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Tuesday, March 25 |
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Firefighters graduate from U of I
[MARCH 25, 2003]
Ryan Curry and Ashley
Williams, two Lincoln Rural firefighters, recently attended a
six-week course at the University of Illinois Fire Academy. After
completion of the class, Ryan and Ashley were both certified by the
Office of the State Fire Marshal as Firefighter IIs and certified in
hazmat awareness.
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The six-week academy consisted of both
classroom and live, hands-on training. Beginning the fourth week,
students also had night drills, after a full day of training. The
class was set up to teach each student the newer technologies to be
an effective firefighter in today's as well as tomorrow's
ever-changing environment.
The class blended extensive education with
intensive physical labor, resulting in tremendous self-esteem and
pride in a job well done.
Ryan Curry, 21, started as a volunteer
with the Lincoln Rural Fire Protection District in March 2002.
Ashley Williams, 20, started as a
volunteer at the department in February 2002.
Additionally, Ryan and Ashley are both advisers for the Explorer
Post at Lincoln Rural.
[Robert Thomas, chief,
Lincoln Rural Fire Protection District] |
[Photos courtesy of Robert Thomas]
Ryan Curry
Ashley Williams
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State lawmakers back proposed pension financing plan saving $2
billion
[MARCH 25, 2003]
SPRINGFIELD -- Gov. Rod
Blagojevich applauded the Illinois House's approval of a pension
financing plan that is a cornerstone of the governor's strategy to
resolve the worst budget deficit in the state's history.
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"I very much appreciate the Democratic
and Republican members' support for this innovative, common-sense
approach that I believe can help get us out of the current budget
mess. I urge the Senate to quickly follow suit so we can get this
package into the bond market and take advantage of unprecedented low
interest rates. If we don't act expeditiously, we could throw away
an opportunity for the state to save nearly $2 billion. Time is of
the essence," Blagojevich said.
The bill authorizes an increase in the
state's general obligation bond authority and grants permission to
use those proceeds to make pension payments to five state retirement
systems that cover 435,000 current employees and 155,000 retirees,
including state and university employees, judges, and downstate
teachers. The governor has estimated that by selling bonds for up to
$10 billion of the state's $35 billion in unfunded pension liability
the state can save approximately $300 million during the remainder
of fiscal year 2003 and another $1.6 billion in fiscal year 2004,
which begins July 1.
"Legislators and the public have
anxiously waited for an explanation of how this administration will
erase nearly $5 billion in red ink," Blagojevich said. "This is one
of the innovative solutions my budget team has come up with that
will not only help us meet the state's spending pressures without an
increase in the income or sales taxes, but guarantee the solvency of
these pension funds. The plan will result in a real savings in the
long run, and it will provide significant savings to address our
immediate fiscal crisis."
[to top of second column in
this article] |
Under the plan, pension fund
contributions for the remainder of the current fiscal year and all
of the next fiscal year would be covered by newly offered bonds
rather than being paid primarily out of the state's general tax
revenues and would free up $1.9 billion to offset a portion of the
estimated $5 billion budget deficit.
The governor said the concept should
sound familiar to many homeowners who take advantage of low interest
rates to refinance their mortgages. It is expected that the new
bonds can be sold at a rate of about 6 percent, while the state pays
roughly 8 percent on the current bonds.
If no changes are made in the state's
pension payment system, the annual pension burden is expected to
rise by as much as $1 billion a year over the next four years.
H.B. 2660 was sponsored by Speaker
Madigan and Rep. Hannig.
In addition
to the support of the House, Blagojevich's plan has been endorsed by
business groups from throughout the state, including the Illinois
Federation of Teachers, Illinois State Chamber of Commerce,
Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce, Illinois Hispanic Chamber of
Commerce, Illinois Manufacturers' Association, The Chicago Civic
Federation, Illinois Retail Merchants Association, Taxpayers
Federation of Illinois, AFSCME, Service Employees International
Union, State Employees International Union, Illinois Petroleum
Marketers' Association, Illinois Association of Convenience Stores
and the National Federation of Independent Businesses.
[Illinois
Government News Network
press release] |
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Senate week in review
March
17-21
[MARCH 25, 2003]
SPRINGFIELD --
The Illinois Senate rolled out
a legislative measure expressing support for United States soldiers
serving in the Middle East in the midst of the war that began last
week, according to Sen. Larry Bomke, R-Springfield.
