"Kids Don't Have Lobbyists: Part 2" is Latest Installment of Thanks in Advance Campaign

CHICAGO - December 20, 2012. One reason children stand to lose the most from the pension squeeze is their lack of a voice in Springfield, according to a new video released today by Governor Pat Quinn.

"Kids Don't Have Lobbyists: Part 2" picks up where the children left off in "Kids Don't Have Lobbyists: Part I." That video was posted last week as part of Governor Quinn's "Thanks in Advance" Internet campaign to educate Illinoisans about the urgent need for pension reform.

"Kids: Part 1" - which has been viewed more than 5,600 times - went behind-the-scenes at a children's focus group about cereal which turned into a discussion of pension reform. As the gravity of the pension problem became clear and the kids realized their voices were not being heard, they decided to hire a lobbyist. In the sequel, the kids hold "Lobbyist Tryouts" and interview "Mr.Tim the Lobbyist." They realize "Mr. Tim is expensive."

View both of the "Kids Don't Have Lobbyists" videos at ThisIsMyIllinois.com or the "Thanks in Advance" Facebook page.

"Today's adults must sacrifice a little of their present so the children of our state can have a bright future," Governor Quinn said. "In the past decade, the pension squeeze has forced deep cuts in early childhood education, after-school programs and grants for college-bound students. Nobody has more at stake in pension reform than the children of Illinois and we should all keep that in mind heading into January."

State spending on public pensions will exceed education spending by 2016 if comprehensive pension reform is not enacted. The state's pension payments - which made up just six percent of the state's budget in 2008 - have soared to 16 percent of the budget in 2013. That increase has "squeezed" the education portion of the budget from 30 percent down to 26 percent. The "squeeze" by pension payments on essential state services is the focus of "Thanks in Advance," which has attracted 41,000 unique visitors and nearly 50,000 YouTube views.

The "Kids Don't Have Lobbyists: Part 2" video joins four videos on the "Thanks in Advance" website, including videos by legendary "explainer" Salman Khan. Khan was named by Time Magazine as one of the World's 100 Most Influential People for his commitment to offering a "world class education for everyone everywhere."

In April, Governor Quinn proposed a plan that would rescue the pension systems, ensure employees have access to benefits and prevent skyrocketing pension costs from eating up core services like education and healthcare. The governor's plan would fully fund the pension system by 2042. "Thanks in Advance" aims to build public awareness about the need for legislative action on pension reform in Springfield and empower citizens to make their voices heard. The legislature is scheduled to work January 3-8.

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Coordinated Effort Will Review and Recommend Improvements to Existing Programs and Policies; New School Safety Video to Be Released in Early January 

CHICAGO - December 18, 2012. Governor Pat Quinn today announced that the Illinois State Board of Education, the Illinois State Police, the Illinois Emergency Management Agency and other state agencies will review existing programs for student protection and determine whether improvements can be made. Following the recent horrific massacre in Newtown, Connecticut, state agencies in Illinois will work together to assist local school districts and local law enforcement in the review to aid in emergency response planning and ensure they can provide support to local jurisdictions in a timely and efficient manner.

Today's directive is part of the governor's ongoing commitment to ensuring safe schools in Illinois.

"We want the parents of Illinois to know their children are as safe as possible when they are at school," Governor Quinn said. "Illinois has increased emergency preparedness and collaboration between local police and schools in recent years, but we must continue to take every step possible to make our schools even safer. This coordinated effort will assist local police and school officials to make sure our students are protected."

In the coming weeks, Governor Quinn will convene experts from the state and local public safety, education, public health and mental health agencies to discuss violence prevention and response strategies.

In addition, the School and Campus Security Training Program, a cooperative effort of the Illinois State Board of Education, Illinois Terrorism Task Force and the Illinois Law Enforcement Alarm System, will soon roll out a School Safety Drill Video and Computer-Based Training tutorial, which reflect best practices based on lessons learned from real life emergency events. The videos will be free and available for distribution for public and private schools by early January 2013. The videos detail specific actions for administrators, teachers and support staff for each drill, based on post-incident reports and de-briefings from real school events.

Since 2009, schools in Illinois have been required to perform an emergency drill at least once per year. In addition, schools must have emergency and crisis plans in place and review them annually.

Since 2005, the School and Campus Security Training Program provided more than 250 K-12 school safety planning courses attended by more than 8,600 participants representing 817 public school districts and 545 non-public schools. In 2012 the program delivered 55 preparedness training courses for both K-12 and higher education institutions, which were attended by 1,486 participants, to update emergency operations plans and increase their capacity to respond to and recover from all hazards, including active shooters. Currently, there are 11 courses scheduled from January through March of 2013.

"School-based emergency management teams, with plenty of back-up members, have become a standard part of education," said State Superintendent of Education Christopher A. Koch. "Efforts to keep our students safe require districts to build and maintain close relationships with their community responders as they run the law enforcement drills required under the School Safety Drill Act."

While significant focus is on planning and preparation to respond to emergency situations, state laws and services also address threats to our students' social and emotional health with requirements to address bullying. ISBE works with partners to provide statewide workshops on school safety and administers federal funds aimed at keeping students safe.

In 2004, Illinois became the first state in the nation to require all school districts to teach social and emotional skills as part of their curriculum and daily school life, from lunch room interactions to after school activities.  As part of these classes, students are required to meet certain benchmarks - such as recognizing and managing feelings, building empathy and making responsible decisions.

For more information, please visit www.ready.illinois.gov and www.isbe.net/safety.

Dedicates $4 Million in Illinois Jobs Now! Funding to Help Build Wounded Warriors Education Center

URBANA - December 6, 2012. Governor Pat Quinn today visited the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign to announce $4 million in Illinois Jobs Now! capital funding to help build the Center for Wounded Veterans in Higher Education. The new center will help returning Veterans with disabilities readjust to civilian life and provide vital rehabilitative, counseling, academic and career services to support wounded warriors as they achieve higher education. The governor was joined by Assistant Secretary of the Army Thomas Lamont, philanthropist Ron Chez and university leaders including Provost Ilesanmi Adesida and Lt. Col. Eric Stetson of University of Illinois ROTC.

"Our servicemen and women sacrifice years of their lives to protect our country and when they return, they deserve support in earning the degrees and dreams that so many postponed," Governor Quinn said. "Our wounded Veterans face unique challenges, but they should not face them alone. The Wounded Warriors Center will keep Illinois a leader in helping returning members of our armed forces achieve their dreams."

The state-of-the-art Wounded Warrior Center will combine 24-hour comprehensive support to prepare severely wounded veterans to live independently and to successfully pursue their educational and career goals. The center will house offices for supporting programs, research spaces, a fitness center, residential units for up to 12 occupants, a teaching kitchen, a conference room, tutorial support spaces and a lounge. The facility will also be LEED Gold certified.

"More than 60 years ago, wounded WWII veterans began returning home only to find that access to a college education would be denied to them because of the injuries they had sustained in their service," said University Chancellor Phyllis Wise. "In 1948, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, under the leadership of Professor Timothy Nugent, began to address this wrong, founding the world's first comprehensive program of higher education for individuals with disabilities. That commitment has never wavered and we live in different world today because of his program and the dedication of all of those who have followed Dr. Nugent. The Center for Wounded Veterans in Higher Education will be the newest addition to that long legacy that began here and that will always be among our proudest accomplishments."

The $12 million facility also is the beneficiary of a $6 million charitable pledge by U.S. Army Veteran Ronald L. Chez, who graduated from the University of Illinois in 1962 and is now president of his own financial consulting firm and chairman of Champaign-based Epiworks. Chez has been a strong supporter of efforts to help students with disabilities succeed in higher education, previously pledging $1 million to establish a scholars program that provides financial assistant to students with special needs. Additionally, the University has been working with donors to raise the final $2 million for the facility.

"There is no way that we can adequately compensate for the courage and service of our wounded Veterans," said Chez. "It is our special opportunity to honor these heroic men and women and their families by helping to provide the services and facilities they require. I cannot think of a higher priority for private citizens and government than to provide opportunities for education and independence to those who have served all of us."

