Issues Disaster Declaration to Ensure Support for Affected Areas; Governor to Survey Damage in Hardest Hit Communities

CHICAGO - Governor Pat Quinn today declared seven counties state disaster areas after severe storms generating tornadoes and high winds ripped across Illinois. Hundreds of homes and businesses have been damaged or destroyed, hundreds of thousands of people are without power, and numerous roads throughout the state have been closed by fallen trees and downed power lines. At least six people are reported dead and dozens more injured.

Later today, Governor Quinn will inspect damage on the ground in some of Illinois' hardest hit communities: Washington, Diamond, Gifford, Brookport and New Minden. Counties included in the Governor's declaration are: Champaign, Grundy, LaSalle, Massac, Tazewell, Washington and Woodford counties.

"Yesterday Illinois was hit extremely hard by deadly tornadoes that left many in a great deal of pain and loss," Governor Quinn said. "Although we are still receiving reports of massive damage to communities across our state, we want to make sure people are getting the assistance and resources they need as quickly as possible. As we pray for the families of those who have lost their lives and others who are injured, the state of Illinois will do everything necessary to help these communities recover."

The state disaster declaration makes available a wide variety of state resources that can help affected communities respond and recover from the storms. The state of Illinois has personnel and assets that can be mobilized to help local government officials with disaster recovery, including such things as trucks, heavy equipment to remove debris, communications equipment and provide assistance with security and other public safety issues.

The State Incident Response Center (SIRC) in Springfield was activated Sunday afternoon and will remain operational as long as necessary. Liaisons from several state agencies are working with the Illinois Emergency Management Agency (IEMA) to coordinate the deployment of state personnel and assets to assist local governments in the affected areas.

The state has dispatched technical rescue teams to a number of impacted locations across the state, and provided emergency generators, light towers and communications systems.

More information about the state's flood response and flood safety is available on the Ready Illinois website at www.Ready.Illinois.gov.

Signing Ceremony to Take Place November 20 at UIC Forum 

SPRINGFIELD - Governor Quinn today announced that he will sign historic legislation in the days ahead that will make Illinois the 15th state in the nation to embrace full marriage equality. The signing ceremony will take place at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) Forum on November 20, 2013 at 3:30 p.m.

"Marriage equality is coming to Illinois," Governor Quinn said. "I look forward to signing this landmark legislation on November 20 and celebrating a big step forward with the people of Illinois."

The legislation, which was approved by the Illinois House this week in a historic vote, will permit all couples in Illinois to receive the rights and protections of marriage. As part of his agenda to ensure Illinois embraces all people, Governor Quinn made marriage equality a top legislative priority this year, featuring it in his 2013 State of the State address.

For the second year in a row, UIC was recently named among the nation's top 25 campuses for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender students. UIC is the only institution in Illinois among the top 25 campuses. The UIC Forum is located at 725 West Roosevelt Road, Chicago‚ IL 60608.

UIC houses the historic Hull House, now a museum, which opened Chicago's doors to the world's immigrants and became the national center for innovative social and educational programs. In the fall of 2013, the university experienced record-breaking enrollment of 27,589. For the second year in a row in fiscal year 2013 more than 3,800 baccalaureate degrees were awarded, and more graduate and professional degrees were awarded than last year as well.

This momentous celebration will be free of charge and open to the public. For more information, including how to attend this historic event, please visit Equality.Illinois.gov.

Ceremony at Old State Capitol Recognizes the Top Student from Each College and University in Illinois

SPRINGFIELD - Governor Pat Quinn today announced the names of the state's outstanding college students who will be honored by the Lincoln Academy of Illinois. The Academy will recognize the students during the annual Student Laureate Convocation at 11 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 2 at the Old State Capitol State Historic Site in Springfield.

"These students have exhibited a personal commitment to excel as seen by their remarkable academic accomplishments," Governor Quinn said. "They serve as role models to all Illinois students. With hard-working and dedicated young leaders such as these, Illinois and the rest of the nation can look forward to a bright future."

