State Senator John G. Mulroe issued the following statement as Gov. JB Pritzker signed into law the Reproductive Health Act:

“It’s wrong to say that the attacks on women’s healthcare in other states are ‘unprecedented,’ because there is an overwhelming amount of precedent when it comes to the suffering of women who are denied the most basic of rights over their own bodies,” Mulroe said. “The RHA undoes long-overturned laws that read like dystopian fiction and ensures that a woman’s course of action in regard to her own health is her own choice with her doctor’s guidance.

“Much flat-out misinformation has been spread during the debate surrounding this law. It expands nothing. ‘Late-term abortion’ is still only performed in the extreme and heart-wrenching cases where a mother’s life or health hangs in the balance. The only two opinions that belong in the room are the mother’s and her doctor’s. I applaud the tireless work of the advocates of this measure, the women who for decades have fought to preserve their rights, and I thank Gov. Pritzker for acting swiftly to make this the law.”

State Senator John Mulroe (D-Chicago) released the following statement after the Illinois Senate voted to increase the state’s minimum wage to $15 by 2025:

“Taxpayers are supplementing low wages with public money in the form of food stamps, Medicaid and housing assistance, all at the expense of the dignity of people who work 40 hours a week and still need such help,” Mulroe said. “A full-time job deserves a living wage. These incremental increases to the minimum wage bring us closer to sustainability for workers while giving businesses time to adjust to the new levels.”

Senate Bill 1 would increase the minimum wage according to the following incremental schedule:

• $9.25 per hour on Jan. 1, 2020
• $10 per hour on July 1, 2020
• $11 per hour on Jan. 1, 2021
• $12 per hour on Jan. 1, 2022
• $13 per hour on Jan. 1, 2023
• $14 per hour on Jan. 1, 2024
• $15 per hour starting Jan. 1, 2025

Having passed the Senate, the bill heads to the Illinois House for consideration.

State Senator John Mulroe (D-Chicago) visits the Chicago Veterans Home to speak about the progress of a planned $20.5 million renovation project. Courtesy of John Mulroe.

State Senator John Mulroe (D-Chicago) released the following statement on news that funding will be released for a $20.5 million renovation project at the Chicago Veterans Home.

“Caring for the men and women who fight for our freedom is a sacred duty, and we have seen what happens when we neglect it,” Mulroe said. “The improvements and equipment replacement planned as part of this $20.5 million project will ensure the Chicago Veterans Home can continue serving the people who so selflessly served their country.”

Mulroe recently visited the veterans home to speak with the crew about the project’s status. The planned project will encompass exterior and interior renovations, including carpentry, electrical and plumbing work, with an estimated completion date of December 2019.

In light of several pieces of legislation he sponsored this year to improve health care for seniors and disabled persons, the Illinois Health Care Association awarded State Senator John Mulroe its Voice of Senior Care Award this month.

“I am honored to be recognized by the IHCA, and glad that these important measures have become law,” Mulroe said. “It’s never been more crucial that we help seniors in need of lifesaving long-term care to access, afford and understand their options.”

Senate Bill 2913, signed into law Aug. 2, provides for the passive renewal of Medicaid eligibility for seniors and disabled persons residing in nursing homes and creates an expedited process for collecting data for processing applications for eligibility.

Senate Bill 2385, signed into law Aug. 2, helps seniors and disabled persons navigate the financial red tape required to demonstrate their need for long-term care assistance. In the past, financial institutions have been reluctant to provide nursing homes with financial documents when the nursing home is trying to assist the patient with filling out a long term care Medicaid application. The new law creates a form signed by a senior or disabled person and delivered to the financial institution that speeds up that process and ensures the financial records get to the state departments responsible for approving their Medicaid eligibility.