BUFFALO GROVE – The Waukegan community will see nearly $9.5 million in improvements to roads, sidewalks and bridges over the next year, and millions of dollars more will fund projects in surrounding areas, State Senator Adriane Johnson (D-Buffalo Grove) announced Monday.

“For too long, our infrastructure has suffered from historic underinvestment, threatening the safety and security of our community,” Johnson said. “These funds will go toward revitalizing our roads, creating jobs and boosting growth in the area.”

Residents can expect a number of upgrades in the community, including a $2.8 million project to improve a 2.31-mile stretch of Genesee Street, from Belvidere Road to Buckley Road in Waukegan and North Chicago. In addition to repaving, the repairs will make street crossings safer and easier for people in wheelchairs or who otherwise have limited mobility.

The improvements are part of the Illinois Department of Transportation’s multi-year plan to maintain and expand Illinois’ transportation infrastructure. Other area projects scheduled for the upcoming year include bridge replacements on Belvidere Road and Greenwood Avenue.

IDOT also announced over $7.7 million for improvements in Vernon Hills and $2.8 million for Park City, including a $2.3 million bridge rehabilitation project on Washington Street.

Riverwoods, Beach Park, Mundelein, Long Grove, Gurnee and other surrounding communities are slated for millions of dollars more in improvements by 2027.

“Good infrastructure is key to easier commutes, more tourism opportunities and enhanced economic activity,” Johnson said. “I’m thrilled to see these construction projects begin soon.”

IDOT’s full multi-year plan is available at IDOT.Illinois.gov.

SPRINGFIELD – School districts could move forward from the pandemic without worrying about funding cuts due to temporary low enrollment under a measure sponsored by State Senator Adriane Johnson (D-Buffalo Grove), which has passed both chambers of the Illinois legislature.

“Our teachers and administrators worked overtime to adapt to remote and hybrid learning during the COVID-19 crisis,” Johnson said. “To cut their funding now would be to pull the rug out from under them just when they are beginning to recover.”

Currently, the school funding formula uses average student enrollment over the previous three school years to determine the amount of money districts receive. To lessen the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on schools’ budgets, Johnson’s legislation would allow school districts to calculate their average student enrollment based on pre-COVID levels.

Under the measure, districts could choose to use attendance records from the 2019-20 or the 2020-21 school year, whichever is greater, in their funding formulas to ensure they don’t lose out on crucial dollars as a result of the temporary drop in attendance some schools experienced during the pandemic.

“For many kids, school was a lifeline to the outside world during the pandemic,” Johnson said. “It’s important that our districts don’t miss out on a single cent as they make the transition back to the classroom.”

Senate Bill 813, an initiative of Waukegan School District #60, passed the Senate in April with bipartisan support and advanced out of the House Thursday with a vote of 75-39.

SPRINGFIELD – In a victory for northern Illinoisans with mental illnesses and their families, a plan proposed by State Senator Adriane Johnson (D-Buffalo Grove) to eliminate barriers to mental health care access has passed both houses of the Illinois government.

“For many patients, being able to stay connected with loved ones during care can mean a faster recovery and a smoother transition to life after treatment,” Johnson said. “The passage of this measure is great news for northern Illinois residents, who will now be able to receive care at a location that’s more convenient for them and their families.”

The legislation would create the Interstate Contracts for Mental Health Disorder Treatment Act, allowing Illinois and Wisconsin residents who are involuntarily admitted for inpatient treatment of a mental health disorder to be treated at private facilities across state lines.

For residents who live near the border of Illinois and Wisconsin, the closest qualified hospital or facility is often not in their home state. However, current law prohibits residents from being committed for mental health conditions outside the state, meaning that these residents must undergo treatment hours from family and loved ones.

Similar collaborative arrangements have been successfully enacted in Michigan, Iowa and Minnesota, which allow providers in these states to accept patients from Wisconsin for mental health treatment.

“Expanding access to mental health treatment means making it easier for people to receive care that fits their needs,” Johnson said. “Part of that is allowing patients to seek treatment within their own communities.”

Senate Bill 1966 passed the House and Senate with unanimous support.

SPRINGFIELD – To ensure someone’s past doesn’t prevent them from pursuing a brighter future, State Senator Adriane Johnson (D-Buffalo Grove) has sponsored a measure to prohibit life insurance companies from denying coverage or increasing rates because an individual has undergone treatment for substance abuse.

“Getting help for a substance abuse disorder takes a lot of grit and determination—recovery should be celebrated,” Johnson said. “If you’ve put in the hard work to get clean, your insurance company shouldn’t hold that against you.”

Johnson’s plan would prohibit a life insurance company from denying or limiting coverage or charging higher rates based solely on whether an individual has participated in a substance use treatment or recovery support program more than five years prior to application.

Insurance companies would also be prohibited from discriminating based on whether the applicant has previously been prescribed an opioid antagonist such as Narcan or Naloxone.

“Making the tough decision to undergo treatment for an addiction shows a real commitment to one’s health and well-being,” Johnson said. “These individuals deserve to put their past behind them and move forward.”

The legislation would not prohibit life insurance companies from making coverage decisions based on physical and mental conditions caused by substance abuse.

House Bill 33 passed the Senate Insurance Committee Wednesday and now heads to the Senate floor.