Edly-Allen, Faver Dias Announce $4.7 Million in Support for Local Communities

GRAYSLAKE – Senator Mary Edly-Allen and State Representative Laura Faver Dias announced $4.7 million of capital and operations grant funding today to support key needs of school districts, domestic violence prevention organizations and mental health facilities – among others – in Illinois Senate District 31 and Illinois House District 62. The funding was secured by Edly-Allen and Faver Dias as part of state budget negotiations for Fiscal Year 2024.

Recipients of capital grants include Grayslake Community Consolidated School District 46, Round Lake Community Unit School District 116, A Safe Place Lake County, Lake County Haven, The Josselyn Center, Nicasa, Prairie State Legal, the Adler Center, Illinois Science Olympiad, and the Grayslake Park District.Senator Edly-Allen also secured $500,000 in capital grant funding for the City of Zion.

“As a new legislator, Iʼm incredibly proud to provide real, impactful support to our communities in my first Session,” said Representative Laura Faver-Dias (D-Grayslake). “Thanks to these grants, our schools will be safer for students, we can better support survivors of domestic violence, and weʼll provide more opportunities for quality mental health care. These are meaningful investments for communities and families.”

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Edly-Allen measure requiring basic Alzheimer’s training for guardians signed into law

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.

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Edly-Allen passes measure to crack down on harmful “deepfakes”

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.

Edly-Allen highlights $450,000 in home improvement grants available for the community

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/