West Cook News

On Nov. 30, Senator John Curran spent some time in Westbrook speaking with his constituents after he recently objected to changing the Health Care Right of Conscience Act, not for vaccinations, but protecting Illinois residents' religious freedoms, he said.

"I just wrapped up a Coffee & Conversation event in Willowbrook," Curran posted on Facebook. "Thank you to Willowbrook Mayor Frank Trilla and Darien Mayor Joseph Marchese for joining me for casual conversations with constituents, and thank you to the more than 50 people who came out to the event."

Curran also spoke about vaccination mandates on the floor of the Senate. 

"In the future it could be a diminishment of protections that allows one to take a prayer break in the workplace, allows one to wear a religious garment, a religious headdress in the workplace. If we go down this road we don't know where it ends," Curran said, according to West Cook News. 

Curran continued to emphasize that his opposition to vaccine mandates stemmed from support for religious freedom and not a general opposition to vaccines. 

"I'm vaccinated. That's not the issue here," Curran said on the Senate floor. "This diminishment of protections in the workplace for workers, today this is the issue."

Despite Curran's opposition, the bill passed the Illinois House of Representatives by a vote of 64 to 52 with two present votes. It also passed the Senate 31 to 24. Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker then signed the legislation into law on Nov. 8.  It will go into effect on June 1, 2022.

In October, Curran also sought answers from the Illinois State Police Merit Board after executive director Jack Garcia was fired, the DuPage Policy Journal reported.