SPRINGFIELD – Middle school students across Illinois will soon have the opportunity to get a head start on their high school education, thanks to legislation led by State Senator Laura Ellman. House Bill 3039, recently signed into law, allows seventh and eighth grade students to earn high school credit for certain high school-level courses.

Ellman believes, “Students need support and resources to be successful throughout their academic journey,” (D-Naperville). She continued, “Middle school students preparing for high school deserve to be evaluated based on their academic abilities, not limited by where the course is taught or who is teaching it.”

Under the new law, middle school students who are enrolled in high school courses may earn credit if they:

SPRINGFIELD – Working toward expanded health care access for essential treatments, State Senator Laura Ellman passed a law to give patients and pharmacies clarity regarding restrictions on medication containing ephedrine.

“Ephedrine medication may be necessary for patients with common health issues, like allergies or low blood pressure,” said Ellman (D-Naperville). “Patients and pharmacies should be confident in their decision to take and prescribe necessary medications without fear of breaking the law.”

Addressing previous restrictions on ephedrine products that are marketed to enhance stimulation, mental alertness, weight loss, appetite control, muscle enhancement, and energy, Ellman’s new law ensures these restrictions do not apply to ephedrine medications prescribed by a licensed physician for a legitimate medical reason.

NAPERVILLE – State Senator Laura Ellman announced seven school districts across DuPage County will receive nearly $850,000 in additional evidence-based funding.

“Supplementing school districts with additional state funding allows schools to fulfill the needs of their students,” said Ellman (D-Naperville). “Evidence-based funding is a valuable formula to identify and drive resources toward school districts that require additional financial support to provide for their students.”

The funding comes from the 2017 Illinois Senate Democrat-backed evidence-based funding formula – an overhaul of the way the state funds K-12 education. The law made school funding more equitable by calculating the needs of individual school districts and basing state revenue on those needs. The formula takes into account a district’s total enrollment, poverty rate and number of special education or English language learners, among other factors.

SPRINGFIELD – Lowering the cost of public library access for families residing outside of a library’s district expands access to education, fosters healthier communities and promotes literacy. Working toward this goal, State Senator Laura Ellman championed a law that ensures visitors have more affordable access to public library services.

“Public libraries are essential components of any community, offering spaces for connection and educational support,” said Ellman (D-Naperville). “This measure enables libraries to offer non-resident card fees in manageable payments, thereby providing more families who visit out-of-district libraries access to these important resources.”

To address the present need for expanded public library access to non-residents and encourage inter-library cooperation, Ellman’s law gives library boards, townships and municipalities the choice of allowing non-residents to pay similar fees as residents on a quarterly or biannual basis.