'Patriot Plan' heads to governor         

[JUNE 1, 2005]  SPRINGFIELD -- The Illinois Senate gave final approval Friday to Senate Republican legislation that would provide active-duty service members with increased financial protections, said state Sen. Larry Bomke, R-Springfield.

Senate Bill 2060, known as the "Illinois Patriot Plan," would ease financial hardships on the thousands of service members from Illinois who have been called into active duty. The bill was sent back to the Senate because of some minor changes made in the House, and the Senate approved those changes.

"Often part-time reservists experience a severe salary reduction when they are sent abroad and are forced to leave their jobs in the private sector," Bomke explained. "By providing some basic financial protections for active-duty service members, the Patriot Plan seeks to make the financial responsibilities a little less complicated for members who are returning home."

Provisions of the plan include:

• Cell phone contracts -- Allows deployed active service members to terminate cell phone contracts without penalty.
• Long-distance phone bills -- Allows Central Management Services to enter into a contract to purchase bulk long-distance telephone services and make them available at cost to the family members of deployed active service members.

• Life insurance policies -- Prevents insurance companies from forfeiting deployed active service members' life insurance policies for the nonpayment of premiums.
• Gas-electric assistance -- Prevents utility companies from cutting off gas or electricity to deployed active service members' homes for nonpayment.
• Rent assistance -- Allows a court to delay eviction proceedings for 90 days or to adjust the rental obligations of deployed active service members.
• Credit interest and finance charges -- Prevents creditors from charging deployed active service members interest exceeding 6 percent annually.
• Motor vehicle leases -- Allows deployed active service members to terminate a motor vehicle lease.

The legislation moves to the governor's desk for further consideration.

[News release from Sen. Larry Bomke]

Life Sentence, No Parole

If we tried to invent the cruelest punishment for dogs, we probably couldn't come up with anything worse than "solitary confinement" on a chain or in a kennel.

Dogs are pack animals who crave the companionship of others.  Scratches behind the ears, games of fetch, or even just walks around the block mean the world to them.  Curling up at your feet while you watch TV is their idea of heaven.

Many dogs left to fend for themselves at the end of a chain fall prey to attacks by other animals or cruel people, and many others are injured or hanged or choke as a result of getting entangled or caught in their tether.

If you have a backyard dog, please, bring him or her inside.  They don't want much--just you.

A public service announcement from Lincoln Daily News and helpinganimals.com