SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Laura Ellman (D-Naperville) released the following statement after the Senate passed the Fiscal Year 2026 budget with investments preserving infrastructure, education, workforce development, and evidence-based funding:

“This budget allocates investments in priority areas – putting Illinois on the right path to fiscal responsibility and meeting fiscal obligations. We are continuing our commitment to evidence-based funding and education, significantly support Medicaid access, preserving employee pensions and wages, as well as furthering the economic health of our state through investments our workforce programs and state infrastructure. The budget projects environmental leadership, highlighting investments in the OSLAD grant program and staff shortages for IDNR. By investing in priorities that matter to our residents, we are providing stable support to Illinois in these unprecedented times.

“This plan not only lifts up our priority areas, it also establishes a responsible schedule for executing this spending. We are preserving funding for essential programs, maintaining stability and investing in future generations of Illinoisans.”

NAPERVILLE – State Senator Laura Ellman announced Thursday the City of Warrenville and the Forest Preserve District of Will County are set to receive a total of $7 million in grant funding to construct new multi-use paths, sidewalks, pedestrian bridges, and boardwalks. The grant was awarded under the Illinois Transportation Enhancement Program, administered by the Illinois Department of Transportation.

“Investments in local infrastructure improve the quality of community resources and residents’ quality of living,” said Ellman (D-Naperville). “These public spaces offer an opportunity for residents to access local recreational sites and businesses, and this funding helps enhance their experience with new safety improvements.”

In the City of Warrenville, construction includes a new 10-foot wide multi-use path and a new 5-foot wide sidewalk that allows a safe, ADA-accessible path to commercial areas and existing pedestrian routes. The path and sidewalk will be located along the east and west sides of Illinois Route 59.

SPRINGFIELD – Supporting education, literacy, and stronger communities, State Senator Laura Ellman is advancing legislation to make public library access more affordable for families living outside a library’s district.

“Public libraries are cornerstones of our communities—they provide educational support, promote reading, and offer spaces for people to connect,” said Ellman (D-Naperville). “This measure gives more families the opportunity to access these vital resources by allowing libraries to offer non-resident card fees in smaller, more manageable payments.”

Currently, library boards are not required to offer different payment options for out-of-district residents to pay for a library card. To address the present need for expanded public library access to non-residents and encourage inter-library cooperation, Ellman’s bill would give library boards, townships and municipalities the choice of allowing nonresidents to pay similar fees as residents on a quarterly or biannual basis.

SPRINGFIELD – Leading the charge on protecting consumers across the state, State Senator Laura Ellman passed legislation in the Senate on Thursday that will increase protections for cryptocurrency kiosk users.

“This legislation ensures that Illinois residents are protected through strong scam prevention measures, such as placing disclosures on kiosks and putting safeguards in place to prevent new users from losing their life savings,” said Ellman (D-Naperville). “We’re taking a responsible step to put consumer protection first in the state.”

Illinois currently lacks a clear regulatory system for digital asset businesses and does not provide anti-scam protections for consumers. Seeing a need for digital asset regulations in the state, Ellman is leading a measure that would require virtual currency kiosk operators to register with the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation.