House Bill 3424 is The Illinois Clean Cars Act which will reduce emissions of smog-forming pollution and greenhouse gases by making vehicles more fuel efficient. The Act will reduce global warming pollution from passenger vehicles 30 percent. Adopting the Clean Car Program would reduce gasoline consumption in Illinois by 1 billion gallons annually by 2020. The National Academy of Sciences found that technologies available today can meet the Clean Car Program's greenhouse gas standards without sacrificing performance or safety.

We need long-term solutions to reduce our dependence on oil, improve public health, and reduce costs. I am leading a grassroots campaign by urging Illinoisians to send postcards to auto dealers letting them know that we want to purchase fuel efficient cars. Please send me an e-mail with your home address and we will put some postcards in the mail to you so you can forward them to your car dealer.

Fax spamming is just another form of annoying telemarketing. I have heard from constituents who are awakened in the middle of the night because they are "receiving faxes." I know from my own experience how difficult it is to stop marketers who never seem to answer the phone when you call them to get off their fax spam list. While there are federal laws prohibiting unwanted fax advertising, adding strong civil penalties will put some teeth in the law to be able to prosecute offenders in our state.

I heard from many constituents who were frustrated when trying to purchase tickets to Hannah Montana. How could the tickets be sold so quickly and seemingly available only to resellers? Evidently the cause is software used by professional resellers.

I have drafted legislation, House Bill 4791, which makes it illegal to use or distribute software that is primarily designed for the purpose of interfering with internet ticket sales. To ensure an equitable ticket buying process, it will be unlawful to circumvent any access control systems or measures that are instituted by the ticket seller or its website.

With our economy in recession, I believe it is good policy to address health care coverage and college tuition to help working families. I have two pieces of proposed legislation, one extending health care coverage for employees who lose their employer- sponsored insurance and the other providing equal access to Illinois Student Assistance Grants.

The federal program, COBRA, allows for continuation of medical coverage for up to 18 months, and under certain circumstances, 24 months. However, those who work for small companies which are not subject to COBRA are covered by state laws. Our Illinois Continuation program covers the continuation of medical insurance coverage for employees of companies with less than 20 employees.

I have drafted HB 4830 which will bring Illinois' laws for medical insurance coverage continuation closer to the federal rules. The major enhancement is to extend the continuing coverage under a group insurance policy for up to 12 months instead of nine. I have included some administrative changes such as allowing an employee up to 30 days (instead of 10) to make a decision regarding continuing coverage. The bill also clarifies employer notification guidelines which according to insurance agents are now vague.

House Bill 4790 amends the Illinois Prepaid Tuition Act. Previously, Illinois Student Assistance Grants were allotted to qualified applicants on a first come- first served basis. This left many qualified applicants who applied in a timely manner, without any funding whatsoever. My bill provides for the equitable distribution of the grants to all qualified applicants who apply according to the Grant rules.

You cannot see, smell, or taste radon. But it still may be a problem in your home. When you breathe air containing radon, you increase your risk of getting lung cancer. In fact, the United States Surgeon General has warned that radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the United States today. As chair of the Illinois Environmental Caucus, it is one of my goals to improve Illinois air, inside and out.

The Environmental Protect Agency (EPA) has updated its estimate of the lung cancer risks from exposure to radon in indoor air. The Agency's updated risk assessment, "EPA Assessment of Risks from Radon in Homes" was based on the National Academy of Sciences' (NAS) report on the "Health Effects of Exposure to Radon" (BEIR VI, 1999). The Agency now estimates that there are about 21,000 annual radon- related lung cancer deaths, an estimate consistent with the NAS Report's findings.

Testing is the only way to find out your home's radon levels. EPA and the Surgeon General recommend testing all homes below the third floor for radon. If you find that you have high radon levels, there are ways to remediate a radon problem, but it would be more cost- effective to build with a radon-resistant building code in the first place. A model bill was passed in Minnesota and I seek the same protections in Illinois.

I have drafted House Bill 4789 which amends the Illinois Radon Industry Licensing Act requiring the Illinois Emergency Management Agency, in coordination with the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency and Illinois Pollution Control Board, to adopt rules for radon control for all new residential buildings. The new rules are to incorporate radon control methods set forth in the International Residential Code which just updated their radon control rules effective January 1, 2008.

I am also working on the Illinois Renewable Energy Sources Act, a bill that helps address global warming. While the state has set a renewable portfolio standard, the only way to make sure it is implemented is to provide certainty in renewable source pricing. A group of Midwestern states are all working on this legislation which allows businesses and individuals to generate and sell their own renewable energy sources by connecting into the power grid and receiving a long-term, fixed rate that includes a reasonable profit. Renewable energy sources eligible for the fixed rate are hydroelectric power, landfill gas or sewage treatment gas, biomass or biogas, geothermal energy, wind-power and solar- power.

As energy prices continue to increase because of our dependence on a limited amount of fossil fuels and the devastating impact of our carbon imprint on our environment, it is imperative to promulgate the rapid and sustainable development of Illinois' renewable energy resources for the clean generation of electricity.

One of my constituents wrote to me that the expiration dates which appear on prescriptions varies by pharmacy. Some pharmacies show an expiration date which is one year from the date the prescription is filled. Others show the date which the manufacturer has put on the wholesale bottle and yet others may not show an expiration date at all.

Currently, Illinois pharmacy law does not address expiration dates on labels attached to prescriptions. My bill, House Bill 4389, proposes that the expiration date be the same as that of the manufacturer so that there is consistency in labeling. With the disposal of medicine an environmental concern and the ever increasing cost of medicine, eliminating premature expiration dates on drugs can make a difference.

Three of my health bills passed the House almost unanimously last year but never made it out of the Senate. I will be working hard to get them passed through the Senate this year. House Bill 4391 bans the process of prescribing medications over the internet without a medical consultation. Another bill creates a cancer-drug repository allowing patients or their families to donate unused prescription drugs back to a pharmacy. The pharmacies who voluntarily participate in the program will make the medication available to needy eligible cancer patients with a prescription for the drug.

Preventive health care and screening are critical to reducing health care costs. House Bill 4390 provides for covering office visits for colorectal and prostate cancer screenings, mammograms, and pap smears for participants in the state CHIP program. Two years ago Illinois mandated contraception coverage for private insurance plans. This bill extends contraception coverage to CHIP participants also.

email: karenmay58@aol.com

phone: (847) 433-9100

web: http://www.repkarenmay.org