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Illinois 58th District State Representative Newsletter |  |
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Governor's Arrest I am shocked at the scope and depth of the charges brought against Governor Blagojevich. Aside from his complete disregard for the law and bounds of decency, the distraction of a trial or impeachment proceedings coupled with the fact that he has no credibility among the citizens or legislators removes any ability, in my assessment, for him to govern. As a result, I have called on the Governor to resign and have sent him a letter to that effect. There are many critical challenges facing our state and we need a Governor to lead and work with us. If he does not do the honorable thing and resign, impeachment proceedings will begin. We are back to the Capitol today and tomorrow to take away the Governor's authority to appoint a U.S. Senator and to convene a special committee on impeachment proceedings. A major decision to be made is whether to have a special election to fill the U.S. Senate seat. There are several crucial drawbacks such as the high cost and the delay it would cause. A special election could occur as late as the end of May and cost $35 to $50 million. Meanwhile, important decisions are being made in our nation's capitol and and we are denied of having a vote in the Senate. My staff and I have been surveying constituents for their input. As always, I appreciate your views on this decision.
I am delighted to announce that SB 934 was signed into law on Dec. 12 with an immediate effective date. I was chief sponsor in the House of SB 934, which requires insurers to cover autism treatment up to $36,000 a year until a patient turns 21. An estimated 4,500 Illinois families would benefit from the coverage. The bill also would require insurers to cover diagnosis and therapies. Autism is a range of disorders that hinder the ability to communicate and interact. Most doctors believe there's no cure, but early intervention can help. Importantly, if young children do not get help, the cost of care in their lifetime can be $3 million. In the past two years, six states passed laws requiring such coverage. I am pleased that we were able to pass this important bill that I have been working on for many months. Special thanks to my colleagues Rep. Julie Hamos of Evanston and Rep. Kathy Ryg of Vernon Hills for all of their hard work in making this happen.
I am happy to report that the US Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit (Cincinnati) issued a decision to uphold Michigan's ballast water statute and reject shippers' legal challenges. At issue was the right of shippers to discharge ballast water into the Great Lakes, which had the effect of introducing invasive species (such as zebra mussels) into the Lakes. Shippers challenged the rights of states to take action to legislatively preclude such activity. The Court found that "Congress expressly contemplated [aquatic nuisance species] prevention measures - in the Great Lakes region no less - that are conducted by the states. Indeed, it encourages them." The Court further stated "Michigan, for undisputedly legitimate reasons, has enacted legislation of a type expressly contemplated by Congress. We have no reason to disrupt the result of those democratic processes." This is a tremendous success for the environment of Lake Michigan and will hopefully begin a sea change in what has been seen as the federal government's failure to provide an effective solution to the problem of invasive species in the Great Lakes. As a member of the Great Lakes Caucus of Legislators, I took an active role and signed on to the amicus brief in support of this legislation. Among other good news for our Lake Michigan, the Great Lakes Compact protecting against water diversion from the Great Lakes basin has been approved by all states and ratified nationally.
Thanks to all of you who delivered gently used suitcases for foster kids in our communities. Cargo 4 Kids received over 500 duffels, suitcases and backpacks for Lake County foster children to use when moving their personal belongings. The program, created by Highland Park mothers Nancy Rotering and Sharon Stone, will collect these items year round, but had a big push during the month of November to provide items to the foster children for the holidays. Cargo 4 Kids is working with UCAN (Uhlich Children's Advantage Network) as a distribution clearinghouse for Lake County foster We will continue to accept items at the District Office throughout the year. Thank you again for helping out some of our most vulnerable residents.
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