Will form basis of a strategic plan for Rural Affairs Council

MOLINE - July 26, 2012. More than half of participants at a series of rural listening posts held across Illinois this year said they expect their quality of life to improve in the next five years and cited job creation, education funding and access to affordable healthcare as the top issues facing their communities, Lt. Governor Simon said today.

These are the major themes in a report written by the Illinois Institute for Rural Affairs at Western Illinois University detailing the feedback Simon gathered from citizens during her rural listening tour in the spring, which took her to Carbondale, Freeport, Gibson City, Mattoon, Peoria and Quincy.

Simon presented the report to the 25-member Rural Affairs Council during a council meeting in Moline today and said the information will form the basis of a strategic plan that will guide the council's work and complement its focus on expanding local food access and strengthening rural emergency medical services.

"I look forward to working with council members to turn this feedback into a plan that ensures state government is meeting the needs of rural citizens," said Simon. "Being from Southern Illinois I appreciate the need for innovative ideas that will boost rural economies."

Over 360 people attended the listening posts and were asked to rank top concerns in the areas of health care, education, infrastructure, business climate, workforce training and quality of life before giving more detailed input during small roundtable discussions.

Despite the overall optimism of listening post attendees, 37 percent thought the quality of life in their community would get worse due to a lack of good paying jobs, and nearly 35 percent voiced concerns about inadequate school funding. Close to half of participants said the ability of local schools to prepare students either for college or for the workforce was the most important education issue.

Participants gave several ideas on how to alleviate these issues including a greater emphasis on vocational and technical training in addition to better collaboration between schools and local businesses. Participants also identified skills such as literacy and math as skills workers need to improve.

Governor Quinn recently signed a bill that Simon helped draft that directs the Illinois State Board of Education to develop model math curricula that will improve college readiness and workforce preparedness. The law is part of Simon's efforts to strengthen the state's community college system and improve college completion rates.

"Too many students arrive at college not prepared for college-level math and too many employers, especially in manufacturing, say workers lack the necessary math skills needed in today's global economy," Simon said. "We aim to reduce remediation and  prepare students for careers by strengthening math instruction in middle school and all four years of high school."

Rising healthcare costs were a top issue for participants as 32 percent of attendees said affordable healthcare was the most important healthcare issue, while another 22 percent cited access and availability of health insurance. Participants said that improved preventative care and healthier lifestyles could help stem rising costs.

Participants also discussed the critical role technology, particularly access to high-speed internet, will play in offering rural areas expanded access to specialists, preventive care and education services and helping control costs through improvements such as electronic medical records.

Improving high-speed internet access was seen by participants as vital to all parts of rural life in Illinois and attendees said it could offer solutions that enable rural residents, businesses and institutions to collaborate, increase efficiency and control costs. But the biggest barrier to expanding internet use was cost, according to 32 percent of attendees.

"We were impressed by the quality of the discussion and the passion that many of the attendees brought to the conversation," said Christopher Merrett, director of the IIRA. "By participating in the Listening Posts, rural residents demonstrated their commitment to their communities and their belief that rural areas are great places to live, work, and do business."

The report directs the Rural Affairs Council to form a work group and use participants' feedback along with data from the IIRA's Rural Life Poll, which formed the foundation of the questions asked at the listening posts, to begin work on a strategic plan.

Rural listening posts were held by Lt. Governor George Ryan across Illinois in 1986 and led to creation of the Governor's Rural Affairs Council the following year. In 1998, 2000 and 2007, the Rural Affairs Council, the IIRA and the Illinois Rural Partners, a non-profit, organized listening posts across Illinois to directly gather input from rural citizens.

The Rural Affairs Council is comprised of citizen members and representatives from various state agencies, institutions and organizations that impact rural Illinois. For more information on the council or to read the listening post report visit www.ltgov.illinois.gov.

###

50 farmers' markets in Illinois to receive federal grant funds

CARBONDALE - July 24, 2012. Thanks to a federal grant, the number of farmers' markets in Illinois that accept Link, debit and credit cards could double, Lt. Governor Sheila Simon, a local food advocate and chair of the Governor's Rural Affairs Council, announced today.

Simon said 41 farmers' markets across Illinois each will receive $1,200 grants from the Illinois Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) Wireless Project. Due to popular demand, additional applications will be accepted on a first-come, first-serve basis.

The program will enable farmers' markets to accept Illinois Link cards, which access federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, wirelessly for the first time.  A total of 49 SNAP-certified farmers' markets and direct-marketing farmers accepted Link cards in 2011, according to the United States Department of Agriculture, up from 15 in 2009. The wireless EBT project could bring the total to 99, or about one-third of farmers' markets statewide, by this year's end.

"We expect sales of local foods across Illinois, from urban gardens in Chicago to farms in Alexander County, to increase because of this program. Health benefits will follow," Simon said. "As a state, we export more than 95 percent of our food dollars. Doubling the number of farmers' markets accepting Link, debit and credit cards will keep more of those dollars in local communities, while improving the health of our citizens and underserved neighborhoods, at no new cost to state taxpayers."

The wireless EBT project, funded by a grant from the USDA, aims to expand access to fresh produce for low-income residents and boost sales of local foods. The program will be administered by the Illinois Department of Human Services and the Illinois Department of Agriculture with support from the Lt. Governor's office.

The funding is part of a $4 million nationwide effort by the USDA to increase SNAP use at farmers' markets. SNAP sales at Illinois farmers' markets totaled nearly $70,000 in 2011, an increase of over 522 percent since 2009.

"We're excited to have this opportunity to improve opportunities for low-income individuals to obtain nutritious foods and to support local farmers," said USDA Food and Nutrition Service Administrator Audrey Rowe. "SNAP participation at farmers' markets helps provide fresh fruit and vegetables to families and expands the customer base for local farmers - a win-win for agriculture and local communities."

Simon and Rowe will host a media call-in at 1 p.m. today with Connie Spreen, the executive director of the Chicago not-for-profit Experimental Station, and vegetable farmers, Cheryl and Josh Dotson, of Dotson Farms in Beecher. The mother-son team, along with Josh's wife, Bonnie, sells produce at several farmers' markets in Chicago.

Dotson Farms began selling at farmers' markets in 1979, when the operation was owned by Josh's grandparents. Today the Dotsons sell a variety of tomatoes, peppers, watermelon, cantaloupe, sweet corn and 30 other kinds of vegetables at three SNAP-certified farmers' markets in Chicago: Lincoln Square Farmers Market, Division Street Farmers Market and Pullman Farmers Market.

Since those markets began accepting Link, Josh Dotson has seen sales of his produce increase five percent at Lincoln Square and Division Street, and nearly 10 percent at Pullman which is in a low-income neighborhood situated in what is known as a food desert, or an area without easy access to fresh fruits and vegetables.

"Our farm has been selling at farmers' markets for many years, but we gained access to a whole new set of customers when they began accepting Link cards," Dotson said. "As a family farm, every new customer makes a difference."

The 41 farmers' markets that have been selected are located in 22 different counties across Illinois and range from large operations with nearly 100 vendors and artisans to tiny ventures with less than five farmers selling produce. These markets must obtain certification to accept SNAP benefits through the USDA Food and Nutrition service and sign a contract with the Illinois Department of Agriculture that requires disclosure of sales data, use of the wireless machine on all market days, and participation in required trainings, before seeking reimbursement from the program.

Participating markets will be able to keep the wireless EBT machines, but must absorb the wireless service costs after the project is complete in September 2013 or when their $1,200 grant is expended. Minimal customer service and transaction fees will not be reimbursed by the grant. Markets that are already certified and own an EBT machine can seek reimbursement as long as their certification and EBT purchase happened after November 18, 2011.

"With 1 in 7 Illinoisans currently receiving SNAP benefits, increasing the availability of EBT machines at farmers' markets makes so much sense: SNAP customers will gain access to the healthiest foods, and potentially millions of SNAP dollars will be redirected toward local agricultural producers, enabling them to invest in and grow their businesses," Spreen said.

Grant recipients will be provided community kits developed by the Lt. Governor's office and the Illinois Department of Agriculture that will include training and promotional materials including an EBT implementation guide that explains SNAP regulations, how to use an EBT machine and ways to partner with community organizations to increase the sustainability of a wireless EBT program.

Markets will be required to attend one of three regional trainings that will be held in late August and led by Experimental Station and the Illinois Farmers Market Association. These trainings will be open to any farmers' market in Illinois that would like to attend. An online presentation will be provided for markets unable to attend one of the trainings in person.

Upon completion of the program, Southern Illinois University Carbondale will use monthly sales data and market surveys to study and measure the impact wireless EBT machines and SNAP accessibility have on overall sales at farmers' markets and will release findings at the end of 2013 or early 2014.

Additional applications for the Illinois EBT Wireless Project will be accepted on a first-come, first-serve basis. For more information, or to apply, visit www.agr.state.il.us or call 217-524-9129.

Illinois EBT Wireless Project Participants

Abundant Market - Tuscola Downtown Farmers Market (Tuscola)

Alton Farmers' and Artisans' Market (Alton)

Aurora Farmers Market East (Aurora)

Bartlett Farmers Market (Bartlett)

Bureau County Farmers Market (Princeton)

Carbondale Community Friday Night Fairs (Carbondale)

Central Park Farmers Market (Decatur)

City of Mendota Farmer's Market (Mendota)

Clark County Farmers Market (Martinsville)

Clinton Area Farmers and Artisans Market (Clinton)

Deerfield Farmers Market (Deerfield)

DeKalb Farmers' Market (DeKalb)

Discover Sycamore's Farmers Market (Sycamore)

Elmwood Park Farmers Market (Elmwood Park)

F.R.E.S.H. Farmers Market (East St. Louis)

French Market (Villa Park)

George Washington Carver Farmers Market (Chicago)

Haymarket Square Park Farmers Market (Dixon)

Hinsdale Farmers Market (Hinsdale)

Hopkins Park/Pembroke Farmers' Market (Pembroke Township)

Huntley Farmers Market (Huntley)

La Grange Farmers Market (La Grange)

Lincoln Square Thursday Evening Farmers Market (Chicago)

Lockport Farmer's Market (Lockport)

Loyola Farmers Market (Chicago)

Main Street Farmers Market of Olney (Olney)

Morton Grove Farmers' Market (Morton Grove)

Northbrook Farmers Market (Northbrook)

Old Capitol Farmers Market (Springfield)

Oswego Country Market (Oswego)

Palos Heights Farmers Market (Palos Heights)

Portage Park Farmers Market (Chicago)

Ravinia's Farmers Market (Chicago)

Ridgeville Farmers' Market (Evanston)

Seaway Bank Farmers Market (Chicago)

Shelbyville Farmers Market (Shelbyville)

Skokie's Farmers Market (Skokie)

The Land of Goshen Community Market (Edwardsville)

Trinity United Church of Christ Farmers Market (Chicago)

Twin City Market (Sterling)

Uptown Farmers Market at Weiss Memorial Hospital (Chicago)

Success in Peoria paves way for Jacksonville, statewide expansion

PEORIA - June 29, 2012. During a visit to a Peoria women's shelter today, Lt. Governor Sheila Simon announced a new pilot program that is connecting survivors of domestic violence with free legal experts using webcams and a high speed Internet connection.

Simon designed the Virtual Legal Clinic to link domestic violence survivors in underserved areas with attorneys across Illinois that specialize in family law. The survivors receive a single, free consultation via webcam using internet technology at a local shelter and learn about legal options and remedies to keep their families safe.

The Virtual Legal Clinic began at The Center for Prevention of Abuse in December and is expanding to the Crisis Center Foundation in Jacksonville this month. After the pilot program is complete with additional expansions elsewhere in the state, Simon will provide the Illinois Coalition Against Domestic Violence (ICADV) with a packaged program it can use at agencies statewide.

Simon's pilot project comes at a time when funding for human services is being cut, but the Lieutenant Governor said the resource was developed in-house with materials funded by ICADV, and participating attorneys can receive free continuing education credits developed by Simon's legal staff.

"The Virtual Legal Clinic is a free, safe and ethical way to help victims of domestic violence become survivors of domestic violence," said Simon, a longtime legal advocate for domestic violence survivors. "The legal system can be overwhelming, and this service will help people take the next step toward safety and stability."

Sandra Quello Chiz is an attorney who consults with the Peoria clinic via webcam from her Manteno office. She immediately saw the benefit of the Virtual Legal Clinic in her first consultation.

"At the time of the consultation, my first client was involved in a legal battle and was fearful because she didn't understand what was happening," said Quello Chiz. "Not only did I explain to my client what was happening legally, but I was able to point her in the direction of other resources, too. The Virtual Legal Clinic is the best idea I've heard in a long time and I wish we could expand it faster."

Martha Herm, the executive director at The Center for Prevention of Abuse in Peoria, said her agency is averaging two to three consultations per month, primarily women who are new to the shelter and need legal guidance after obtaining an order of protection. The center serves 3,500 domestic violence survivors each year in Peoria, Tazwell and Woodford counties.

"Survivors often face many legal challenges and they don't know where to turn," Herm said. "If we can offer survivors a starting point - a free and confidential legal consultation - they'll know their options before making any other decisions."

The project's second site in Jacksonville serves between 350 and 400 clients in Morgan, Scott, Cass and Greene counties each year, said executive director Dona Leanard.

"Domestic violence survivors are already facing a great deal of stress and pressure, before adding in legal issues," Leanard said. "These attorneys are trained to handle domestic violence situations and can be incredibly helpful to clients that can't find help anywhere else."

Nationally, one in four women has experienced domestic violence in her lifetime, and in Illinois, nearly 40 percent of women will experience domestic violence by an intimate partner.

The Virtual Legal Clinic turnkey program should be available to ICADV member agencies (all outside of Chicago) by 2014 to fill a gap in services, Simon said. Ideal agencies are those that serve rural or underserved communities, and likely users are survivors who cannot afford a legal consultation but do not qualify for legal aid, or survivors whose alleged abusers are represented by legal aid. Legal topics for consultation include child custody and visitation, marriage and divorce, elder abuse, immigration and property issues.

