McHenry County Blog

This article started with a press release from the Illinois Church Action Council on Alcohol and Addiction. There are so many bills expanding gambling (despite the loss of the one to give Chicago, Danville, Rockford and the Waukegan-area casinos) that I am adding the roll calls. In order not to make an article too long, I shall run one a day.

Gambling Bills Passed by the Legislature – Part 6

Senate Bill 1738 is an expansion of video gambling.  More specifically,

• defines “electronic card” (and removes a cross-reference to the Illinois Administrative Code);
• provides that the central communications system vendor may be licensed as a video gaming terminal manufacturer or a video gaming terminal distributor, or both, but in no event shall the central communications system vendor be licensed as a video gaming terminal operator; [emphasis added]
• provides that the Board shall not permit the development of information or the use by any licensee of gaming device or individual game performance data;
• provides that nothing in the Act shall inhibit or prohibit the Board from the use of gaming device or individual game performance data in its regulatory duties;
• requires the Board to adopt rules to ensure that all licensees are treated and all licensees act in a non-discriminatory manner and develop processes and penalties to enforce those rules;
• adds language authorizing the Illinois Gaming Board to adopt rules establishing standards for advertising video gaming; removes language prohibiting the Board from disseminating information that is specific to individual licensed locations (and removes corresponding changes to the Freedom of Information Act); and,
• in provisions amending the Criminal Code of 2012, provides that video gaming terminals for sale to a licensed distributor or operator (rather than a licensed establishment, licensed fraternal establishment, licensed veterans establishment, or licensed truck stop establishment) under the Video Gaming Act are exempt from seizure.

FOR IMMEDIATE ACTION

The ICACAA recommends contacting Governor Quinn and ask him to VETO the gambling expansion bills: House Bills 996, 1140, 1570, 2520 and Senate Bills 70, 1738, 1884, 2234, 2371.  Phone:  800-642-3112, 312-814-2121 or 217-782-6830 or Click here to send the Governor an e-mail.

Share this Alert with your faith community and ask them to CALL and PRAY for the Governor.

This article started with a press release from the Illinois Church Action Council on Alcohol and Addiction. There are so many bills expanding gambling (despite the loss of the one to give Chicago, Danville, Rockford and the Waukegan-area casinos) that I am adding the roll calls. In order not to make an article too long, I shall run one a day.

Gambling Bills Passed by the Legislature – Part 4

House Bill 2520 expands gambling and increases the danger of drinking and driving by legalizing Poker Runs as charitable gambling. Participants travel-usually on motorcycles–to 5 or locations-usually bars-where they draw a playing card to assemble a poker hand.

This language popped up in the Illinois Senate on May 30th, right at the end of the session.  It cleared the House two days later.

FOR IMMEDIATE ACTION

The ICACAA recommends contacting Governor Quinn and ask him to VETO the gambling expansion bills: House Bills 996, 1140, 1570, 2520 and Senate Bills 70, 1738, 1884, 2234, 2371.  Phone:  800-642-3112, 312-814-2121 or 217-782-6830 or Click here to send the Governor an e-mail.

Share this Alert with your faith community and ask them to CALL and PRAY for the Governor.

Held at a resort in Wauconda last year, this year’s fund raiser seems to designed to maximize revenue by holding down expenses.

The date is June 22, the time is from 4-8 on that Saturday and Wheeler continues to allow those attending to determine what they will donate.

It will be held at Tom and Susan Moran’s home at 7707 Oak Ridge Court, Crystal Lake.  The road is north of the Foxfire subdivision on the west side of Oak Ridge.

RSVP’s are requested by June 18th at 815-245-4556.

This article started with a press release from the Illinois Church Action Council on Alcohol and Addiction.  There are so many bills expanding gambling (despite the loss of the one to give Chicago, Danville, Rockford and the Waukegan area casinos) that I am adding the roll calls.  In order not to make an article too long, I shall run one a day.

Gambling Bills Passed by the Legislature – Part 1

While Legislators and reporters awaited changes to the massive gambling expansion bill, SB 1739, both the House and Senate passed the following bills to expand gambling:

House Bill 996 is an expansion of charitable gambling that also allows video gambling machines in the same facility, turning the events into full casinos. Gambling companies, not charities, will rake in most of the money. The Department of Revenue does not have enough investigators to adequately monitor and enforce this law.

FOR IMMEDIATE ACTION

The organization urges people to contact Governor Quinn and ask him to VETO the gambling expansion bills: House Bills 996, 1140, 1570, 2520 and Senate Bills 70, 1738, 1884, 2234, 2371.  Phone:  800-642-3112, 312-814-2121 or 217-782-6830 or Click here to send the Governor an e-mail.

Share this Alert with your faith community and ask them to CALL and PRAY for the Governor.

It won’t be Ghostbusters.

The Senate roll call of override of Governor Pat Quinn’s Senate Bill 9. which overrides an Illinois Commerce Commission decision,  is below:

Besides two of three State Senators representing McHenry County–Pam Althoff and Karen McConnaughay–potential candidates for the Republican nomination for Governor–Bill Brady and Kirk Dillard–voted for the electric rate hike.

State Senator Dan Duffy voted to uphold the Governor’s veto.

