National Radio Broadcasters Hall of Famer, National 4-H Trustee and Civic Leader Appointed to Six-Year Term

CHICAGO - Governor Pat Quinn today appointed legendary broadcaster Orion Samuelson to the Illinois Racing Board. Samuelson was the host of the "U.S. Farm Report" for 30 years and is an expert in agribusiness. Today's announcement continues the Governor's commitment to making Illinois government more accountable, transparent and effective.

"Orion Samuelson is the best-known agricultural broadcaster in the country and an expert in his field," Governor Quinn said. "The people of Illinois will benefit from his knowledge, dedication and commitment to the people he serves."

Orion Samuelson of Huntley is heard six days a week on WGN Radio in Chicago, where he has served as Agribusiness Director since 1960. He is also heard daily on radio stations with his syndicated National Farm Report and syndicated "Samuelson Sez" commentary programs.

In 1998, the American Farm Bureau Federation honored Samuelson with the AFBF Distinguished Service Award. In 1997, the State Fair Junior Livestock Building was renamed the Orion Samuelson Junior Livestock Building as a tribute to Orion's four decades of service to the agricultural youth of Illinois. In 2001, the University of Illinois conferred Orion with the Honorary Degree of Doctor of Letters.

Samuelson has also received the highest award in the radio industry when he became the first Agribusiness Broadcaster to be inducted into the National Radio Broadcasters Hall of Fame. Samuelson is also in the Illinois Broadcaster Hall of Fame, the Illinois 4-H Hall of Fame, the National 4-H Hall of Fame, the Scandinavian-American Hall of Fame and the National Association of Farm Broadcasters Hall of Fame. He is also a recipient of the Lincoln Medal, the highest award the state of Illinois bestows.

Samuelson is past chairman of the Board of the Illinois Agricultural Leadership Foundation, a member of the Farm Foundation Bennett Round Table, a member of the Board of the Agriculture Future of America, a member of the Board of Farm Safety 4 Just Kids, a member of the Board of Directors of the Foods Resource Bank, a Trustee of the Cornerstone Foundation of Lutheran Social Services in Illinois and is a member of the Board of Trustees of the National 4-H Council.

As a result of Governor Quinn's efforts to make the executive appointment process more accessible and transparent, residents who are interested in serving on boards and commissions can now apply online. For more information on all of the state's boards and commissions, or to apply to serve on a board, please visit Appointments.Illinois.gov.

###

New Multi-Year Plan Will Improve 1,845 Miles of Highway, Replace or Rehabilitate 384 Bridges and Make Major Investments in Public Transit

SPRINGFIELD - Days after receiving positive feedback from bond rating agencies regarding his fiscal year 2015 budget plan, Governor Pat Quinn today unveiled a six-year, $8.6 billion construction program that will improve roads and bridges throughout Illinois while making major investments in public transportation. The projects are part of Governor Quinn's agenda to create jobs and build a 21st century infrastructure that will drive Illinois' economy forward.

"This comprehensive plan for our highways, public transit, rail and airport projects will make critical repairs and major improvements across Illinois," Governor Quinn said. "A booming economy requires a 21st century infrastructure. Our infrastructure plan will create thousands of construction jobs now while paving the way for more jobs and economic development in the future."

The fiscal years 2015-2020 highway improvement program will improve 1,845 miles of highway and replace or rehabilitate 384 bridges across Illinois. Among hundreds of projects across the state, the plan includes:

• $308.6 million for construction of a new I-74/US 6 bridge in Moline
• $107.9 million for bridge replacements on the Stevenson Expressway in Chicago
• $110 million for the Alton-Godfrey Expressway
• $204.4 million for US 150 improvements including a bridge replacement in Peoria
• $76.4 million for bridge replacements along I-80 in Will County
• $71 million for a new I-64 bridge over the Wabash River in White County
• $29 million to reconstruct IL Rt. 2/North Main in Rockford
• $52 million for work on I-74 near Champaign and Danville
• $65.2 million for work on IL Rt. 47 in Kendall County
• $27.8 million for resurfacing and bridge work on I-72/US 51 in Decatur
• $27.7 million for improvements to I-72 between New Berlin and Chatham Road in Sangamon County
• $73.9 million for I-70 resurfacing and bridge repair in the Effingham area
• $36.2 million for I-57 road and bridge work around Kankakee
• $65 million for improvements to Route 104 in Morgan and Pike Counties

