Join us for a Facebook Live End of Session Town Hall!
On Monday, July 21st at 6:00 p.m. I will be joined by State Representatives Dennis Tipsword and Jason R. Bunting to discuss the spring legislative session, share updates from Springfield, and answer your questions. We hope you join us on our Facebook live!
Fill out this quick form to submit your questions ahead of the Facebook Live End of Session Town Hall on Monday, July 21 at 6:00 p.m. Your input helps shape the conversation.
New Law Lowers Prescription Costs and Protects Local Pharmacies
Legislation that seeks to address the unchecked influence and harmful practices of pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) was signed into law on July 1.
House Bill 1697 puts an end to spread pricing, prohibits PBMs from steering patients to their own preferred pharmacies, and requires that 100 percent of rebates go back to patients and plan sponsors where they belong.
According to the Illinois Pharmacists Association, 74 of Illinois’ 102 counties are now considered pharmacy deserts. Senate Republicans argue that entire regions are losing access to trusted, local care simply because PBMs are pushing independent pharmacies out of business. In 2024 alone, more than 85 independent pharmacies in Illinois were forced to close their doors.
Supporters believe the legislation will help hold the line on rapidly rising prescription prices, providing some much-needed relief to Illinoisans struggling to pay for medications.
I believe that this proposal was a critical step toward restoring fairness in the pharmacy system and holding down costs for prescriptions.
IDPH Gives Helpful Tips on How to Avoid Seasonal Summer Hazards
As summer reaches its peak, the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) has provided some helpful tips on how to avoid sunburn, heat exhaustion, and injury from water-related incidents.
The IDPH offers the following safe swimming tips to prevent drowning and other water risks:
- Supervise young children around water
- Use flotation devices
- Avoid alcohol when swimming, supervising children, and on watercrafts
- Be aware of dangerous weather conditions
- Shower before getting into the swimming pool and do not swim while ill
- Pay attention to lifeguards and swimming pool protocols
This time of year also brings high temperatures and intense sun, which in turn can bring heat stroke, sunburn, and other heat-related illnesses or tragedy. To avoid these illnesses, the IDPH urges the public to follow these precautions:
- Apply sunscreen regularly
- Wear lightweight, light colored clothing
- Stay hydrated
- Do not leave anyone, including pets, in a closed, parked vehicle
- Go to the CDC’s Heat and Health tracker for more information and instructions on how to stay safe from the heat in your area, such as appropriate hydration, amount of outdoor exposure, especially if you are at risk for heat injury
- Through Keep Cool Illinois, get to know where cooling centers in IL are located
For more information on how to protect yourself and others during the hot summer months, visit IDPH’s website for water safety tips and heat safety tips.
Be Careful at Rural Intersections
While there is an old saying that corn should be “knee-high by the 4th of July”, modern farming practices have developed that allow corn to grow much taller by Independence Day.
Depending on when it was planted, many Illinois cornfields may have plants reaching well over 7 feet tall by early July.
For drivers, this means some rural intersections may have reduced visibility due to tall corn in fields along the road.
Drivers, please be cautious during the summer and fall months and “look twice” when approaching intersections on rural roads and highways.