Illinois Briefs - 2/07/12

Quinn:  We're Making Progress On Gaming

(Springfield, IL)  --  Gaming negotiations are still taking place between the governor's office and state legislators.  Governor Quinn says the original bill had serious ethical issues and until those issues are worked out, he will not sign the bill.  He says his staff is working with lawmakers to come up with a plan that everyone can agree to.

JDC Residents To Gather AT Capital

(Jacksonville, IL)  --  Residents of the Jacksonville Developmental Center are expected to be at the State Capital today.  The group will join their parents for a COGFA meeting where they'll hear details on Governor Quinn's plan to move them out of JDC and into community care.  Many of the residents and parents

disagree with the governor's plan.  Closing the facility is expected to save the state about 12-million dollars but will likely have a much harder impact on the city.

Quinn:  Urban Kids Deserve Ag Training

(Chicago, IL)  --  Governor Quinn wants city kids to consider careers in the Ag industry.  He stopped by an agricultural sciences high school in Chicago yesterday to highlight a new law boosting enrollment for the South side school.  It allows the school to up enrollment form 600 to 720 students and requires that 50-percent of them live within a few miles of the school.  Quinn says more educational opportunities could help prepare the students to be more competitive in the global economy.

Advocate Urges Lawmakers To Keep Illinois Cares Rx

(Springfield, IL)  --  A program to help seniors pay for prescriptions could be on the chopping block this year as lawmakers look to get the budget under control.  Quinn cut money to the Illinois Cares Rx program last year, but lawmakers restored funding.  John Coburn with Health and Disability Advocates says leaders should be careful not to slash programs like Illinois Cares Rx because it will cost more in the long run.  He says seniors will stop buying their prescriptions, start cutting pills in half, or do something else to land in a Medicaid bed at a hospital or nursing home.

Decatur Considers Free Parking

(Decatur, IL)  --  Free parking in downtown Decatur is on the list of considerations for the town's city council.  They voted, 6-to-1, last night to ditch meters and allow drivers to park free for a certain amount of time.  The plan calls for 60-thousand dollars worth of new technology, which will determine whether a car has moved.  A ticket will be issued if the car hasn't moved within the allotted time limits.