United States and State flags at half-staff from Sunrise, Saturday, September 9, 2017 until Sunset, Monday, September 11, 2017.

Press Release from the Office of Governor Bruce Rauner

The Department of Central Management Services has received notice from
Governor Bruce Rauner that all persons or entities covered by the Illinois Flag Display Act are to fly the flags at half-staff in honor of:

Petty Officer 3rd Class Logan Palmer
United States Navy
Hometown:  Decatur, Illinois

Please lower the United States flags and the State flags at all buildings occupied by your agency’s personnel from:

Sunrise:  Saturday, September 9, 2017 until
Sunset: Monday, September 11, 2017

If you have any questions regarding this matter, please contact Denise Albert
(217) 782-0244 or via email at denise.albert@illinois.gov
More information is available at http://www.illinois.gov/news/Pages/Flag.aspx

Attorneys General Lawsuit Alleges Federal Government Violates Due Process Rights; Harms Residents, Institutions, and Economies; and Violates the Equal Protection Clause by Discriminating Against DREAMers of Mexican Origin

Press Release from the office of Attorney General Lisa Madigan

Chicago, IL – Attorney General Lisa Madigan today joined with 15 attorneys general to file a lawsuit to protect Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) grantees. Madigan and the coalition allege the federal government’s rescinding of the DACA program violates Due Process rights; violates the Equal Protection clause of the Constitution by discriminating against DREAMers of Mexican origin, who make up 78 percent of DACA recipients; and harms the states’ residents, institutions, and economies.

The lawsuit was filed earlier today in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York against President Trump, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Click here to read the lawsuit.

Since DACA’s inception five years ago, nearly 800,000 young immigrants who were brought to the U.S. as children have been granted DACA status after paying application fees, submitting to and passing background checks and applying for work permits.
Illinois has the third highest number of approved initial DACA applications, trailing only California and Texas. Since 2012, over 42,000 Illinoisans have been accepted to participate in the DACA program. Studies show that Illinois’ economy would suffer an approximate $2.3 billion loss with the elimination of the DACA program, including nearly $55 million in local and state tax revenue. In addition, one expert estimates that rescinding the program will cost Illinois $6.9 billion over the next decade.

“To deport DREAMers to countries foreign to them is fundamentally unfair, hurts our state economy and violates the law,” Madigan said. “These are Americans in every way but their birthright. For centuries, our country has benefitted from immigrants who came here and worked hard for a better life. Rescinding DACA is contrary to what makes our country prosper.”

https://www.ilnews.org/news/economy/public-safety-concerns-over-legalizing-recreational-pot-discussed-at-hearing/article_8f4253a8-932e-11e7-8d2e-5f876e576858.html

SPRINGFIELD, IL – (Greg Bishop and  Dan McCaleb, Illinois News Network.  Please click on the link for the full story.  Here is an excerpt below.)

Expect more hearings on efforts to legalize and tax adult marijuana use in Illinois in an effort lawmakers say is meant to craft the best law possible.

During a joint House and Senate hearing Wednesday on public safety aspects of proposals to legalize recreational pot, state Sen. Dale Righter, R-Mattoon, said if weed is legal for adult recreational use, law enforcement needs more tools to go after bad actors.

Expect more hearings on efforts to legalize and tax adult marijuana use in Illinois in an effort lawmakers say is meant to craft the best law possible.

During a joint House and Senate hearing Wednesday on public safety aspects of proposals to legalize recreational pot, state Sen. Dale Righter, R-Mattoon, said if weed is legal for adult recreational use, law enforcement needs more tools to go after bad actors.

“If you’re going to create a regulated system,” Righter said, “if you want to drive down the grey market that we heard about from Colorado that’s 25 percent, you’re going to have to beef the penalties up for people playing outside the system.”

Comptroller’s office sends out $805 million this week

Press Release from Susan Mendoza, Illinois State Comptroller

CHICAGO, IL –  Just after midnight Thursday morning, Comptroller Susana Mendoza’s office began transmitting $541 million in General State Aid to schools around the state. These are the funds that were supposed to go out on August 10th and 20th, but were delayed because the Governor vetoed the School Funding Bill.

The next payment of $264 million will go out tomorrow, Friday, to cover the first September payment due Sunday, Sept. 10. That means a total of $805 million will be going out to schools this week.

“I am grateful legislators were able to forge a bipartisan compromise to allow passage of the school funding bill which finally puts the state on a path to equitable school funding,” Comptroller Mendoza said. “The start of the school year should be about kids happy to see their classmates again and resuming the learning process — not worries about whether schools will have to close midyear. Parents, children and teachers can finally have the confidence and peace of mind to know that their schools will not only open on time, but more importantly, stay open for the full academic year.”

Trip honors longstanding relationships with Japan and China

Press Release from Governor Bruce Rauner’s office

CHICAGO, IL – Gov. Bruce Rauner will be making an eight-day visit to Japan and China, marking the first international trade mission for the administration.

The mission will take place Sept. 9-17 and will bring together leaders in business, education and government to focus on creating opportunities for Illinois businesses, as well as strengthening Illinois’ diplomatic and trade relationships with Japan and China. The relationships that are created out of these meetings will foster incredible partnerships for Illinois economically and culturally for years to come.

