Illinois Briefs - 1/23/13

Quinn Holds School Safety Summit

(Springfield, IL)  --  Governor Quinn is leading the discussion on how to improve school safety across the state.  He held a summit in Springfield yesterday with more than 50 educators, law enforcement officials, and mental health experts.  They discussed crisis prevention, school and community planning, and facility protection and security.  Quinn called the meeting about a week after the Sandy Hook school shooting in Connecticut last month.  He says every parent should feel their child is safe in school and he'll keep taking steps to ensure they are.

Groupon Suspends Gun Deals

(Chicago, IL)  --  Chicago-based Groupon has suspended all gun related daily deals.  That includes all deals for gun ranges and clay shootings.  Groupon officials say they made the decision following the Sandy Hook massacre in Newtown, Connecticut.  The shooting has put the spotlight on the gun debate, with national, state, and local officials calling for a ban on assault weapons and high capacity magazines.  Governor Quinn says

those types of weapons have no place in the hands of everyday people.

State Rep Wants Lawmakers To Work For Free

(Highland, IL)  --  One newly elected state rep says he and his colleagues should work for free until the state's bills are paid.  Charlie Meier, from Highland, says businesses are being forced to shut their doors because they haven't received payment from the state.  Illinois has nine billion dollars worth of unpaid bills - that's worse than it was two years ago when lawmakers passed an income tax increase.  They were supposed to pay the bills with that extra cash but most of the 14-billion dollars has been used to pay for other things.

IL Fares Well In Government Corruption Study

(Undated)  --  The state of Illinois receives some encouraging marks according to a study into government corruption.  The annual State Integrity Investigation gives Illinois an overall grade of "C" on its newly-released corruption-risk report card.  The report says in light of Illinois' notorious ethical legacy, only limited reforms have been enacted.  Illinois fared poorly in the categories of legislative accountability, civil service management and redistricting.

EIU Receives Governor's Award For Excellence

(Charleston, IL)  --  Eastern Illinois University has received the Governor's Award for Excellence in Education.  The Illinois Department of Veterans' Affairs presented the award, based on the school's efforts to go above and beyond in fostering a friendly atmosphere for veterans.  IDVA Director Erica Borggren says the university has made lasting and tangible commitments to helping veterans overcome challenges in education.   She says EIU's leadership should be modeled by others.