Annual Capital Investment to Create Jobs and Repair Infrastructure

BERWYN - August 23, 2012. Governor Pat Quinn today announced a $100 million capital investment to address local transportation needs and put people to work throughout Illinois. The funding, which is part of the governor's six-year, $31 billion Illinois Jobs Now! capital program, will fund the repair of municipal, township and county infrastructure and improve public safety. Illinois Jobs Now! has created or supported more than 140,000 jobs since 2009.

"At a time when many states are cutting back on critical transportation and infrastructure projects, Illinois is moving forward," Governor Quinn said. "This latest capital investment will provide local communities with the resources they need to move forward on immediate projects, while also paving the way for future improvements to create jobs and support economic growth."

Today's announcement allots the third of five, $100 million annual investments to fund municipal, township and county projects statewide. Projects will be selected and managed locally, with the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) providing oversight.

"The third installment of capital funds for local transportation projects demonstrates our continued commitment to local governments," Transportation Secretary Ann L. Schneider said. "We are proud to partner with local communities to improve the quality of life for residents, stimulate the economy, and help advance immediate road and bridge projects where needed the most."

The local component of Illinois Jobs Now! is distributed to local governments based on the state motor fuel tax formula. Projects funded through this process include street and bridge maintenance, upgrades to traffic signals, new storm sewers and bike paths, sidewalk replacement and pothole repairs.

A breakdown of the distribution of the $100 million by county, road district and municipality is available through an interactive map at www.dot.il.gov/fy2013/ and a complete list of projects is available at www.dot.il.gov/blr/mftbooklet.pdf.

Governor Quinn's Illinois Jobs Now! is the largest construction program in state history. Of the $14 billion in the program dedicated for transportation needs, $11 billion has been spent on projects that have improved 6,900 miles of roads and 990 bridges. In addition, more than $1.7 billion in road construction projects are scheduled for 2013.

Takes aim at sexual assault, stalking, domestic violence

CHICAGO - August 18, 2012. Governor Pat Quinn today signed three new laws designed to provide greater protections to Illinois women from sexual assault and domestic violence. Earlier this week, the governor signed a new law to protect women from stalking. Today's action is the latest by Governor Quinn to support crime victims and boost protections of women.

"Violence against women has occurred in small towns, urban neighborhoods and college campuses," Governor Quinn said. "These new laws will help us hold the predators accountable as well as prevent behavior which can lead to sexual assaults."

Governor Quinn signed House Bill 1645, sponsored by Sen. Toi Hutchinson (D-Chicago Heights) and Rep. Sara Feigenholtz (D-Chicago), to create the Sexual Assault Services and Prevention Fund. An initiative of Lt. Governor Sheila Simon and the Illinois Coalition Against Sexual Assault (ICASA), the law is designed to support sexual assault prevention efforts and aid the recovery of victims. According to Illinois State Police Uniform Crime Reports, about 15 rapes occur each day but experts agree that only one-third of all rapes are reported. In 2010, 18,349 survivors of sexual assault or sexual abuse were served by the hotlines of ICASA.

Under the new law, grants would be made to provide community-based assistance to victims of sexual assault and for activities to prevent sexual assault from happening. Administered by the Illinois Department of Human Services, the fund will be supported through the new Live Adult Entertainment Facility Surcharge. Club operators will be required to pay a flat surcharge on their gross receipts or impose a $3 surcharge on each patron upon admission. The law takes effect Jan. 1, 2013.

"I thank Governor Quinn for standing up for rape victims and crisis centers across the state," Lt. Governor Simon said. "This new revenue stream will help offset cuts that threatened critical services. When a sexual assault victim goes to a police station or a survivor calls a hotline, we need trained staff ready to respond. This bill helps to keep lights on and doors open, jobs filled and responders trained."

"This law is a victory for rape victims and the dedicated rape crisis centers who work 24 hours a day, 365 days a year in communities across the state to provide services to survivors of sexual assault." said Polly Poskin, ICASA Executive Director. "They will benefit from this innovative and important funding stream. We applaud Governor Quinn for signing this groundbreaking bill." Poskin noted that Chicago will be hosting the National Sexual Assault Conference from August 22-24.

