Illinois Summary - 8/1/11

Senator Dick Durbin Says Deal Will Avoid Economic Catastrophe

(Springfield, IL)  --  The U.S Congress has finally struck a deal on how to handle the debt ceiling.  The plan increases the debt ceiling by two-point-four-trillion dollars while cutting spending by one-point-two-trillion over ten years.  Illinois Senator Dick Durbin says the deal will help avoid an economic catastrophe.

State Comptroller On Debt Ceiling Debate

(Springfield, IL)  -- The Washington debt debate will undoubtedly impact Illinois but comptroller Judy Baar Topinka says it's too early to say exactly how.  She says even if Congress doesn't pass their compromised plan by the end of the day tomorrow the state will likely still get some federal money.  Illinois received more than 17-billion dollars from Washington in the 2011 fiscal year.  Half of that money went toward Medicaid payments while education, transportation and human services took up about five-billion dollars.  Topinka says the feds have the option to keep making some of those payments depending on how they prioritize the issues.

Governor Quinn To Sign DREAM Act

(Springfield, IL)  --  Immigrant students in Illinois are getting what some are calling a fair shot at equal education.  Governor Quinn is expected to sign a bill today that will give the students access to college scholarships.  The money is available to children of both legal and illegal immigrants.  The students must have attended school in Illinois for at least three years in order to qualify.

Foster Parent Speaks Out In Support Of Catholic Social Services

(Belleville, IL)  --  One Illinois foster parent says the state is treading on her own religious beliefs by trying to force Catholic Social Services to issue foster care licenses to couples in civil unions.  Krista Teckenbrock of Herrin says the agency shares the same faith and convictions as she and her husband but if state contracts are ended, they won't take any more children into their home.  She says the new law forces the Catholic Church to abandon its longstanding beliefs.  Governor Quinn has threatened to end state contracts with the agency over the matter, but the case is in limbo until both sides can appear in court.  Four dioceses in the state have filed lawsuits in order to maintain the right to refer cohabitating couples to other agencies.

Quinn Says "No Deal" To Healthcare Plan

(Springfield, IL)  --  Governor Quinn says "No Deal" to a plan designed to give lawmakers more of a role in awarding health insurance contracts.  It was a legislative response to Quinn's move to end state contracts with Health Alliance.  The new measure would've allowed the employees to keep their plan for two years as a group of legislators revamped the procurement process.  Quinn scrapped the plan, saying it limits transparency, competition, and fairness in the procurement process.  Some lawmakers say they plan to override the veto when they return to Springfield in October.

Students Get Break On First, Last Days Of School

(Springfield, IL)  --  Governor Pat Quinn saves the day for students across the state.  He's rejected a plan to make their first and last days of school at least five hours long.  It's not that Quinn doesn't like the idea, but the calendar for the upcoming school year has already been set.  And Quinn says it's too much of a headache to change it now.  He's asking lawmakers to change the effective date to July 1st of next year.

Quinn To Serve Wisconsin's Needy

(Springfield, IL)  --  Governor Quinn says he'll help serve Wisconsin's needy people tomorrow.  He's headed to the Badger State to make good on a lost bet he made with Governor Scott Walker.  The deal was made back in January when the Bears played the Packers in the NFC Championship.  Since the Bears lost, Quinn will work in a Kenosha food pantry while wearing a Green Bay Packers jersey.

DHS Audit Report Not Favorable

(Springfield, IL)  --  The state's Department of Human Services is in hot water after a recent audit.  The Illinois auditor general found the department isn't doing enough to ensure the eligibility of those on Medicaid, welfare and children's health insurance programs.  The auditor general also found that those applying for federal benefits don't undergo examinations thorough enough to determine if they'd been convicted of drug felonies.