Afternoon news update: July 20, 2015

Rockford police are searching for two suspects wanted in two early morning armed robberies. The two are described as Hispanic males, armed with a shotgun and rifle. The first robbery took place around 3 a.m. at the Mobil in the 1600 block of Sandy Hollow Road. Then, about an hour later, the Shell gas station at 430 West Harrison Avenue was hit. Each time the two got away with cash.
Legislation took effect earlier this month that aims to clarify ambiguities in Illinois' concealed-carry law. Some of the areas the bill focuses on are privacy, mental illness and dealing with law enforcement. The most significant changes relate to the process of applying for a concealed-carry permit, including a review of personal records and appealing a denial.
Cracking down on illegal guns flowing into Illinois is the goal of new legislation sponsored by U.S. Sen. Mark Kirk (R-Ill.). Kirk's bill targets both buyers and sellers. It would make it a federal crime for a seller to transfer two or more firearms to someone they may suspect can't legally own a gun, or any buyer to acquire two or more guns if they suspect the transaction is illegal. Kirk admits passing gun control measures in Congress is always tough. "Very frustrating, because often times, you're up against the NRA, which is a powerful force in politics, especially in Springfield and Washington," Kirk said. "For me, the critical thing is to stop the ripping apart...of all these families in Chicago. If we can reduce the firepower available to the criminal gangs, (it's) a worthy goal." If enacted, the punishment for violating the gun trafficking provisions would be 20 years in prison, along with an additional five years for any individual proven to be running a gun trafficking ring.
Similar legislation failed in the Senate in 2013 when Democrats were in the majority.
Working families looking for help from the state to pay for daycare are running out of luck. As of July 1, the governor drastically reduced the maximum incomes for new families entering the program. It’s estimated that with the new standards, nine out ten people who apply won’t qualify. The governor's office said, if Democrats will adopt his policy reforms, it could free up more revenue. Opponents accuse the governor of putting the vulnerable at risk to pass his own political agenda.
Advocates also want the Governor to restore a $60 monthly allowance for adults with developmental disabilities who live in state-funded facilities. The allowance is tangled in the budget standoff.
Scientists with Northern Illinois University say an endangered Blanding's turtle that they've been tracking for about two years has gone missing from the Afton Forest Preserve. A local farmer pulled off the antenna used to track the turtle, believing he was doing a good deed, but his actions ended the connection. Blanding's turtles grow nearly a foot long and have distinct yellow undersides. The species is endangered in Illinois.
The John Dillinger Museum is opening this week in Crown Point, Indiana, where the 1930’s bank robber once broke out of jail. Wednesday marks 81 years since federal agents shot Dillinger dead outside a theater on Chicago's North Side. Dillinger is buried with his family in Indianapolis.

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