allen is reminding residents that on Tuesday, Feb. 27 from 7-8 p.m., she is hosting a town hall at the Zion Park District Leisure Center to discuss legislative priorities, concerns across the district and answer questions in partnership with State Representative Joyce Mason.

“Town halls are a wonderful opportunity for legislators to have informal yet insightful dialog with the community to learn their needs and priorities,” said Edly-Allen (D-Libertyville). “I encourage local residents to attend to learn about the legislation we are presenting this year in Springfield and to hear from neighbors on issues impacting our communities.”

In addition to the town hall, Edly-Allen’s district office will host mobile office hours at four locations across the district in the coming months from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. No appointment necessary.

The mobile office hours include:

• Zion-Benton Public Library (every third Thursday of the month)
• Avon Township Building (March 8)
• Lake Villa District Library (Feb. 28 & March 27)
• Warren-Newport Public Library (March 6)

“Senator Edly-Allen and I are working hard to pass legislation that will improve the lives of our constituents,” said State Representative Joyce Mason (D-Gurnee). “I’m excited to share the work we’re doing and also hear from members of the community about the ongoing issues that are important to them.”

Residents are encouraged to participate and bring any questions they might have to the town hall. For more information, people can contact Edly-Allen’s district office at (847) 548-5631 or on her website.

Edly-Allen reacts to governor’s budget proposal

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Mary Edly-Allen (D-Libertyville) issued the following statement after hearing the governor’s Fiscal Year 2025 budget proposal:

“The governor’s budget plan is a great start to tackle a few of the key challenges we are facing, including ensuring students receive a quality education and protecting our most vulnerable by increasing services for people with developmental disabilities by $940 million.

“Illinois has made significant progress in educational investments over the last few years, and I am pleased to see that our state continues to prioritize education as outlined in today’s budget proposal by increasing Evidence-Based Funding (EBF) by $350 million.

“I look forward to working with my colleagues over the coming months to pass a balanced budget that prioritizes education, working families and the human services sector.”