Illinois Briefs - 1/3/13

IL Senator Kirk To Make Courageous Return Today

(Undated)  --  Illinois Senator Mark Kirk is set to make a courageous comeback to the nation's Capitol today.  It was nearly a year-ago when the 53-year-old Kirk suffered a stroke.  The Republican will reportedly climb the Capitol steps in Washington, D.C. today alongside Vice President Joe Biden and Democratic Senator Dick Durbin.  Kirk suffered a stroke last January 21st and recently made a surprise comeback appearance two weeks ago at his Senate office.

Gay Marriage Hot Button Issue In Springfield

(Chicago, IL)  --  The gay marriage proposal suffered a small setback yesterday.  Senators wanted to debate the issue in committee, but didn't post the bill online at least one hour before the committee began.  The sponsor asked colleagues to waive the time requirement, but the idea was shot down, leaving some to believe the proposal didn't have enough votes to pass.  Sponsor Heather Steans says that's not the case.  Two senators who support the proposal were absent yesterday but will be in Springfield today when the bill is called for a vote.

Assault Weapon Ban Moves Forward

(Springfield, IL)  --  Proposals to ban assault weapons and high capacity magazines passed in a senate committee yesterday, but not without debate.  Republican senators argued the bans won't prevent mass shootings like those in Newtown, Connecticut and Aurora, Colorado.  Other opponents say there's a major flaw in the proposal to ban

magazines because those devices don't have serial numbers.  They say that will make it very difficult to track who owns the magazines in the event of a crime.  The full senate is expected to debate and vote on the bills today.   

Quinn: Illinois Headed Toward Fiscal Cliff

(Springfield, IL)  --  Governor Quinn says if lawmakers don't address the pension crisis, Illinois will go over a fiscal cliff of its own.  He wants lawmakers to pass a comprehensive reform plan by next Wednesday but it appears that there's no deal on the table.  The Senate briefly addressed the issue yesterday when a committee voted to change the effective date on a bill it passed back in May.  The state has a total unfunded pension liability of 96-billion dollars, and that goes up by 17-million bucks each day.  The liability has led to several credit downgrades and according to Quinn, it takes money away from vital services like education and public safety.

Aurora Records Zero Homicides In 2012

(Aurora, IL)  --  As Chicago is confounded by its overwhelming number of homicides Illinois' second-largest city seems to have the problem figured out.  Chicago recorded 506-homicides during the year 2012.  But about 40-miles away the city of Aurora recorded none.  Officials there say the last time its city of 200-thousand people reported not a single killing over the course of an entire year was way back in 1946.  Aurora law enforcement says the killing crackdown is thanks to efforts from community groups, schools and federal authorities.

Ottawa Firefighters Experiment Could Set Model

(Ottawa, IL)  --  Firefighters in Ottawa could set the example for others all across the state.  A new experiment puts them to work for two days straight, then two days off.  International Association of Fire Fighters Local 523 President Brian Dose says they didn't like the idea at first, but opened up to it after doing a little research.  He says studies show these shifts lead to less sick time and it allows fire fighters to spend more time with their families.  They'll test it out for a year and if all goes well, other fire departments in Illinois could follow suit.