The improvement program also includes $1.85 billion for public transportation and $800 million for airports with $161 million for fiscal year 2015. Highlights include :

• $60 million to re-establish passenger rail service, which includes a new station in South Elgin for the Chicago-Rockford-Dubuque Corridor in Cook, DuPage and Kane Counties
• $585.1 million to purchase up to 160 Electric Highliner Metra Commuter Cars
• $222 million to provide new intercity passenger rail service between Chicago and Moline for the Chicago-Quad Cities-Iowa City Corridor in Cook and DuPage Counties
• $132.6 million for the Englewood Flyover to reduce Amtrak, Metra and freight passenger rail congestion
• Funding to continue land acquisition and pursue final approval of the South Suburban Airport with the Federal Aviation Administration
• $2.45 million to purchase four 35-foot diesel buses, three super medium duty diesel buses, eight medium duty diesel buses and one minivan for replacement for the Southeastern Illinois RIDES Mass Transit District

"We have made tremendous progress the past few years toward improving the state's transportation infrastructure," Illinois Transportation Secretary Ann Schneider said. "However, with federal revenue sources dwindling and the end in sight for Governor Quinn's Illinois Jobs Now! program, I look forward to supporting the Governor's call for a bipartisan working group to find ways to continue this progress."

"Replacing the functionally obsolete I-74 bridge across the Mississippi River will not only increase safety but it will create jobs and economic growth across our region," Congresswoman Cheri Bustos said. "I am encouraged that Governor Quinn has included this important project in this construction plan and I will continue to work with local, state and federal leaders to ensure it remains prioritized and continues to move forward."

For fiscal year 2015, which begins July 1, 2014, the program has allocated $1.88 billion for road projects, $1.85 billion for public transportation, $2.7 million for rail and $161 million for airport improvements. For the six years of the plan, a total of $5.82 billion is targeted to state highway system improvements with $2.77 billion going toward local transportation needs.

The plan includes $6.99 billion in anticipated federal funds, $1.16 billion in state funds and the remaining $450 million from local and other sources. The $158 million remaining for road and bridge projects from Governor Quinn's Illinois Jobs Now! capital construction program is also included in this multi-year program.

Projects that are part of the fiscal years 2015-2020 program will begin after July 1 of this year. Of those projects, IDOT is offering contractors a reimbursement rate of $15 an hour for hiring graduates of the Highway Construction Careers Training Program, an IDOT-sponsored initiative to encourage women and minorities to pursue careers in the transportation construction industry.

The Governor is also asking the Illinois General Assembly to form a bipartisan working group to establish the next capital bill to ensure our roads, rail, transit and airports receive additional funding to ensure they are reliable and efficient for the future. Thanks to the Illinois Jobs Now capital bill more than $15.12 billion has been invested in the state's highways system alone from January 2009 through March 2013, improving more than 7,700 miles of roadways and more than 1,330 bridges.

Today's announcement follows news yesterday that Standard and Poor's has joined the other two bond rating agencies in noting Illinois' progress in addressing its budget challenges. The agencies recognized the hard work the state has done to cut costs, pay down old bills and pass a comprehensive pension reform plan. Standard & Poor's, Moody's and Fitch agreed that Governor Quinn's proposed fiscal year 2015 Budget could bring long-term fiscal stability to Illinois.

The multi-year transportation program builds upon the success of Governor Quinn's $31 billion Illinois Jobs Now! program, which is supporting more than 400,000 jobs over six years. It is the largest construction program in Illinois history, and is one of the largest construction programs in the nation. Prior to its passage by the Illinois General Assembly in 2009, Illinois had gone nearly a decade without a major program to address its critical infrastructure needs.

Plan highlights can be found at dot.il.gov.

