SPRINGFIELD - Governor Bruce Rauner took action today the following bills:

Bill No.: HB 123

An Act Concerning Regulation

Action: Signed

Effective: January 1, 2016

Bill No.: HB 2925

An Act Concerning Regulation

Action: Signed

Effective: January 1, 2016

Bill No.: HB 3137

An Act Concerning Eye Care Coverage

Action: Signed

Effective: January 1, 2016

Bill No.: HB 3332

An Act Concerning Government

Action: Signed

Effective: Immediate

Bill No.: SB 344

An Act Concerning Health

Action: Signed

Effective: January 1, 2016

Bill No.: SB 837

An Act Concerning Regulation

Action: Signed

Effective: Immediate

Bill No.: SB 973

An Act Concerning Regulation

Action: Signed

Effective: Immediate

SOLID PITCHING SECURES BANDITS' SWEEP OF RATTLERS

Dykxhoorn, McNitt, and Thompson throw eight shutout innings in 6-1 win

DAVENPORT, Iowa (August 2, 2015) - Brock Dykxhoorn threw five shutout innings for the second consecutive start, and the Quad Cities River Bandits offense recorded a double-digit hit total for the second straight night, as the River Bandits beat the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers, 6-1, for their seventh straight win in front of 3,825 at Modern Woodmen Park Sunday night.

Dykxhoorn (6-3) repeated his July 26 outing in Burlington by not allowing a run in five innings. Bettering his other numbers from last Sunday, Dykxhoorn struck out eight while allowing only one hit. In his return to the active roster, Brandon McNitt followed with two shutout innings of his own, allowing two hits and striking out a pair. Ryan Thompson struck out two and walked one in a scoreless eighth inning, while Angel Heredia allowed the lone run to Wisconsin (13-23 second half, 36-70 overall) on a sacrifice fly by third baseman Sthervin Matos in the ninth inning.

The River Bandits (24-14, 69-36) got to Timber Rattlers starter David Burkhalter (3-7) early, striking for three runs in the bottom of the second. With one out, first baseman Bryan Muñiz, who had reached in six straight plate appearances coming into the day, doubled to left center field. In the second inning, second baseman Jose Fernandez followed the Muniz double with a booming shot to left that landed halfway up the berm, his first home run in the Midwest League this season, making it a 2-0 Quad Cities lead. Catcher Garrett Stubbs followed the homer with a walk, and after third baseman Luis Reynoso struck out swinging, advanced to second on a walk to shortstop Kristian Trompiz. Jason Martin then singled to right, scoring Stubbs from second base and increasing the River Bandits lead to 3-0.

A Stubbs walk in the fourth inning started another run-scoring rally, followed by a bunt single by Reynoso and a Trompiz sacrifice bunt, moving runners to second and third. Martin hit a fly ball to left field, deep enough to score Stubbs from third, making it 4-0, and center fielder Bobby Boyd followed with a double off the top of the ribbon board in right field, scoring Reynoso and making it a 5-0 game.

That score remained until the seventh, when Fernandez reached on a fielder's choice and went to third base on a Stubbs single, but Wisconsin third baseman Sthervin Matos made a throwing error trying to get Stubbs at second base, which allowed Fernandez to score.

Muñiz set a River Bandits season high by extending his on-base streak to nine consecutive plate appearances. After his first-inning double, he was hit by a pitch in the third inning and had a bloop double down the right-field line in the fifth inning before flying out to center field in the seventh inning.

The entire Midwest League has an off day on Monday, and the River Bandits will look to extend their seven-game winning streak on Tuesday with the first of three games against the Bowling Green Hot Rods. Right-hander Justin Ferrell (2-2, 2.77) will be on the mound for Quad Cities, while right-hander Yonny Chirinos (3-1, 0.75) will throw for Bowling Green.

THREE BANDITS COMBINE TO SHUT OUT WISCONSIN

After James, Freeman and Ferrell blank Wisconsin, Quad Cities has its most shutouts since 2010

DAVENPORT, Iowa (August 1, 2015) - Joshua James went 5 2/3 shutout innings, followed by Michael Freeman retiring seven straight batters and Riley Ferrell working a scoreless inning, while the Quad Cities River Bandits' offense pounded out 15 hits in their sixth straight win - a 5-0 victory over the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers in front of 7,318 at Modern Woodmen Park Saturday night.

The River Bandits (23-13 second half, 68-36 overall) had a hit from every player in their lineup to extend the club's longest winning streak since a season-high 12-game winning streak April 29-May 11. Quad Cities became the first team in baseball to win 68 games this season and continued to improve upon the franchise's best overall record - now 32 games above .500 - in 23 seasons.

After allowing 11 runs in his last 11 innings, James (4-2) allowed just six men to reach on Saturday, yielding three hits and walking three batters while striking out four. With a 3-0 lead, the right-hander gave way to Freeman in the sixth inning with runners at first and second bases and two out. A passed ball moved two runners into scoring position before Freeman struck out McCall, ending the inning. Freeman went on to strike out three more in his outing, turning things over to Ferrell in the ninth. Ferrell walked one batter in an otherwise spotless inning to lower his earned run average to 1.20 in 10 appearances and close the door on the club's 11th shutout - its most in five seasons.

Wisconsin (13-22, 36-69) put James in a jam right away with back-to-back, two-out baserunners in the first inning on a hit by catcher Carlos Leal and a walk to right fielder Elvis Rubio. James was able to recover, getting first baseman Alan Sharkey to pop out to shortstop Kristian Trompiz to end the inning. The Timber Rattlers had only three baserunners reach scoring position, with one left on base in the first inning and two in the sixth inning.

The River Bandits' offense got started with a first-inning, two-out rally of their own. Second baseman Nick Tanielu doubled to left and then scored on a Ryan Bottger single to left field to put Quad Cities ahead, 1-0. After a walk to designated hitter Ramon Laureano, third baseman Jose Fernandez drove in Bottger on a base hit to right, doubling the lead.

Quad Cities added another run in the third inning. