CHICAGO - Governor Pat Quinn today issued the following statement regarding the U.S. Supreme Court's decision on the case of Harris v. Quinn:

"Today's 5-4 decision by the Supreme Court is disappointing.

"There are thousands of workers who care for our seniors and people with disabilities in Illinois, and they deserve the right to collectively bargain for decent wages, benefits and proper working conditions.

"A high-quality workforce of long-term, in-home care workers gives our most vulnerable citizens the opportunity to live independently in their own homes, instead of forcing them into expensive, long-term care institutions. All people, no matter what their challenges are, deserve the opportunity to choose to live in the community.

"We will continue working to provide quality care for our most vulnerable citizens and we will continue fighting to ensure workers get a fair shake for a hard day's work."

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Illinois Becomes Third State in the Nation Allowing Clinical Psychologists to Write Prescriptions

CHICAGO - Governor Pat Quinn today signed legislation to improve access to mental health care by allowing certain clinical psychologists to write prescriptions for their patients. The new law requires clinical psychologists to meet high education and training standards before applying for a license to prescribe medicine. Illinois is now the third state, along with New Mexico and Louisiana, which allow patients to get necessary medication from a psychologist. Today's action is part of Governor Quinn's agenda to ensure all people have access to quality healthcare and improve the health and well-being of the people of Illinois.

"We have to make sure people across Illinois can be properly cared for by a medical professional they know and trust," Governor Quinn said. "If someone needs help and lives on a budget, they shouldn't have to make multiple appointments or travel far and wide to get a prescription. This new law will improve access to mental health care by cutting down the number of doctors that patients need to see in order to get their medicine."

Senate Bill 2187, sponsored by State Senator Don Harmon (D-Oak Park) and State Representative John Bradley (D-Marion), creates a Prescribing Psychologist license that may be issued by the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR). This license may be issued to a licensed, doctoral level psychologist who has undergone specialized training, passed an examination and has entered into a written collaborative oversight agreement with a licensed physician. The psychologist may only prescribe medications to treat the mental illnesses of his or her patients who are between the ages of 17 and 65.

Under the previous law, clinical psychologists could provide mental health services to patients but were not able to write prescriptions. Typically, an individual sees a psychologist (a Ph.D.) for therapy and a psychiatrist (an M.D.) for their medication. The training requirements for prescribing psychologists under the new law mirror those of advanced practice nurses and physician assistants. The new is effective immediately.

"Southern Illinois has a limited number of psychiatrists, and allowing psychologists to prescribe certain medications only increases access to medical care and creates more opportunities for citizens to seek necessary treatment," Representative Bradley said.

"The unfortunate truth is that there aren't enough psychiatrists in Illinois to meet our state's needs," Senator Harmon said. "Giving psychologists limited authority to prescribe medicine, in consultation with medical doctors, should help us fill our system's current gaps."

Governor Quinn has long supported affordable and effective healthcare for all. He signed a law in 2010 to expand needed access to dental services by allowing licensed dentists to provide volunteer care at a nonprofit health clinic, which can then receive payments from the state. The clinics can use the Medicaid funding to pay for dental care costs such as equipment and supplies. The law will help encourage more dentists to treat low-income families throughout Illinois.

Also under Governor Quinn's leadership, Illinois proposed a five-year plan to transform the state's healthcare system, including strengthening the state's healthcare workforce, to meet the needs of Medicaid beneficiaries. If approved, the proposal would allow the state to obtain $5.2 billion in federal matching funds over five years to implement the plan.

Governor Quinn has signed multiple pieces of legislation to clarify and expand the scope of practice for certain healthcare professionals in order to ensure that Illinois residents have access to the healthcare they need. He also supports efforts to streamline and expedite veteran applications for professional licenses to benefit military families seeking employment and consumers seeking access to qualified healthcare professionals.

Pilot Program Has Resulted in 18 Startups Actively Pursuing Partnerships with Five Leading Illinois Corporations

CHICAGO - Governor Pat Quinn today was joined by CEOs from some of Illinois' top companies and rising startups to announce the successful results of the inaugural "Corporate-Startup Challenge" program. The pilot program, conceived by the Illinois Innovation Council and managed by the Illinois Science & Technology Coalition (ISTC), has resulted in 18 startups actively pursuing partnerships with leading Illinois corporations. The partnerships vary by company, but include investments, contracts and mentorships. These partnerships with leading corporations are critical to the long-term success of the startups. The initiative is part of Governor Quinn's agenda to drive innovation and create jobs throughout Illinois.

"This innovative challenge is helping solve an important piece of the entrepreneurship puzzle - connecting startups with often inaccessible large corporations," Governor Quinn said. "This gives the startups important experience and business, while helping these large corporations continue to innovate and stay competitive in the global marketplace. This will create jobs and drive innovation throughout Illinois."

Participating corporations Allstate, John Deere, Molex Inc., Motorola Mobility and Walgreens first identified areas for potential collaboration. Then, they examined startups that had been referred through a network of more than 30 universities, incubators, accelerators, associations and not-for-profits. Connections were created between the corporations and promising entrepreneurs during "Demo Day" events.

On the heels of this successful pilot program that was launched last summer, Governor Quinn announced the kickoff of the second round of the Challenge with corporations ADM, Exelon Corporation and Hyatt Corporation.

"Illinois corporations are relying more than ever on technology and innovation to stay relevant and globally competitive," Illinois Innovation Council Chairman Brad Keywell said. "Connecting corporate leaders with innovative entrepreneurs helps those leaders address their own challenges, and opens the door for these emerging companies to gain feedback and expand their businesses."

More than 200 startups were referred to the program, and 62 of them were matched to at least one corporation. Of the 45 that were selected to present at one or more of the Demo Day events, 50 percent received engagement beyond the Demo Day and 18 remain in some form of ongoing partnership, including startups Servabo and SimpleRelevance with Allstate, Ploughman Analytics with John Deere and SiNode Systems with Motorola Mobility.

"A start-up like SiNode Systems can learn and grow from an introductory pitch to a corporation, but the Corporate-Startup challenge provided us with a much more meaningful gateway," SiNode Systems co-founder and CEO Samir Mayekar said. "Thanks to our participation in this effort, SiNode has had the opportunity to learn directly from Motorola Mobility's top battery engineers and we have now established key relationships to help us build value and create more high technology jobs in Illinois."

"As part of our global product development efforts and interest in supporting Illinois economic growth, Molex was a natural fit for the inaugural Corporate-Startup Challenge program," Molex Inc. Vice President of Marketing and Communications Brian Krause said. "The program team did an outstanding job at the front end, understanding our technology requirements and innovation direction and marrying those with entrepreneurs and startup companies - including those from the state's research universities - who were looking for a compatible growth strategy. We are very optimistic that the partnerships developed will prove valuable to Molex and the startup organizations."

"Illinois' differentiator is our diverse corporate community, which plays a central role in driving and supporting innovation, especially as customers to emerging Illinois businesses," ISTC President and CEO Mark Harris said. "The Corporate-Startup Challenge demonstrated the mutual value of better connecting the state's entrepreneurial community with these corporations and we look forward to continue growing the program with even greater participation and engagement."

Corporations and startups interested in learning more about the Corporate-Startup Challenge should visit IllinoisInnovation.com.

About the Illinois Innovation Council

The Illinois Innovation Council (IIC) is a diverse group of leaders convened by Governor Quinn to promote engagement, innovation and economic development. Its mission is to identify and advance strategies that foster and accelerate the innovation and economic growth that will create the jobs of today and tomorrow. For more information, visit illinoisinnovation.com/illinois-innovation-council.

About the Illinois Science & Technology Coalition

The ISTC is a member-driven, non-profit organization that harnesses the power of research and innovation to grow the state's economy. Created by the state of Illinois more than 20 years ago and with the support of the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, the ISTC drives public-private partnerships between industry, research universities, federal labs and government to increase research and technology-based investment, talent, awareness and job growth in Illinois. For more information, visit istcoalition.org/.

CHICAGO - Governor Pat Quinn today issued the following statement on Juneteenth, the oldest known celebration commemorating the end of slavery in the United States:

"Juneteenth is a day to remember our past and embrace the freedom received by so many on June 19, 1865.

"Juneteenth reminds us of the struggle of enslaved men and women who were finally free and the strength of those today who dedicate themselves to the fight for equal rights. This day has become a tribute to African-American heritage and to the unwavering human spirit.

"Although this observance has become a global celebration and commemoration, Illinois is a special place to celebrate Juneteenth.  It is a home to countless civil rights activists, and a vibrant and historic culture of African American arts.

"I encourage all to take part in commemorating this special day."

In 2003, Illinois passed a resolution making the third Saturday of June a "day of observance" called "Juneteenth National Freedom Day." Celebrations are planned this week in many Illinois communities including Aurora, Champaign, Chicago, Kankakee, Pembroke Township, Quincy and Waukegan.