"Gas taxes go for road-building; gambling fees fund addiction services. This is based on the same principle," said Sen. Hutchinson. "Let's work towards a society that understands that violence against women is totally unacceptable. Finding a way to fund these services is critical."

Governor Quinn also signed House Bill 5689 to create the Eradicate Domestic Violence Task Force, sponsored by Rep. Camille Lilly (D-Chicago) and Sen. Don Harmon (D-Oak Park). An initiative of Cook County Clerk of the Circuit Court Dorothy Brown, the law paves the way for development of a statewide voluntary prevention course for high school students based on the Step Back program.

Step Back was developed by Sarah's Inn, a not-for-profit that set up a pilot program at Oak Park and River Forest High School. It consists of a daily, 9 week, 45 minute session course designed to increase awareness of domestic violence, sexual assault, date rape, bullying and suicide.

Under the new law, the Task Force will be comprised of 27 experts and advocates who will and report to the General Assembly by April 1, 2013. The law is effective immediately.

"I am thrilled the governor signed this bill," Clerk Brown said. "Eradicating domestic violence is dear to my heart: I was a victim of domestic violence as a teen. If we can show our youth alternatives to violence and teach them self-esteem, we can help them understand that no one should be a victim." The statewide program will be administered and staffed by Clerk of the Court employees.

"The innovative Step Back initiative is already changing behavior - one student at a time - at my alma mater, Oak Park and River Forest High School," Rep. Lilly said. "These teens are getting lessons to last a lifetime."

"We applaud these actions to make violence prevention a priority," said Regina Botterill, Executive Director of Sarah's Inn, a 30-year old agency that helps battered women in Chicago's Austin neighborhood and 22 suburban towns. "Sarah's Inn and all involved with the Step Back program at Oak Park and River Forest High School are honored to be part of the process."

In addition, Governor Quinn signed House Bill 5264 to allow prosecutors to use prior domestic violence offenses as evidence in first- and second-degree murder cases involving domestic violence. Sponsored by Rep. Art Turner (D-Chicago) and Sen. Pamela Althoff (R-Crystal Lake), the bill passed unanimously in both chambers and was supported by Cook County State's Attorney Anita Alvarez. It is effective immediately.

Earlier this week, Governor Quinn signed House Bill 5922, sponsored by Rep William Cunningham (D-Chicago) and Sen. Dan Kotowski (D-Park Ridge), to expedite the process of serving "no-contact" notices to stalkers. Law enforcement authorities and process servers will now be able to use a shorter form to stop stalkers in their tracks. It also allows law enforcement officials to detain a respondent for a reasonable time to prepare and serve a short form "no-contact" order. Proposed by Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart, the bill - which passed unanimously in both chambers - amends the Illinois Stalking No Contact Order Act and Civil No Contact Order Act.

HB 5922 takes effect Jan. 1, 2013.

"We are working every day to strengthen education in Illinois," Governor Quinn said. "As millions of students prepare to go back to school later this month, these new laws will put vital public health data in the hands of parents, protect our children from bullying and improve their health."

House Bill 5013, sponsored by Rep. Robyn Gabel (D-Evanston) and Sen. Heather Steans (D-Chicago) is designed to boost vaccination rates. The new law requires public and registered nonpublic schools to make immunization and health exam statistics publicly available. While such data is now posted on the State Board of Education (ISBE) website, this reform will make it easier for parents to see just how many of their children's classmates are not vaccinated. August is National Immunization Awareness Month.

The State of Illinois requires vaccinations to protect children from a range of diseases. Failure to be properly immunized can lead to high absenteeism, heart problems or even brain damage. According to ISBE, more than 60,000 students (about three percent) were not in compliance with immunization or health exam mandates during the 2010-11 school year. The bill passed unanimously in both chambers and is supported by public health advocates, the Chicago Teachers Union and the March of Dimes. The law is effective Jan. 1.

Governor Quinn also signed House Bill 1473, sponsored by Rep. Mary Flowers (D-Chicago) and Sen. William Delgado (D-Chicago), which allows the Chicago Board of Education to implement a program to break down barriers between students of different backgrounds. The law is inspired by the successful "Challenge Day", which employs a carefully-designed, day-long series of trust-building exercises to foster new levels of empathy and respect. The law is effective immediately.