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The Senate passed
Senate Resolution 92 with a unanimous vote. The resolution pledged
the Senate's support and prayers for the safe return of the hundreds
of thousands of American troops who have left their homes and
families to defend and protect the United States. The Senate had a
moment of silence prior to the vote, and then a member of the Senate
led the chamber in a prayer for the troops and for President George
W. Bush.
In other news, the
Senate Republicans expressed concern this week about the number of
legislative measures being advanced in the Senate chambers. There
are more than 1,300 proposed new laws on the calendar and about 630
of them have no specific legislative language. This means those 630
bills have had no public hearing and only one hour's notice is all
it takes to add substantive language to those bills.
Bomke said this is
the first time in recent memory that the Senate has more legislative
proposals than the House of Representatives, which has twice the
members. In addition, many of the ideas on the table call for
substantial spending increases. There are 64 new programs taxpayers
would have to fund, and 29 proposals expand existing programs. These
ideas come at a time when the combination of excessive spending and
less than expected revenues have created a budget deficit at the
state level.
Just last week, the
Senate approved legislation requiring schools to take troubled
students to visit prisons to see firsthand the consequences of
breaking the law. The Senate also approved legislation establishing
programs to recruit participants in state-paid school lunch and
breakfast programs.
According to Bomke,
the ideas in these programs have merit, but passing bill after bill
that is subject to appropriation sends the wrong message and gives
people a false sense of hope because the state can hardly afford
existing programs -- let alone new ones.
The full Senate
approved the following bills:
Tort reform (SB 616)
-- Places a two-year statute of limitations on civil action
against a local government or its employees on actions stemming from
patient care.
Prescription
assistance (SB 293) -- Adds prescription drug coverage for
multiple sclerosis to the state's Circuit Breaker program.
Unlicensed drivers
(SB 1581) -- Seizes the vehicle of unlicensed, uninsured drivers
who cause death or personal injury to another person while driving.
[to top of second column in
this article] |
Small-Business
Advisory Act (SB 1133) -- Requires state agencies to create and
make available on the World Wide Web a small-business advisory page
with plain-language explanations of proposed and adopted rules and
legislation affecting small businesses.
Aquifer study (SB
1085) -- Directs the Illinois Department of Natural Resources to
study each aquifer in the state to learn more about the
effects that population growth, utility companies and businesses
have on water supplies.
Drug paraphernalia
(SB 642) -- Makes homemade drug paraphernalia illegal.
Charity license
plates (SB 1362) -- Creates universal charitable organization
license plates with proceeds benefiting various organizations
throughout Illinois.
School buses (SB 311)
-- Makes it unlawful to pass a school bus when the arms are
extended and the lights are flashing, regardless of where the bus is
located.
Boy Scout license
plate (SB 358) -- Creates a special license plate and a special
fund to benefit the Boy Scouts of America.
School buses (SB
1093) - Allows school buses to be equipped with alternatively
flashing headlights (in addition to the stop arm and eight-light
flashing signal system currently used) when students are boarding
and exiting the bus on a roadway.
Local government (SB
1167) -- Permits a city council or board of trustees, as
appropriate, to create the office of internal auditor.
School textbooks (SB
618) -- Expands the use of school textbook loans to include
science kits.
Cable theft (SB 899)
-- Makes it a Class 3 felony to commit certain acts for the
purpose of disrupting the delivery of a communication service, such
as cable television.
Methamphetamine (SB
1468) -- Eliminates squandered time and money in the prosecution
of individuals who make methamphetamine by establishing a
presumption that the chemical and amount listed on a sealed package
is, in fact, the chemical so described and the amount and dosage
listed on the container.
Farm vehicle plates
(SB 1471) -- Allows farmers to pay a prorated license plate fee
for farm trucks and trailers they use for a limited period of time
during the course of a year.
Touch-screen voting
(SB 428) -- Accommodates the use of touch-screen computers to
display and mark ballots.
Ephedrine sales (SB 1418) --
Prohibits the sale of any dietary supplement containing any quantity
of ephedra or ephedrine alkaloids.
[News
release] |
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Illinois strengthens
homeland
security
leadership team
[MARCH 25, 2003]
SPRINGFIELD -- Gov. Rod
Blagojevich has named new directors to two key agencies involved in
responding to homeland security threats. Larry G. Trent was
appointed director of the
Illinois State Police, and
William C. Burke was appointed director of the
Illinois Emergency Management Agency.
