ELGIN - August 27, 2012. Governor Pat Quinn today signed a new law to keep both students and faculty safe as they head back to school.  House Bill 5602 allows juvenile criminal records to be shared with school officials when there is an imminent threat to individuals at the school and certain offenses have been committed by a student. Today's action is the latest by Governor Quinn to improve safety in Illinois schools.

"Our children and their teachers deserve to go to school everyday feeling safe," Governor Quinn said. "This new law will help ensure that schools are safe learning environments where the bright young minds of our future can be nurtured without fear."

Sponsored by Rep. Carol Sente (D-Vernon Hills) and Sen. John Millner (R-Carol Stream), HB 5602 arose from an incident at School District U-46 in Elgin where a teacher was attacked by a student who was under investigation at the time for two other violent attacks. The new law, which is designed to strengthen safety in schools, provides that information from these law enforcement records may only be shared orally and may not become part of the student's official school record or public record. This bill will require law enforcement and the school district to provide support services to an at-risk student when appropriate. The law is effective Jan. 1, 2013.

Also today, Governor Quinn signed two new laws that benefit community colleges in Illinois.

Senate Bill 3428, sponsored by Sen. Edward Maloney (D-Chicago) and Rep. Daniel Beiser (D-Alton), requires that one of the 12 members on the Illinois Community College Board (ICCB) must be a public community college president, the Chancellor of City Colleges of Chicago or the CEO of Illinois Eastern Community Colleges. The law, which is designed to improve community college representation, is effective immediately.

Senate Bill 2929, sponsored by Sen. Michael Noland (D-Elgin) and Rep. Keith Farnham (D-Elgin), allows community colleges seeking bids for projects to utilize the Procurement of Domestic Products Act, which requires the promotion and use of goods manufactured in the United States. However, in cases when available domestic products are too expensive, of low quality or when foreign purchases better serve the public interest, the use of domestic products is not required. The law is effective immediately.

Use of "perc" now subject to tougher safety measures

CHICAGO - August 24, 2012. Governor Pat Quinn today signed a new law to impose tougher safety measures on the use of perchloroethylene (a solvent commonly known as "perc") by dry cleaners. House Bill 4526 requires dry cleaners to use "best management practices" while using the solvent. The law is backed by the dry cleaning industry, environmentalists and Illinois Environmental Protection Agency.

"If improperly handled, dry cleaning solvents can seep into our groundwater and skies, and pose a threat to workers," Governor Quinn said. "This new law will help protect our drinking water and we salute the dry cleaning industry - and especially the Korean American Drycleaners Association - for partnering with environmental advocates to get this done."

Sponsored by Rep. Michael Zalewski (D-Summit) and Sen. Heather Steans (D-Chicago), this legislation includes improved control and containment systems, better training, and more comprehensive reporting. The law will require all new dry cleaning machines, beginning in 2013, to have "primary and secondary" control systems to reduce the concentration of perc, and to have sealed containment structures to contain leaks or spills by 2014.

"This legislation will significantly reduce future contamination of wells used for drinking water through improved handling and disposal of perchloroethylene through practices that are reasonable and affordable to the thousands of drycleaners across Illinois, many of which are small, family-run businesses," said John Kim, Interim Director of the Illinois EPA.

"We've known about the dangers of perc for years, so, as an elected official, an Illinois resident and a parent, I am glad we could produce an agreement among small business owners, the Illinois EPA and the General Assembly to protect Illinoisans from this potentially harmful chemical," said Rep. Zalewski, who helped lead the negotiations.

Under the new law, each dry cleaning facility will be required to have at least one person trained in "best management practices" to be present when operating dry cleaning machines. The training must be approved by the Illinois Drycleaner Environmental Response Trust Fund Council. Proof of training must be available at the dry cleaning facility and a refresher course must be taken every four years.

"Protecting the purity of our state's drinking water is a serious duty," said Sen. Steans, Vice-Chair of the Illinois Senate Environment Committee. "This law will modernize the dry cleaning industry and prevent perchloroethylene from reaching our faucets."

Perc - used for dry cleaning since the 1930s - was the first chemical to be classified as a carcinogen by a federal agency. Wellwater tainted by perc in the Village of Crestwood put the issue front-and-center in 2009. Of the 47 public health warnings issued by the Illinois EPA and Department of Public Health, 36 were due to detection of perchloroethylene.

"This bill is an example of what can happen when people in the dry cleaning industry, environmental advocates and concerned elected officials come together with a common solution," said Sung Kang, Chairman of the National Drycleaners Institute and past-President of the Korean American Drycleaners Association. "This new law provides protections to both the environment and the industry."

