SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Laura Fine (D-Glenview) voted to legalize cannabis for recreational use in Illinois today, with the measure passing the Senate by a vote of 38 – 17 with two members voting present.

“This carefully crafted legislation is the result of months of negotiations between many interested parties,” Fine said. “It provides local control, giving communities the ability to make decisions about allowing a business to establish operations, it protects employers, allowing them to maintain a zero tolerance policy, and it allocates revenue for education, law enforcement, and mental health services.”

House Bill 1438 legalizes the possession and consumption of recreational cannabis for people over the age of 21 in Illinois, with slightly different restrictions placed on residents and non-residents. The bill also allows medical cannabis patients to grow their own plants, and provides a process through which conviction and arrest records for cannabis can be expunged.

The measure passed the Senate and will return to the House for concurrence.

SPRINGFIELD – Six years and two governors after it was formed, a neglected task force aimed at producing workable wind energy policy should finally convene under legislation passed by State Senator Laura Fine (D-Glenview). This will put the state on a path toward reducing fossil fuel consumption.

“This is a positive step in addressing the issue of fossil fuel depletion and climate change,” Fine said. “We need to transition toward renewable, green energy before it’s too late. This task will bring us toward meeting our goals, and it must convene.”

House Bill 3482 urges Gov. Pritzker to convene the Offshore Wind Energy Economic Development Policy Task Force, officially formed in 2013 and then ignored by former Governors Pat Quinn and Bruce Rauner. The group’s stated objective is to analyze and evaluate policies and economic options necessary to develop the state’s offshore wind energy.

The bill passed both chambers of the General Assembly with unanimous support and will proceed to the governor for approval.

SPRINGFIELD – A new bill sponsored by State Senator Laura Fine (D-Glenview) will allow prescribing physicians to receive comprehensive pharmaceutical education.

“Prescription drugs are an important tool in keeping patients healthy,” Fine said. “We should strive to ensure that the doctors writing those prescriptions have the most accurately, timely, and thorough information available.”

House Bill 3097 requires the Department of Health and Family Services to develop a pharmaceutical education program for prescribing physicians. The program would use evidence-based, noncommercial sources and would be taught by specially trained pharmacists, nurses or health professionals. It would include instruction regarding the treatment of chronic non-cancer pain, diabetes, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, respiratory syncytial virus, and nicotine dependence.

The bill passed through the Senate and the House of Representatives with unanimous bipartisan support. It will be sent to the governor for approval.

SPRINGFIELD – Families of individuals with intellectual or developmental disabilities will have an easier time reviewing their status of being selected for services under a new bill sponsored by State Senator Laura Fine (D-Glenview).

“Families of individuals with disabilities rely on social services to provide a higher quality of life for their family member, but the current process for checking their status is slow and confusing,” Fine said. “This legislation will help families have a more accessible process to find out the support services available.”

House Bill 3483 requires the Department of Human Services to maintain a database of families on the Prioritization for Urgency of Need for Services (PUNS) waitlist. This would give the families the option of receiving emails regarding the status of being selected for the services in question.

The bill passed both chambers the General Assembly with unanimous, bipartisan support and will be sent to Gov. JB Pritzker for approval.