Illinois Summary - 8/19/11

State Will Start Transferring Foster, Adopted Children

(Springfield, IL)  --  Nearly two-thousand foster and adopted kids placed under Catholic Charities are about to be transferred to another agency.  A judge ruled yesterday the state can terminate its contract with the religious group.  It's the result of a lawsuit filed by the Catholic Charities, asking for exemption from placing the kids in homes of unmarried couples.  The state ended its contract with the agency last month because it didn't want to comply with the new Civil Unions Law.  The judge says Catholic Charities is not entitled to the 30-million-dollar contract with the state.

Governor Quinn Takes Stand Against Crime

(Springfield, IL)  --  Governor Quinn is taking a stand against crime.  He put his stamp of approval on two bills yesterday aimed at winning the war on drugs and gang violence.  The first ensures police departments are reimbursed for the money they spend during the course of a drug investigation.  The other allows the Illinois Criminal Justice Authority to help local governments identify and win grants for gang violence prevention programs.  Both laws take effect January 1st.

Insurance Companies Must Now Cover Mental Health Conditions

(Springfield, IL)  --  A new law designed to improve the quality of care for those who need mental health services is now on the books.  It's part of Governor Quinn's plan to increase equality throughout the state.  Now, insurance companies are required to provide the same coverage for mental health and substance abuse disorders that they provide for all other conditions. And they have to do this without adding any other restrictions  --  such as financial requirements or treatment limitations.

Top GOP Leaders Say No More Borrowing

(Springfield, IL)  --  The state's top Republicans are saying "No way" to Governor Quinn's plan to borrow nearly nine-billion dollars.  Comptroller Judy Baar Topinka says the state can't afford to go further into debt.  Plus she says borrowing won't fix a broken system.  The most recent count of past due bills adds up to about four-billion dollars.  Topinka is asking lawmakers to give her a chance to catch up on the bills.  That means they should keep the budget as flat as possible with no new programs and no new spending.

Illinois GOP To Hold Straw Poll

(Springfield, IL)  --  Republicans' are holding a straw poll to get a feel on who they want to back as president in 2012.  Party Chairman Pat Brady says the event will be November 5th.  On a statewide level, Brady says he thinks the GOP can put a bigger dent in the Democratic majority or take over the legislature all together.  He urges supporters to get involved on a grassroots level.

Final Weekend For State Fair

(Springfield, IL)  --  It's the final weekend for the state fair and those who come out will have a full line up of events.  Today's activities are centered around a younger crowd  --  including a diaper derby, the Junior Dairy Show, the ponytail contest, and a smile contest.  And for the adults, well, they can catch performances by MC Hammer, Boys II Men, and Lady Antebellum on the grandstand stage before the weekend is over.

Unemployment Rate Increases In July

(Springfield, IL)  --  Illinois' jobless rate keeps climbing.  According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, there were almost 25-thousand less jobs in July than there were in June.  It's the third month in a row that the unemployment rate has gone up.  That means roughly 627-thousand people are without work across the state.