The new law requires more reporting and transparency. Dry cleaning license renewals must include certification that all hazardous waste is being stored and transported lawfully. Manufacturers of perchloroethylene and other solvents sold in Illinois will be required to provide the Illinois EPA with information so that the Agency can determine if such chemicals are posing a health risk to the environment.

"We were able to bring all stakeholders to the table and arrive at a triple win for Illinois: protecting public health, preserving the environment and bringing economic stability to the dry cleaning industry," said Melville Nickerson, Staff Attorney at the Environmental Law and Policy Center, who led negotiations on behalf of environmental groups.

"This bill will help prevent the hazardous dry cleaning chemical perc from contaminating groundwater, while also helping vet safety of new dry cleaning chemicals that may come along to replace perc," said Max Muller, Program Director at Environment Illinois. "We applaud Governor Quinn, the Illinois EPA staff, and the dry cleaning industry for their leadership on this."

There are 994 licensed dry cleaning facilities in Illinois. Last year, about 45,000 gallons of perchloroethylene were purchased in Illinois. The Illinois Drycleaner Environmental Response Trust Fund Council has classified only three dry cleaning solvents as being "green": carbon dioxide, Propylene Glycol ("Solv-Air") and "Green Earth."

Proponents include the Illinois EPA, Korean American Drycleaners Association, National Drycleaners Institute, Environmental Law and Policy Center, Illinois Environmental Council, Environment Illinois, Sierra Club and others. The law is effective immediately.

$2.5 million grant helps Illinois become seventh HeartRescue state

CHICAGO - August 22, 2012. Governor Pat Quinn and the University of Illinois Hospital Health Sciences System today launched Illinois Heart Rescue, a statewide all-volunteer effort to more than double survival from sudden cardiac arrests. The Medtronic Foundation provided a $2.5 million grant to the University of Illinois Hospital to coordinate Illinois Heart Rescue. Governor Quinn recently signed a new law to increase CPR training.

"Learning CPR is something simple we can all do to help save lives, whether you're on the field, in the classroom or at home," Governor Quinn said. "Illinois Heart Rescue will educate the public about heart health and help give those experiencing cardiac arrest a greater chance of survival."

Illinois Heart Rescue's community initiative will aim to improve bystander CPR in Illinois through free instruction. The effort is designed to more than double survival from sudden cardiac arrests by strengthening three key links in the chain of survival: bystander CPR, pre-hospital resuscitation by EMS, and post-arrest care through hospital interventions. In the first moments, a knowledgeable bystander who can begin CPR can save a life. At today's event, bystander-performed, chest-compression-only CPR was demonstrated.

The program's all-volunteer leadership team represents an unusually broad collaboration among physicians, health professionals, community organizations, hospitals, EMS systems, fire departments and governmental agencies across the state.

Evidenced-based best practices for pre-hospital care will be taught to 911 dispatchers, EMTs, firefighters, and paramedics in simulator training at the Chicago Fire Academy Simulation Center and later at simulation centers in Peoria and Evanston. The Illinois Heart Rescue team will use social media, multi-lingual and culturally-sensitive messaging, athletic events and community health fairs to reach the diverse population of Illinois.

Leaders in the initiative include the Chicago Fire Department, Chicago EMS System, the Illinois Department of Public Health, the Chicago Cardiac Arrest Resuscitation Education Service (CCARES) and the University of Illinois Hospital and Health Sciences System. Other grant partners include the American Heart Association, the Chicago Cubs, the American Red Cross, the Chicago Department of Public Health and many community organizations that include local health clinic systems and neighborhood groups.

Governor Quinn signed House Bill 5114 earlier this summer, which allows middle school students to learn CPR and AED skills in the classroom. In 2011, he also signed legislation providing legal protection to good Samaritans who performed CPS in an emergency, which will encourage citizens to use this critical skill to save a life.

PARTNER QUOTES

"In sudden cardiac arrest, a few seconds of time can make a lifetime of difference," said Dr. Terry Vanden Hoek, professor and chair of emergency medicine at the University of Illinois Hospital, who will lead the project. "The unprecedented collaboration from so many Illinois institutions along with the opportunity Medtronic Foundation has provided us will allow us to help the people of Illinois and serve as a model for other states."

"Currently, one of the missing links in the 'chain of survival' is data," said Dr. Joseph Weber, Chicago EMS director, emergency-medicine physician at Stroger Cook County Hospital and assistant professor at Rush Medical College.  "This grant will allow us to quantify cardiac-arrest survival across the state. We can then use this data to direct quality improvement initiatives and track progress on our ultimate goal of improving cardiac arrest survival in Illinois."

"We will bring the science of cardiac-arrest resuscitation to the streets through simulation training," said Dr. Eric Beck, EMS Medical Director for Chicago and assistant professor of medicine at the University of Chicago. "Simple things like high quality, uninterrupted chest compressions and limiting patient movement during cardiac arrest have been shown to dramatically improve survival."