The Lincoln Academy's Student Laureate Awards are presented for excellence in curricular and extracurricular activities to seniors from each of the state's four-year, degree-granting colleges and universities, and one student from among all the community colleges in Illinois. At the Student Laureate Convocation, each will receive a Student Laureate Medallion, along with a $1,000 educational grant and a certificate of achievement. This event will mark the 39th year that students have been honored by the Academy.

Student Laureate Caelin Niehoff of DePaul University will speak on behalf of all the Laureates. The invocation will be delivered by Robert A. Easter, Ph.D., President of the University of Illinois and the benediction will be delivered by The Reverend Stanley Davis, Jr. The Sangamon Woodwind Consort will provide music, and a luncheon at the Illinois Executive Mansion will follow the Student Laureate Convocation.

The Lincoln Academy, unique among the 50 states, was established 49 years ago to honor Illinois' most distinguished citizens with the state's highest award, the Order of Lincoln. The 50th Annual Convocation and Investiture of Laureates of The Lincoln Academy of Illinois will take place Saturday, May 3, 2014 at the Field Museum in Chicago.

STUDENT LAUREATES

School                         Student                        Home Town

Augustana College                        Jenna N. Orabutt                        Hawthorn Woods, IL

Aurora University                     Andrew J. Patton                         Oswego, IL

Benedictine University                     Eman Sahloul                        Orland Park, IL

Blackburn College                        Ashley Donoho                        

Bradley University                     Jonathan Teich                          Bay City, MI

Chicago State University                    Christopher D. Muldrow                      Oak Forest, IL

Columbia College - Chicago              Allison C. Shuman                         Cranston, RI

Concordia University Chicago            David J. Moldenhauer                    Walled Lake, MI

DePaul University                     Caelin Niehoff                        Algonquin, IL

Dominican University                     David C. Gayes                          Oak Park, IL

Eastern Illinois University                    Zachary D. Samples                        Decatur, IL

Elmhurst College                        Emily A. Darow                          Palatine, IL

Eureka College                        Lauren M. Schwanke                       Eureka, IL

Governors State University                Ricca Louissaint                     South Holland, IL

Greenville College                        Alyssa R. Gosselin                       Derby, VT

Illinois College                        Phuong Hoang Nguyen                      Thai Binh, Vietnam

Illinois Institute of Technology            Miriam R. Schmid                         Cissna Park, IL

Illinois State University                     Brian M. Kulaga                         Elmhurst, IL

Illinois Wesleyan University                Josefina Banales                        Chicago, IL

Judson University                     Cassandra E. Criminger                     Flanagan, IL

Knox College                        Carolyn Stephen                        St. Louis, MO

Lake Forest College                        Anali N. Vargas                         Chicago, IL

Lake Land College                        Kolten A. Postin                         Moweaqua, IL

Lewis University                     Samantha J. Rinehart                       Marion, IA

Lincoln College                        Josh A. Jones                          Joliet, IL

Loyola University Chicago                  Thomas J. Serena                         Shorewood, IL

MacMurray College                        Katherine L. Schmidt                        Jerseyville, IL

McKendree University                     Anthony J. Rhoads                         Litchfield, IL

Millikin University                     Emily E. D'Ambrose                      Naperville, IL

Monmouth College                        William T. Terrill                                  Sugar Grove, IL

National Louis University                    Kristine Becker-Kristufek               Mt. Prospect, IL

North Central College                        Colin J. Loeffler                       Sun Prairie, WI

North Park University                     An Tran                           Hanoi, Vietnam

Northeastern Illinois University           Ashor O. Jajou                          Morton Grove, IL

Northern Illinois University                  Sarah L. Stuebing                       DeKalb, IL

Olivet Nazarene University                 Breanne M. Bambrick                       Washington, IL

Principia College                        Haley O. Morton                         Wildwood, MO

Quincy University                     Samantha A. Nielsen                        Arlington Heights, IL

Rockford University                     Dunja Cosic                          Rockford, IL

