Morris Advances Major Initiatives Addressing Cost-of-Living Issues, Reforming Transit, Protecting Due Process

SPRINGFIELD, Ill.— Affordable public transit, relief from rising costs, and new protections safeguarding Illinoisans’ due process rights were top priorities for state Rep. Yolonda Morris,
D-Chicago, during a highly productive fall session focused on making life easier for working people and seniors.

“The bills we’ve passed are those that address the most pressing issues for Illinois residents. Families have been under the strain of higher living costs, seniors have been trying to make ends meet on fixed incomes in an economy that is becoming increasingly more expensive, and the current administration’s handling of immigration has made a lot of people fear they won’t get due process protections,” said Morris.

Morris passed Senate Bill 25, which is aimed at lowering energy costs for families affected by rates that have risen sharply in recent years. It does this by making transformative investments in capturing clean energy, increasing battery storage and improving energy efficiency.

Morris also passed House Bill 1312, a bold measure that seeks to inject more accountability into federal law enforcement operations by creating new protections against the Trump Administration’s warrantless raids at hospitals, daycares, and institutions of higher learning, and courthouses.

Additionally, Morris backed Senate Bill 2111—transformative legislation designed to save and reform public transit, both in Chicago and across Illinois, without new taxes on food delivery, without new taxes on real estate, without new taxes on streaming services, and without funding more bureaucratic mismanagement.

Finally, Morris supported Senate Bill 642, a measure that updates existing legislation that helps older adults reduce their property tax liabilities by freezing their rates. This bill helps more seniors remain eligible for the existing property tax assessment senior freeze program by raising income eligibility cutoffs to better account for inflation.

All four measures now move to the desk of Gov. J.B. Pritzker for final action. Together, they represent major progress on priority issues for Morris and her colleagues, as they stand with residents who are struggling to make ends meet and vulnerable Illinoisans confronted by authoritarian policies and an administration that continually abandons democratic and constitutional norms.

“Our goal is a safer, better Illinois for all,” Morris said. “We’re working to accomplish that step by step.”