Afternoon news update: May 6, 2015
- Byron city leaders and other supporters of the low carbon portfolio standard rallied in Springfield this morning, urging the general assembly to support the bill. More than 10-thousand petition signatures were also delivered to lawmakers. The standard would help preserve the state’s nuclear energy facilities. Six nuclear plants, including the site in Byron, generate nearly half of the state’s electricity.
- Wisconsin lawmakers are cracking down on public benefit recipients. A legislative committee is set to consider two Republican bills establishing drug testing if recipients are applicants for state job training programs and how certain applicants for unemployment benefits answer questionnaires screening for drug abuse. And they’re set to debate a measure restricting products available to food stamps recipients. That measure would require food stamp recipients to use at least two-thirds of their monthly benefits to purchase nutritional foods such as beef, chicken and fresh produce. No seafood.
- Prosecutors have told a federal judge in Chicago they'll soon start turning over evidence to lawyers for 22-year old Hasan Edmonds and his 29- year old cousin, Jonas Edmonds. The two are accused of plotting terrorist attacks to support the Islamic State group. Both have pleaded not guilty. A complaint says Jonas planned to attack an Illinois military facility while Hasan, who belonged to the Illinois Army National Guard, would join Islamic State fighters. The Aurora residents were arrested in March.
- An organization that opposes cuts to social services in Illinois is suggesting tax increases to avert those cuts. Voices for Illinois Children put out the report, suggesting restoring the income tax to pre-2015 levels, adding sales tax to some services, taxing retirement income and closing so-called corporate tax loopholes. "So far Gov. Rauner has said that he has only one option. The governor has said that his only option is to make cuts to balance the budget. That's not true. There's a lot of options. They're all in here," said Emily Miller, the director of policy and advocacy, brandishing the report at a news conference in the Capitol. "Pick one. Pick many. But start picking some." The projected budget shortfall is $6 billion, which the governor proposes closing with $3 billion in real cuts and $3 billion in savings from pensions and Medicaid that have no chance of occurring during the next fiscal year, and when they don't, that will require even more cuts or tax increases. The governor has talked about a sales tax in services, but for now, he's not supporting any tax increase.
- Now that the weather is warming up, it’s time to really keep an eye out for motorcycles. Illinois Department of Transportation Assistant Secretary Rich Brauer says they are launching the annual “Start Seeing Motorcycles” campaign, urging drivers to be aware that more bikers will be out this time of year. The Illinois State Police says motorcyclists need to do their part as well and make themselves visible by not following too closely and avoiding a car’s blind spots.
- In a speech to the Chicago City Council this afternoon, Gov. Bruce Rauner says the state of Illinois can't afford to bail Chicago out of its financial problems. He said the city's agenda for fixing its fiscal issues cannot be separate from the state's own reform efforts. He says it will require shared sacrifice and asked council members to work with him. The ideas have not been popular in Democratic-leaning, labor-friendly Chicago. Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel calls Rauner's program the "wrong strategy."
- The Winnebago County Sheriff’s Department recently received a welcome gift from a local company. Metro Medical Services of Loves Park donated four first responder emergency medical kits to be used in case of emergency by deputies assigned to court security. The deputies must be ready to respond to any medical emergency in any of the five county buildings downtown and these kits will allow that. The kits are valued at 12-hundred dollars.