In addition, the governor further strengthened Illinois' homeland
security leadership team by naming Mike Chamness the new chair of
the Illinois Terrorism Task Force. Chamness has served as director
of IEMA for the past four years.
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Blagojevich also addressed the level of
heightened security as the nation prepares for a possible war with
Iraq. The governor outlined several measures taken since the nation
was placed on the orange alert level on Monday evening, including
(1) activating the State Emergency Operating Center so that all key
decision makers among state agencies are ready to act immediately
should the need arise; (2) placing the state's special response
teams -- including the weapons of mass destruction team, the
emergency medical response team and the hazardous materials team --
on alert (Illinois is the only state in the nation with its own
weapons of mass destruction teams); (3) elevating health
surveillance and monitoring systems; (4) increasing the frequency
and level of testing of the water supply system; and (5) increasing
security at critical infrastructure around the state. The governor
also stressed that the state is in constant contact with the Federal
Bureau of Investigations, the Department of Homeland Security and
the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
"My message today to the people of
Illinois is to stay calm and go about your business as usual. I know
that's easier said than done, but rest assured, we are fully
prepared for any threat that could come our way," Blagojevich said.
"As our entire nation faces
intensifying security threats, Illinois stands ready and prepared to
respond," Blagojevich continued. "I am putting in place leaders who
are experienced and well-prepared to direct a response to a
terrorist attack in our state. With these additions to my cabinet
and a full-time commitment to the Illinois Terrorism Task Force,
Illinois is in an even better position to deal with acts of
terrorism."
The governor's appointments announced
Thursday reflect his commitment to maintaining a strong network of
public safety officials to lead Illinois' terrorism preparedness
efforts. Larry Trent, 55, is a decorated Army veteran who served 22
years in the Illinois State Police, starting in 1971. During his
tenure, he held a variety of investigative and managerial positions
and supervised more than 400 employees in 41 southern Illinois
counties. He provided expert testimony for the Office of the
Attorney General and frequently testified before legislative
committees. He taught courses on criminal and constitutional law for
the Illinois State Police Academy.
[to top of second column in
this article] |
"Larry Trent has a detailed
understanding of the duties and operations of the Illinois State
Police," Blagojevich said. "His experience in law enforcement and
proven management ability will be valuable tools as he directs the
state police force to meet its expanded responsibilities."
After leaving the state police in 1993,
Trent served as vice president for Argosy Gaming Company, overseeing
security and investigations, and was southern regional manager for
the Special Olympics of Illinois. Since 2000, he has been president
of the Growth Association of Southwestern Illinois, a regional
chamber of commerce that represents more than 650 businesses.
Trent served in the U.S. Army in
Vietnam and was awarded numerous commendations, including the Bronze
Star and Purple Heart. He grew up in East Alton and now lives in
Brighton.
Burke, 61, served as regional
administrator for the U.S. General Services Administration. He
directed logistics in a six-state region with over 1,000 employees.
He managed annual budgets of $300 to $400 million and served as the
agency's liaison to other federal agencies as well as congressional,
state and local judicial officials.
Burke is also a decorated Army veteran.
He served in Vietnam and the National Reserves and received several
commendations, including the Bronze Star and Army Commendation
Medal.
Burke also
served as inspector general for the
Illinois Department of Military Affairs,
33rd Infantry Brigade, where he developed and implemented the yearly
training program for the 600-person battalion. He currently works as
marketing director for Teng & Associates, a Chicago architectural
engineering firm. Burke is a native of Hyde Park, where he now
resides.
[Illinois
Government News Network
press release] |
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Articles from the past week |
Monday: Health
& Fitness)
Saturday:
Friday:
-
Senate votes to
ban ephedra products
(Law
& Courts) -
Storm
spotter training (Community) -
World Water Day observed on Saturday
|
Thursday:
-
The commencement of military action in Iraq -
Moving plans
occupy District 27 board -
Interpreting
war talk for children
(Home
and Family)
Wednesday:
-
Continued eye on Iraq
(See LDN's links to
news elsewhere, such as 'Showdown:
Iraq') -
County passes health insurance,
delays ephedra vote -
Eagle continues open for business
Tuesday:
-
President addresses the nation regarding Iraqi regime
(White
House transcript) -
Lincoln passes
new ephedra ordinance -
Two arrested in connection with area burglaries
(Law
& Courts)
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