###

Will Join WGN's Tom Skilling and National Weather Service Director to Discuss State Response to Recent Weather Emergencies

BATAVIA - Governor Pat Quinn will be joined by WGN's Chief Meteorologist Tom Skilling and National Weather Service Director Dr. Louis Uccellini at the Annual Fermilab/WGN Tornado and Severe Storms Seminar this weekend. While there, Governor Quinn will discuss the state's response to the high number of severe storms that have impacted Illinois over the past several years.

"Illinois has faced a record number of natural disasters in recent years," Governor Quinn said. "It is critical to ensure our state's emergency personnel and first responders are always equipped to do what is necessary to keep the public safe when it comes to severe weather. I salute Chicago's own Tom Skilling for the important work he does to educate the public on the impacts of climate change and importance of preparedness for severe weather."

The Annual Tornado and Severe Weather Seminar was established to educate Illinois residents of all ages about the dynamics of severe weather. Skilling created the seminar 34 years ago, along with Brian Smith, currently with the National Weather Service Forecast Office in Omaha, Nebraska. Last year, a discussion of climate change with a Nobel Prize winning scientist and other experts was held, and the discussion of the world's changing climate and its impact on severe weather remains a part of the program.

In the last five years, Illinois has been through 11 natural disasters, including a record drought in 2012; deadly tornadoes in 2012 and 2013; historic winter storms earlier this year; and floods, including the spring 2013 flooding in 49 counties that broke all-time records on four major river systems.

The severe winter weather in January 2014 again saw the mobilization of state resources at Governor Quinn's direction - stranded motorists were rescued, roads kept open, warming centers provided and assistance offered to keep homes and businesses heated.

On Nov. 17, 2013 a tornado outbreak across Illinois killed eight people, damaged or destroyed 2,500 homes and severely impacted the towns of Brookport, Gifford, New Minden, Diamond and Washington. The state was struck by 25 confirmed tornadoes in three hours, including two EF-4 twisters, the first ever of that strength during November. Just nine days after the tornadoes caused widespread destruction across the state, Governor Quinn successfully secured federal aid to assist people and businesses in 15 affected counties. Following federal denial of additional urgently-needed disaster assistance, Governor Quinn assembled a multi-agency $45 million state relief package to help Illinois local governments recover from the storms.

Following the catastrophic flash floods in April 2013, Governor Quinn also directed state agencies to assist citizens, businesses and local governments to help recover. The Governor mobilized all available state resources to aid in cleanup including debris removal, repairs, sandbagging, evacuations, supply deliveries and a grace period to file tax returns.

Last year, Governor Quinn was appointed to the President's Task Force on Climate Preparedness and Resilience which will recommend ways to strengthen the way states and the nation respond to natural disasters. The Governor is also currently working with U.S. Senator Dick Durbin and the Congressional delegation to pass legislation to improve the federal formula in the disaster assistance process and help more people rebuild their lives.

Fermilab generously donates its facilities for the annual program, which is expecting to draw nearly 3,000 participants this year. Speakers joining Governor Quinn this year include Dr. Louis Uccellini, Director of the National Weather Service; Dr. Russ Schneider, Director of NOAA's Storm Prediction Center in Norman, Oklahoma; Dr. Don Wuebbles, climate researcher from the University of Illinois; Ed Fenelon, Meteorologist in Charge of the National Weather Service Forecast Office in Romeoville; and Meteorologist Matt Friedlein, who discussed the horrific Washington tornado and the record severe weather outbreak which impacted the state in November.

###

Encourages Uninsured People Across Illinois to Attend a "Last Chance" Enrollment Assistance Event

CHICAGO - Governor Pat Quinn today attended one of Get Covered Illinois' (GCI) "Last Chance" enrollment events to urge everyone still waiting on the sidelines to take action to obtain affordable health coverage. With just three days left for uninsured residents to enroll in the Illinois Health Insurance Marketplace under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), GCI is hosting a series of late-night "Last Chance" enrollment events to provide in-person assistance. For the next three nights, GCI will also be extending call center hours until midnight.