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The House voted Wednesday to override the veto. You can see who voted in favor of raising electric rates in the roll call below:

Voting in favor were all local state reperesentatives:

• Jack Franks
• David McSweeney
• Tim Schmitz
• Mike Tryon
• Barbara Wheeler

A press release from State Rep. Barbara Wheeler:

Wheeler Takes up Sponsorship of Vocational Bill

Springfield, IL… Always a proponent for our children and education, State Rep. Barbara Wheeler (R-Crystal Lake) has taken up chief co-sponsorship of a bill that will allow schools to hire trained professionals to teach certain vocations.

House Bill 1868 will allow the State Educator Preparation and Licensure Board to issue provisional teaching certificates to vocational professionals with a unique skill to teach those skills at Illinois public schools.

“Education needs to focus on preparing our children for the real world,” said Wheeler.

“Illinois has resources in people with unique skills that could help prepare children for the profession they seek. People with 20 to 30 years of experience in agriculture, engineering, or aerospace do not need to go back to college to teach a field they are an expert.”

Provisional teaching certificates are set to expire on July 1 of this year.

Should the law be allowed to sunset, school districts with hired professionals teaching vocational skills would be forces to lay off these teachers. Wheeler is aiming to protect these jobs and help prepare children for adult life.

“Manufacturers across Illinois are asking we allow these dedicated professions to continue to teach our children valuable life skills,” said Wheeler. “This bill will allow these field experts to continue to provide this essential public service.”

I rarely watch politicians on YouTube, but this one from State Rep. Barb Wheeler probably is an indication that the House Republican staff is going to use the communication tool to try to reach constituents:

Here’s State Rep. Barbara Wheeler’s reaction to Governor Pat Quinn’s State of the State speech:

Wheeler Statement on State of State

Springfield, IL…Before a joint session of the Illinois General Assembly, Governor Pat Quinn delivered his State of the State speech. Quinn outlined his priorities for the 2013 session, including

• pension reform
• increasing Illinois’ minimum wage
• an assault weapons ban

State Rep. Barbara Wheeler (R-Crystal Lake) released this statement following the governor’s remarks on pensions:

“While I am pleased that the governor sees the reality of our broken fiscal house, we must now make the bold and courageous decisions that are needed to save us from financial collapse.

“Our pension system has over $100 billion in unfunded liabilities, we have nearly $9 billion in unpaid bills, and the unwanted income tax increase is set to expire in 2015.

“We are at the brink of our own fiscal cliff. We must act now; the people of Illinois cannot afford additional hardships in this slow moving economy.”

And this statement on raising the minimum wage:

“We are in a stagnant economy and leaders are proposing an increasing the State’s minimum wage to $10 an hour.

‘How are employers and small businesses supposed to pay for this?

“The State increased business taxes to 9.3% just two years ago, didn’t go far enough in workers’ compensation reform, and now we are wanting to squeeze more out of the driving force of our economy?

“We need to look for ways to save employers and small businesses money before we look to increase the minimum wage.”

A press release from State Rep. Barbara Wheeler:

Wheeler Appointed to Education Committee Will serve on eight committees in 98th GA

Springfield, IL…Drawing on her experience in primary education as a middle school teacher, State Rep. Barbara Wheeler (R-Crystal Lake) has been seated on the House Elementary & Secondary Education Committee.

Rep. Wheeler taught middle school at Wauconda Middle School and holds a Master’s Degree in Education, Language, and Literacy from National Louis University.

“Education and the development of our young minds has always been a passion of mine,” said Wheeler. “Illinois is home to some of the finest institutions in the nation. I want us to build off our strengths while addressing our educational weaknesses as we prepare our children for their future.”

Wheeler says her priorities on Elementary & Secondary Education Committee include enhancing college preparedness and attacking Illinois’ high truancy rate.

Wheeler notes that while Illinois has a high college attendance rate, our preparedness rate is surprisingly low.

Just 19.3% of high school juniors met readiness scores in all four subjects tested on the ACT in 2010.

This issue is being further exasperated by a growing truancy rate.

Of the 30,000 students enrolled in Chicago Public Schools, 7.4% were labeled “chronically truant” in 2011; nearly double the rate from the previous year.

“While there are many fine aspects our education system in Illinois offers, there is still a lot of work that needs to be done in order for us to serve the best interests of our students,” said Wheeler.

“Truancy is an ever growing problem in Illinois and the trend needs to be reversed. We need to ensure that our children are growing and learning in a safe environment that will give them all the tools available for a bright future.”

Overall, Wheeler will be serving on eight committees in the 98th General Assembly.

In addition to the Elementary & Secondary Education Committee, Wheeler will be serving on the

• House International Trade & Commerce
• Appropriations-Human Services
• Mass Transit
• Museums, Arts & Cultural Enhancement
• Adoption Reform
• State Government Administration
• Transportation: Regulation, Roads & Bridges Committees

“Serving on eight committees should prove to be quite an undertaking, but I am excited to be given such a responsibility as a freshman representative,” said Wheeler.

“These committees have much to offer the people of the 64th District and I am hoping to maximize the benefits for the people I represent.”
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I believe it is a deliberate strategy of House Speaker Mike Madigan to keep members busy running around from committee meeting to committee meeting to limit the ability of members to think and confer with colleagues.

And, of course, that’s only an ancillary benefit to being able to pay most of his members extra money for being committee chairmen.

Committee Spokesmen also get extra pay.

A fund raiser for Republican State Rep. David McSweeney is being held tonight at Marzano’s Italian Restaurant.

The restaurant is located at 1501 S. Route 31 in McHenry.

The hours are from 5:30-7:30.

The invitation is below:

After the fund raiser, there is time to go to the Republican Debate Party at the Corkscrew Bistro in McHenry.