28 Years after the 104-3 Defeat of My Legislation Requiring School’s to Report Information on Teacher Sex/Physical Similar Bill Passes 112-0

Tribune highlighted the problem of school districts not being able to find out if prospective teachers had been found to have sexually abused students. In 2009, eight years after bringing too many boxes home my legislative office, I was doing … Continue reading

Re-Run: Tribune Features Problem 1994 Skinner Legislation on Gathering Information on Teacher Sex/Physical Abuse Would Have Solved

This weekend the Tribune highlighted the problem of school districts not being able to find out if prospective teachers had been found to have sexually abused students. In 2009, eight years after bringing too many boxes home my legislative office, … Continue reading

Tribune Features Problem 1994 Skinner Legislation on Gathering Information on Teacher Sex/Physical Abuse Would Have Solved

Considering the legislation now being considered by the Illinois General Assembly, this article about my incredibly unsuccessful attempt to provide transparency in legislation from over twenty years ago might be of interest. The amendment was killed by over 100 votes … Continue reading

Grandparents’ Visitation Rights Increases under Althoff Law

A press release from State Senator Pam Althoff: New law expands grandparent DCFS visitation rights Springfield, IL… The rights of grandparents and great-grandparents to visit children under the care of the Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) are expanded … Continue reading

Wonder Lake Jr. High School Teacher Arrested

A press release from the McHenry County Sheriff: McHenry Man Arrested on Disorderly Conduct Charges Detectives from the McHenry County Sheriff’s Office served criminal warrants on June 24, 2016, on Scott Smessaert of McHenry, Illinois, for Disorderly Conduct. On May … Continue reading

Rockford Catholic Charities’ Adoption Press Conference Text

The Rockford Diocese covers McHenry County. Today its Catholic Charities announced that it would no longer assist the State of Illinois in finding adoptive families for wards of the state. The reason? The new civil unions law that takes effect … Continue reading

Pimp Faces Four Years

The following press release has been received from the McHenry County State’s Attorney’s Office. The conviction is this case occurred in January. JOSUE GOMEZ SENTENCED TO FOUR YEARS IN PRISON FOR JUVENILE PIMPING Louis A. Bianchi, McHenry County State’s Attorney, … Continue reading

Child Protection Quality to be Tracked in County

The following press release has been received from McHenry County government: McHenry County Selected as Child Protection Data Courts Project Pilot Site WOODSTOCK, IL – McHenry County has been selected by the Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts (AOIC), as … Continue reading

McHenry Man Pimping 13-Year-Old Found Guilty in 25 Minutes

A press release from the McHenry County State’s Attorney’s Office: A JURY HAS FOUND JOSUE GOMEZ GUILTY OF JUVENILE PIMPING Louis A. Bianchi, McHenry County State’s Attorney, is pleased to announce that Josue Gomez of McHenry was found guilty today … Continue reading

The Teacher Sex/Physical Abuse Roll Call Nobody Every Used in a Political Campaign

Eight years after bringing too many boxes home my legislative office, I was doing some throwing away this past month. I found a roll call on an amendment I offered on June 7, 1994. It was my second year of … Continue reading

DCFS Fails to Prevent Crystal Lake Teen Death

My fellow Crystal Lake Kiwanians probably did not understand why I was so intense in my questioning of McHenry County CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate) Executive Director Kelly Pokharel. One of my emotional hot buttons got pushed. It started in 1979, … Continue reading