"We want everyone to know that if you don't have health insurance, now is the time to take action and get covered," Governor Quinn said. "We will have the Get Covered Illinois navigators working until midnight across the state to help uninsured residents sign up for affordable health coverage before the Monday deadline."

The Governor appeared at an enrollment event at the Broadway Armory on the north side of Chicago where navigators armed with laptops and computers were helping uninsured residents explore their coverage options and enroll in a health plan. The last day to enroll in the Illinois Health Insurance Marketplace is March 31. Also at the event was the GCI Road2Coverage RV, which has been conducting a mobile tour across the state throughout the month of March to raise awareness about the historic opportunity to gain coverage and the impending deadline of enrollment.

More than 333,000 Illinois residents have signed up for health coverage under the ACA, according to federal and state figures. A total of 113,733 had purchased a plan through the Marketplace as of the end of February; an additional 220,000 have enrolled in expanded Medicaid under the ACA. GCI is on pace to meet the state-level enrollment estimate of 143,000 for the Marketplace established last September by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (from national Congressional Budget Office estimates).

The GCI website - GetCoveredIllinois.gov - has experienced a sharp increase in traffic during the month of March, seeing the daily count of unique visitors jump from less than 10,000 per day in February to 40,000 per day this week. In addition, the number using the GCI screening tool, which determines if applicants should seek coverage in the Marketplace or may be eligible for Medicaid, has tripled to more than 12,000 per day this week.

"We are telling everyone who was waiting until the last minute, that the last minute is now," GCI Executive Director Jennifer Koehler said. "Our team is working statewide to help make sure Illinois consumers don't miss out on the 'Last Chance' opportunity get the coverage before the March 31st deadline. We need everyone who hasn't enrolled to start the process now!"

Failure to act to get health coverage could result in:

·         Missing out on the coverage you and your loved ones need to stay healthy - the next opportunity to enroll in Marketplace health plan will be in November, with coverage starting in January 2015.

·         Incurring huge medical bills if you get hurt or sick.

·         Being fined either 1 percent of income or $95, whichever is greater, when you file your 2014 federal taxes.

GCI is urging health care consumers to take advantage of the assistance that is being offered via the web, over the phone and in person through hundreds of community partners statewide.

·         Visit our website at GetCovereredIllinois.gov (includes a Spanish-language version).

·         Call the Get Covered Illinois Help Desk at 866-311-1119.

·         Meet in person with a specially trained "Navigator" who can help you understand your options and help you enroll at one of the hundreds of partner sites across the state. There are more than 1,500 Navigators throughout the state that can be located by visiting the website and entering your zip code or through calling the Help Desk.

The following locations are offering special late hours for in-person enrollment assistance over the next three days:

Chicago events:

·         UIC Hospital: 1740 W. Taylor St., Saturday, Sunday, Monday 11 a.m. until midnight all three days.

·         Mercy Hospital: 2525 S. Michigan Ave., Saturday, Sunday, Monday noon to midnight.

·         Ann Sather's: 909 W. Belmont Ave., Saturday and Sunday 4 p.m.-midnight, Monday 10 a.m. to midnight.

·         Norwegian American Hospital: 1044 N. Francisco, Saturday, Sunday and Monday 8 a.m. to midnight.

Outside of Chicago:

·         Ingalls Hospital: Harvey, 1 Ingalls Dr., Saturday, Sunday and Monday 8 a.m. to midnight.

·         St. John's Hospital: Springfield, 800 Carpenter St., Saturday and Sunday, 10 a.m. to midnight, Monday, 10 a.m. to 11 p.m.

·         OSF St. Anthony: Rockford: 566 E. State St., Saturday, Sunday and Monday, 8 a.m. to midnight.

·         St. Elizabeth's Hospital/East Side Health District: Belleville, 211 S.  3rd St., Saturday, noon to midnight.

Follow Get Covered Illinois on:

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/CoveredIllinois

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CoveredIllinois

Twitter: @CoveredIllinois

Hashtag: #GetCoveredIllinois #Road2Coverage

###