“I am committed to strengthening Illinois’ economic and cultural ties with important global markets, including those within Japan and China,” Gov. Rauner said. “With an increasingly connected global economy, international trade missions such as this one allow Illinois companies to enhance their competitiveness and create more jobs.”

The mission begins with a stop in Tokyo, where Gov. Rauner will attend the Midwest-USA Japan Conference. The conference, started 49 years ago by former Gov. James R. Thompson, unites government officials and business executives to illustrate an unprecedented strength of economic growth and sends a message that our growth is interdependent.

“I’m delighted that Governor Bruce Rauner will visit Japan on his first overseas trip since taking office,” said Consul General of Japan Naoki Ito. “We welcome the governor’s commitment to the state’s close relationship with Japan. Illinois ranks first in the Midwest with 630 Japanese business facilities, which employ 49,000 people across the state. The governor’s Illinois business delegation promises to open the door further for our two-way economic partnership.”

The visit will continue to Shanghai and Hangzhou, China, which includes high-level meetings with government officials, leading to additional business and investment opportunities to promote Illinois in China.

“I’m glad to learn that Governor Rauner will soon begin his first official visit to China, one of Illinois’ important partners,” said Consul General Hong Lei. “I highly appreciate Governor Rauner’s efforts in strengthening economic cooperation as well as cultural, educational and people-to-people exchanges between China and Illinois. I sincerely wish Governor Rauner’s visit a complete success and hope this visit can bring our friendship and cooperation to the next level.”

Press release from the Illinois Department of Public Health

The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) is raising awareness of an alarming trend in opioid overdose deaths.  Recent analysis of Illinois death records shows that overdose deaths involving synthetic opioids, such as fentanyl, have increased more than any other category of opioids.

“While fatal overdose deaths involving opioids have increased in Illinois during the past five years, the number of deaths involving synthetic opioids has increased even more dramatically,” said IDPH Director Nirav D. Shah., M.D., J.D.  “It is important that we raise awareness and recognize this growing problem and work together to prevent these deaths and the devastating pain family and friends experience.”

In a major undertaking, IDPH analyzed the literal text section of Illinois death records to identify specific substances contributing to drug overdose deaths.  The most striking result was the large increase in the number of deaths involving fentanyl, and opioids similar to fentanyl, which lead to a 910 percent increase in synthetic opioid overdose deaths between 2013 and 2016.  Additional analysis of death record data, including the types of opioids (oxycodone, heroin, carfentanil, etc.) can be found in the latest edition of the Illinois Morbidity and Mortality Bulletin.  These data provide health professionals, law enforcement, and health care providers a more complete understanding of the opioid crisis and help identify strategies to combat it.

Thousands of people die each year from drug overdoses and they come from all walks of life.  International Overdose Awareness Day aims to raise awareness of overdose and reduce the stigma of a drug-related death.  It also acknowledges the grief felt by families and friends remembering those who have died or were injured as a result of drug overdose.

Take the time to learn the signs and symptoms of overdose and how you might be able to help.

You can find Educational Resources – Overdose Prevention Materials on the Illinois Department of Human Services website.

Variance Issued to ExxonMobil Joliet Refinery for Barge Loading Operations

Press Release from the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency

 Springfield, IL — The Illinois EPA has granted a provisional variance to ExxonMobil Oil Corporation Joliet Refinery to allow the loading of gasoline onto barges at the Joliet refinery wharf loading facility without the required vapor control system. The variance will provide temporary relief to better meet the need for motor fuels that has been disrupted following Hurricane Harvey. The variance follows a federal fuel waiver that was issued by U.S. EPA on August 31. A similar variance was granted following Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

The Joliet Refinery’s barge loading operations for gasoline are covered by a Construction Permit issued by Illinois EPA. The permit includes the installation of a vapor control unit. The request for variance is to allow the refinery to provide a higher volume of gasoline to meet the short-term, emergency fuel demands by loading gasoline without the vapor control unit. ExxonMobil will resume operations with the vapor control unit once the special need has been met.

Regulatory relief requested by ExxonMobil is intended to provide a higher volume loading of gasoline for delivery to communities where primary sources of gasoline supply have been disrupted following the catastrophic events that have occurred as a result of Hurricane Harvey. Relief is granted until such a time as relief barge loading operations have concluded or September 22, 2017, whichever occurs first.

https://www.ilnews.org/news/schools/new-school-standards-aimed-at-improving-student-financial-sense/article_88a9800a-9259-11e7-be18-67ed7997e419.html

SPRINGFIELD, IL – (Illinois News Network.  Please click on the link above for the full story.  Here is an excerpt below.)

Students in Illinois public schools will become more financially savvy with the implementation of new financial literacy standards starting this year.

The Illinois Treasurer’s Office, Illinois Department of Financial Professional Regulation and Econ Illinois, a non-profit advocating financial literacy, spearheaded the effort to bring about revisions to social science standards to include economics as well as the newly created financial literacy standards for all students in elementary through high school.

The standards were approved in February 2016 to be implemented beginning in the 2017-18 school year.

“Research shows that students as young as the age of 6 are able to cognitively grasp that it’s a good idea to save,” Harrison said.