Roosevelt University                     Erin McCaslin                       Maple Valley, WA

St. Xavier University                     Lauren Bryk                           Rolling Meadows, IL

Southern IL Univ. Carbondale            Eileen N. Schweiss                       Festus, MO

Southern IL Univ. Edwardsville          Christopher J. Branch                         Edwardsville, IL

The University of Chicago                  Safiya C. Johnson                        Chicago, IL

Trinity Christian College                      Megan L. Anderson                       Elgin, IL

Trinity International University            Rebekah E. Held                           Hartford, WI

University of IL at Chicago                 Fransely Robles                         Chicago, IL

University of IL at Springfield             Joshua Eastby                         Edwardsville, IL

Univ. of IL at Urbana-Champaign      Amanda M. Rowland                        Burr Ridge, IL

University of St. Francis                     Brandon S. Collofello                     Minooka, IL

VanderCook College of Music           Maxwell J. Dykla                          Belding, MI

Western Illinois University                   Lindsey M. Posmanick                      Troy, IL

Wheaton College                        Sarah R. Vander Vorst                       Mound City, SD

Critical Project Receives Yes Vote from MPO Policy Committee; Will Create Thousands of Jobs and Drive Economic Development Throughout Region

CHICAGO - After years of pushing to make it a reality, Governor Pat Quinn today announced that the Illiana Corridor Project - an innovative public-private partnership to build a much-needed, regional highway - is moving forward. Today's vote by the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning's MPO Policy Committee approved the project as a priority in the GO TO 2040 Plan. The Illiana, along with the South Suburban Airport, are key parts of Governor Quinn's agenda to drive economic growth throughout the South Suburbs and across Illinois.

Today's vote by the committee, which is comprised of members from throughout the Chicago region, means the Illiana project is eligible for federal funding and the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) can proceed to obtain bids from the private sector.

"Today marks a major victory for economic development and jobs in the Southland, which will strengthen Illinois' economy and pave the way for future growth," Governor Quinn said. "I applaud the members of the MPO Policy Committee for making the Illiana a priority. This regional highway will not only serve the largest and fastest growing areas in Illinois, it will have a long-term economic impact of more than $4 billion in the region."

In addition to the South Suburban Airport, Governor Quinn has been pushing to make the Illiana Expressway a reality since taking office as part of his economic vision for the south suburbs of Chicago. The Illiana will be a 47-mile, access controlled highway that extends from I-55 in Illinois on the west to I-65 in Indiana on the east. When built, the Illiana Corridor Project will be an invaluable regional asset for the south suburbs, the state and the broader Midwest, promoting and supporting the business environment, workforce, local and global economy and quality of life. Potential economic benefits include the creation of more than 9,000 construction jobs and 28,000 long-term jobs.

The South Suburban Airport will serve as the third major Chicago-area airport in the south suburbs and has been one of the Governor's key priorities since 2009. Building the global transportation hub will create more than 11,000 construction jobs and as many as 14,000 long-term jobs after it becomes operational. Earlier this year, the governor secured and signed a new law to break the longstanding gridlock that will allow the airport to be built.

The Illinois and Indiana Departments of Transportation (IDOT and INDOT, respectively) have been engaged in planning the Illiana with the Federal Highway Administration since the spring of 2011. The preferred corridor for the limited access, four-lane toll road is being refined and discussed, with a public hearing on the proposed location later this year. Additional public input on the project will be sought during the state and federal agency and public-private partnership approval process. The Illiana planning process is expected to be complete in early 2014.

IDOT and INDOT will soon begin the process of selecting a private team to finance and build the Illiana Corridor project, the first public-private partnership of its kind in Illinois. This innovative financing method, which has already been used by Indiana on other projects, will bring new investment dollars into the state transportation system and allow IDOT and INDOT to make further infrastructure investments that will benefit the region. Studies by IDOT and INDOT have shown that the Illiana will provide local and regional congestion relief, create jobs, and serve as a much needed trucking corridor in the bi-state region.