In addition, Governor Quinn signed Senate Bill 3259, sponsored by Sen. Kimberly Lightford (D-Maywood) and Rep. Linda Chapa LaVia (D-Aurora), which creates the Commission for High School Graduation Achievement and Success to help boost high school graduation rates. The Commission will examine alternative education programs in Illinois and other states, as well as STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) Learning Exchanges, the Illinois Pathways Initiative and other tools for keeping at-risk teens in school. The Commission's report is due to the governor and General Assembly by November 1, 2012 in advance of veto session. The law is effective immediately.

Governor Quinn continued to emphasize the need for public pension reform to ensure adequate resources for education in Illinois. Unless comprehensive pension reform is enacted, a new analysis prepared by the Governor's Office of Management and Budget (GOMB) shows that Illinois is on track to spend more on pensions than education by Fiscal Year 2016. Governor Quinn has proposed a comprehensive plan that will eliminate the unfunded liability over 30 years. The governor recently called a special session dedicated to pension reform on August 17.

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Walgreens Adds 500 Jobs, Spurs Economic Growth in Northern Illinois

DEERFIELD - August 3, 2012. Governor Pat Quinn and Walgreens today announced the "Invest Illinois Initiative," an agreement that calls for the nation's largest drug store chain to create 500 jobs over three years and invest $75 million to expand and renovate more than two dozen corporate offices spread throughout metropolitan Chicago. Walgreens currently employs more than 5,000 workers at its Deerfield headquarters and surrounding offices. Governor Quinn has made economic growth and job creation his top priority.

"Walgreens has deep roots in Illinois and is an important part of the region's flourishing health care hub," Governor Quinn said. "This expansion will create good paying jobs, attract additional investment to the area and help fuel our economic recovery."

The new jobs will focus heavily on supporting Walgreens' growing online business and its expanding pharmacy, health and wellness services. The new jobs are corporate positions and don't include the additional store-level positions the company anticipates creating in the same time period.

Walgreens' corporate workforce is currently housed in 27 different office buildings in Deerfield, Northbrook, Buffalo Grove, Lincolnshire, Bannockburn, Mt. Prospect, Northlake and Chicago. The company's investment will be used to retrofit disparate offices and make it easier for workers to travel between buildings.

Walgreens opened its first downtown Chicago office at the historic Sullivan Center in 2010 where it houses its e-commerce staff. It opened its first store on Chicago's South Side in 1901. The company has been based in Deerfield since 1975.

"We are proud of our Illinois heritage," said Greg Wasson, Walgreens president and CEO. "Just as our stores and pharmacies are health and daily living anchors for the communities we serve, we as a company are now recommitted to serving as an economic anchor for northeastern Illinois. A state and workforce that has served us so well for more than a century will now see our footprint grow even larger."

Under Governor Quinn's leadership, the state of Illinois has worked diligently to identify companies with the potential to bring jobs and economic growth to Illinois.  Illinois has added 140,700 private sector jobs since January 2010, when job growth returned to the state following a two-year period of declines during the recession.

Under the terms of the agreement, Walgreens will also be eligible for tax credits tied to retaining 1,500 existing jobs. The state's targeted investment package, estimated at $47 million, includes Economic Development for a Growing Economy (EDGE) tax credits, which are based on jobs and distributed over a period of 10 years; tax credits under the High Impact Business (HIB) Program which supports companies that propose substantial capital investments in operations; and training grants through the Employer Training Investment Program (ETIP). The Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) will administer the package.

Walgreens operates 592 drugstores in Illinois. Last year it announced plans to quadruple the number of Chicago stores offering healthy food selections to urban communities identified as food deserts. Walgreens had fiscal 2011 sales of $72 billion and serves nearly 6 million customers a day. It operates 7,907 drugstores in 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. Take Care Health Systems is a Walgreens subsidiary that is the largest and most comprehensive manager of worksite health and wellness centers and in-store convenient care clinics, with more than 700 locations nationwide.

For more information on why Illinois is the right place for business, visit http://illinoisbiz.biz.