This is not Simon's first foray into legal representation of domestic violence survivors. She prosecuted battery cases as a Jackson County prosecutor and founded Southern Illinois University School of Law's domestic violence legal clinic, which now has a second location at the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign.

Classrooms First recommendations promote consolidation and shared services

to redirect millions from back-office operations to students

SPRINGFIELD - June 29, 2012. The Classrooms First Commission has submitted a final report to Governor Quinn and the General Assembly with 23 recommendations to spur school district consolidation and streamline school district operations, with the goal of redirecting $1 billion to classrooms from administration spending, Lt. Governor Sheila Simon announced today.

Simon says she will work with state lawmakers in the coming months to introduce several legislative recommendations outlined in the report, "A Guide to P-20 Efficiency and Opportunity," that will reduce barriers to consolidation, boost use of shared services agreements and increase learning opportunities across the state.

Among the top priorities listed by the bipartisan advisory panel led by Lt. Governor Simon is the need to replace the state's consolidation incentive system. The commission recommends sun-setting current consolidation incentives in 2017 and replacing them with a system that is both affordable to the state and responsive to needs of merging districts.

The Classrooms First Commission was created last August by the Governor and General Assembly to reduce duplicative education spending and improve educational outcomes due to the state's budget constraints. The commission studied a Fiscal Year 2012 proposal to cut the state's more than 860 school districts in half, and found it would cost well over $3 billion under the state's current consolidation incentive structure. To rein in those costs, the report calls for incentives to sunset in five years and a commission to develop a new system based on a predictable, affordable formula or factors such as the square footage of a new district.

"We want Illinois to lead the nation in education performance, not bureaucracy," Simon said, "but taking a cookie cutter approach to efficiency ignores fiscal and educational realities. This report recommends several well-reasoned steps to spend smarter and expand opportunity. We lived up to our name to put Classrooms First."

Simon says while new incentives are being developed, lawmakers should implement several Classrooms First recommendations that promote consolidation in regions where it will produce cost savings and increase educational opportunity.

The first step is for Governor Quinn to sign Senate Bill 3252. The bill allows new "unit" or P-12 districts to gradually reduce their tax rate over four years following a consolidation. The maximum tax rate for a unit district is below the combined rate for separate elementary districts that feed into a high school district, so the legislation would give a district time to adjust to the lower tax rate, while still providing residents with property tax relief.

The second step is to make several legislative changes next Session that would reduce barriers to consolidation and cut red tape, Simon said. They would allow districts to merge with nearby neighbors when contiguous districts reject consolidation; expand the authority of regional board of school trustees to dissolve districts; and authorize districts to delay the effective date of a consolidation while waiting for construction funding.

"These recommendations eliminate bureaucratic burdens that keep districts from consolidating even when it makes sense," said Simon. "Removing these roadblocks will allow districts to focus on the merits and potential benefits of consolidation."

Within two years, the commission wants to see legislation authorizing the state to conduct feasibility and efficiency studies for districts in counties with small and declining school-age populations, which could lead them to consolidate. At that time, the state should also pilot a consolidation construction program that prioritizes funding for merging districts.

Beyond voluntary consolidation, the commission also recommended several legislative changes that would make it easier for districts to share staff and services beginning next Session and moving forward. One proposal would create a revolving fund to provide short-term, low-interest loans to seed cooperative service agreements or conduct efficiency studies; the loans would be repaid with the money gained through resulting streamlining. Another would permit districts to outsource non-instructional services if they were provided on a multi-district basis.

A third shared services proposal would authorize the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) to provide a web-based resource management program to districts so they can identify potential savings in five major spending areas: instruction, transportation, food services, administration and facility maintenance. A pilot program of a similar service in Ohio resulted in at least a 5 percent operational savings at participating districts. At that rate, Illinois districts could realize a net savings of almost $1 billion.

The Classrooms First report is the culmination of an 11-month, three-stage process that gave commission members the opportunity to review relevant research and Illinois data, create working groups to draft recommendations and collect public input from hundreds of administrators, teachers, parents and taxpayers from across Illinois. The commission held two sets of public hearings that were attended by nearly 500 people and included testimony from 85 individuals. Additional feedback was collected from 470 submissions to an online survey in the fall.

"When this commission was formed it was a political football, and it has been wrested away from that," said Brent Clark, executive director of the Illinois Association of School Administrators and a commission member. "We put this in a place where it could be talked about and not kicked around politically."

"You don't know what you don't know," said Paul Swanstrom, who represented the High School District Organization of Illinois on the Classrooms First Commission. "The Lt. Governor asked us to be open-minded and in so doing I think we have all learned things. One of the key elements of the success of this commission is we heard from people across the state about what they are doing, and the members of the commission were able to use this information in their deliberations."

Simon says she will begin meeting with stakeholders to move legislative recommendations in the coming year. To read the commission's final report visit www.ltgov.illinois.gov.