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Ellman commends priority investments, but seeks future financial stability

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Laura Ellman released the following statement after the Senate passed the Fiscal Year 2025 budget with continued investments in K-12 education and mental health care services:

“We continue to fulfill our commitments, such as evidence based K-12 funding and pension payments, and I'm glad we’ve passed a balanced budget, and even added to our Rainy Day Fund,” said Ellman, “yet there are areas that concern me about sustaining a narrow surplus like this long term, or resiliency through an economic downturn.”

Ellman works to expand fentanyl education for grades 6-12

SPRINGFIELD – At the start of the 2025-2026 school year, all students in grades six through 12 would be required to learn about the dangers of fentanyl under a measure sponsored by State Senator Laura Ellman.

“Our youth represent our future, but also make up one of our most vulnerable populations,” said Ellman (D-Naperville). “We need to educate students sooner rather than later on the prevalence of fentanyl in our communities and the severe, long-term detriment it has on perpetuating the ongoing opioid epidemic.”

According to the Illinois Department of Public Health, a lethal dose of fentanyl is smaller than a drop of water. Opioids, including fentanyl, heroin and other drugs, are involved in 70% of fatal drug overdoses.

Read more: Ellman works to expand fentanyl education for grades 6-12

Ellman legislation to establish cryptocurrency protections for consumers

SPRINGFIELD — Continuing protections against consumer fraud and scams for cryptocurrency customers, State Senator Laura Ellman presented legislation that would establish crypto regulations to the Senate Executive Committee during a subject matter hearing Wednesday.

“Illinoisans have lost out on their time, earnings and sense of financial security because of an unregulated financial industry — cryptocurrency,” said Ellman (D-Naperville). “From unregulated crypto ATMs to mobile applications, victims of fraud deserve answers and action. It is time we join other states in protecting consumers with a transparent set of regulations that brings us into the 21^st century.”

Following the rise in bankruptcies by digital asset transactions, other states have taken action to regulate crypto currency in their money transmission laws, including New York, California and Louisiana. Most states have a clear regulatory system specifically for digital asset businesses and regulate cryptocurrency under their money transmission laws, but Illinois currently does not have such protections in place.

Read more: Ellman legislation to establish cryptocurrency protections for consumers