NAPERVILLE – State Senator Laura Ellman announced that eight school districts across the 21^st District will receive over $915,000 in additional funding to help alleviate financial challenges.

“Evidence-based funding gives schools the resources and financial backing they need,” said Ellman (D-Naperville). “These investments are critical in ensuring local schools meet their children’s educational needs.”  

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 its 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 – Illinois students from middle school through high school will learn about the dangers of fentanyl at the start of the 2025-2026 school year, thanks to a new law championed by State Senator Laura Ellman.

“Drug overdoses leave families heartbroken and can escalate quickly without immediate, proper care,” said Ellman (D-Naperville). “Educating our youth – the future of our families and communities – about fentanyl’s serious health risks and how to care for those facing misuse will prevent patterns of abuse across the state.”

The Illinois Department of Public Health states 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.

SPRINGFIELD – In an effort to ensure transparency between residents and life care facilities, State Senator Laura Ellman sponsored a law to expand pre-sale disclosures to consumers purchasing a refundable life care contract.

“When seniors move into these life care facilities, they expect their beneficiaries and loved ones will have their expenses taken care of after they pass,” said Ellman (D-Naperville). “To mitigate unexpected financial risk, this law will create a transparent disclosure agreement for seniors to be better informed of what they are signing.”

This law requires a provider to give consumers a pre-sale disclosure notice that specifies the refund procedure and other data points regarding how many entry fees have been refunded by the provider and how many refunded entry fees are outstanding Further, the law requires providers, who intend to repurpose the living unit, to give the beneficiaries an opportunity to acknowledge and agree to the reappropriation and the specific date of the change.

SPRINGFIELD – In an effort to recruit and retain women in technology, State Senator Laura Ellman championed a law establishing a task force to review data and recommend changes within the state.

“Women from my district worked diligently on this legislation, and I am very proud their efforts helped lead to its successful passage,” said Ellman (D-Naperville). “This law reflects our dedication to bolstering our modern workforce with equitable standards and giving equal opportunities to women who help us advance in technology.”

Ellman’s law creates the Women in Technology Task Force to study the recruitment and retention of women in technology positions by collecting and evaluating data, identifying best practices and recommending policies to recruit, advance and retain women in technology positons. The task force will deliver a final report to the governor and General Assembly by Dec. 1, 2028.