Since its inception in 1948, the Division of Disability Resources and Educational Services (DRES) at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign has sought to advance the educational, social and vocational participation of people with disabilities through the collaborative promotion, provision and/or pursuit of innovative accommodations and educational services, and interdisciplinary disability research. DRES has made historic strides in interdisciplinary disability research - including wheelchair bus lifts, curb cuts and accessibility standards - many of which resulted from the applied disability research and/or educational outreach of its faculty and staff.

This fall, Governor Quinn and the Illinois Department of Veterans' Affairs launched Illinois Joining Forces, a new statewide public-private partnership that will improve support for servicemembers, Veterans, and their families. Modeled after the national Joining Forces initiative, IJF is spearheaded by First Lady Michelle Obama and Second Lady Dr. Jill Biden and seeks to increase collaboration and communication among non-profits and public agencies serving Veterans at the local, state and federal levels. Through IJF, participating organizations will work together to address gaps in services for job training and placement, healthcare, education and housing, actively refer veterans and servicemembers in need of assistance and offer better navigation of available resources and service to the public. To learn more about IJF, visit www.IllinoisJoiningForces.org.

For more information about other programs for Illinois veterans and servicemembers, visit www.OperationHomefront.org.

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Federal Funding will Upgrade Health Information Technology for 1,600 Providers Across the State

CHICAGO - December 1, 2012. Governor Pat Quinn today announced that $1.3 million in federal funding was awarded to three Illinois not-for-profit organizations to help them upgrade health information technology services in underserved areas of the state. The grants made possible by the Illinois Office of Health Information Technology (OHIT) as part of its White Space Grant Program will connect providers in the Metro-Chicago area, Central and Southern Illinois. The OHIT anticipates the grants will enable more than 1,600 individual providers to connect with more than 48 health care organizations serving hundreds of thousands of patients every year.

"Upgrading our health information technology network is a critical part of our efforts to transform our health care system into one that focuses on wellness and keeping people healthy through better preventive care," Governor Quinn said. "Improving communication among providers is a key to this transformation. These grants are another important step in the direction of a fully connected Illinois and better patient care."

Federal health officials refer to "White Space" health care providers as those who are practicing in areas that are currently underserved by health information technology infrastructure.

The three grants totaling $1.3 million will be awarded to:

1.  Heartland Health Outreach, the Alliance of Community Health Services and the Chicago Health Information Technology Regional Extension Center (CHITREC) in Chicago. Grant amount: $500,000.

2.  The Illinois Critical Access Hospital Network in Princeton. Grant amount: $495,120.

3.  Southern Illinois Healthcare in Carbondale. Grant amount: $338,600.

Funding for these grants is made possible through the $18.8 million in federal funding awarded to Illinois in 2010 under the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act as part of the HIE Cooperative Agreement Program. Illinois is using the funding to implement the Illinois Health Information Exchange (ILHIE), a network for the secure sharing of clinical and administrative data among health care providers across the state.

The ILHIE will allow for better care coordination among providers, reduced medical errors and duplicative tests, controlled health care costs, and improved health outcomes. The White Space grants will fill in gaps throughout Illinois and connect organizations to health information exchange services that would not otherwise be able to connect.

"Illinois' health information exchange network is only as strong as the volume and geographic diversity of providers connected to it," OHIT Director Laura Zaremba said. "Through these projects we are connecting providers in communities that need our assistance the most."

"Illinois is in an outstanding position to be a national leader in health information exchange for many years to come, " added ILHIE Authority Executive Director Raul Recarey, who will be working closely with these and other providers all across Illinois. "This is an opportunity to leverage our federal funding in a way that promotes connectivity and improves health care quality and care coordination among providers."

For additional information about health information exchange in Illinois please visit the ILHIE website at http://hie.illinois.gov.

About the Illinois Office of Health Information Technology (OHIT)

and the Illinois Health Information Exchange (ILHIE)

The Illinois Health Information Exchange (ILHIE) is a statewide, secure electronic transport network for sharing clinical and administrative data among health care providers in Illinois. The ILHIE allows providers to exchange electronic health information in real time and in a secure environment to improve health care quality and patient care. The Illinois Office of Health Information Technology  (OHIT) is working with the ILHIE Authority to support its development.