"If you see someone collapse, the message is simple: Call 911. Start doing chest compressions, 100 beats per minute and two inches deep. Call for someone to bring an AED and use it. These actions alone can save someone's life," said Dr. Amer Aldeen, assistant professor of emergency medicine at Northwestern University, co-director of CCARES and Illinois Heart Rescue community liaison. "We plan to spread the message of bystander CPR and AEDs throughout Illinois, especially in our relatively underserved urban and rural areas."

"We are especially pleased to partner with Illinois Heart Rescue in this important initiative to eliminate disparities in sudden cardiac arrest and to improve cardiac arrest outcomes in our state, particularly in Chicago and underserved rural areas of the state," said Dr. Derek J. Robinson, executive director, Illinois Hospital Association's Quality Care Institute.  Almost 30 hospitals throughout Illinois will collaborate initially to collect outcome data and champion state-of-the-art care for patients post-resuscitation.

EAST ST. LOUIS - August 16, 2012. Governor Pat Quinn today signed a new law to create the Metro East Police District and increase public safety in the region. The new law will strengthen law and order in four Metro East communities. Today's action was the latest by Governor Quinn, who was joined by local legislators at the Illinois Army National Guard post, to improve public safety in Illinois.

"There is no place for corruption in East St. Louis, Alorton, Brooklyn, Washington Park or anywhere in Illinois," Governor Quinn said. "The Metro East Police District will bring the full force of law to these communities and better protect the residents of the region."

Sponsored by Sen. James Clayborne, Jr., (D-East St. Louis) and Rep. Eddie Lee Jackson, Sr., (D-East St. Louis), Senate Bill 549 establishes the Metro East Police District and the Metro East Police District Commission to oversee the district.

The 17-member Commission will provide oversight for the four municipal police departments and will tie funding to the meeting of standards set by the Commission. While all four departments will continue to operate independently, the Commission will establish financial and ethical rules for them, and will be responsible for applying for and spending state and federal appropriations and grants.

The Commission will be comprised of seven members appointed by the Governor, four members appointed by the Mayor of East St. Louis with city council consent, and one member each appointed by the Village Presidents of Alorton, Brooklyn and Washington Park, with village board consent. The Director of the Illinois State Police, St. Clair County State's Attorney and Director of the Southern Illinois Law Enforcement Commission (or their designees) will serve as ex-officio members. Commission members will be unpaid.

The legislation is designed to respond to cases of corruption and crime in the region. Felony charges have been filed against 14 members of law enforcement agencies from these four communities in the past 18 months, according to the St. Clair County State's Attorney's Office. Offenses included stealing evidence, texting a fugitive to warn him police were moving in, offering to drop arrest charges against a female driver in exchange for a sex act, defrauding the state and theft of bulletproof vests.

"The double threats of violence and corruption have cast a shadow on these cities for a long, long time, one continuously perpetuating the other," said St. Clair County State's Attorney Brendan Kelly, who spearheaded the reform. "This law is a first step towards giving the people a fighting chance at justice."

"As an educator in East St. Louis, I saw children who were doomed before they even had a chance," said Rep. Jackson. "This law puts the crooks on notice: the bad old days are over." The Metro East Police District is wholly in Rep. Jackson's legislative district.

"This is a unique solution to an unacceptable problem," said Sen. Clayborne, a former St. Clair County Assistant State's Attorney. "Corruption in the criminal justice system will not be tolerated."

The conditions in the four communities have also caught the eye of the Federal Government, which has prosecuted several official corruption cases there.

"I strongly support this legislation which will bring much needed reform to police departments in East St. Louis, Washington Park, Alorton and Brooklyn," said U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL). "For too long, residents of these communities have lived in a climate of violence. I commend Senator Clayborne and Representative Jackson for spearheading the passage of this important reform legislation that will not only improve the safety and security of the Metro East area, but will also help the police departments conduct themselves with professionalism and without corruption. I thank Governor Quinn for signing it into law."

"This is an historic moment for the Metro East region," said Steve Wigginton, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois. "The formation of this commission is the beginning of a new era of professional law enforcement for four communities that desperately need it.  From the beginning, State's Attorney Brendan Kelly and I agreed that the status quo is unacceptable and we needed to bring historic change to law enforcement in the affected communities. I thank those stakeholders and elected officials for supporting our vision and bringing this commission to life."

Metro East includes six counties in southwest Illinois and is home to 700,000 residents. Other proponents of the new law include the Illinois Municipal League, NAACP and Illinois Fraternal Order of Police. The law takes effect Jan. 1, 2013.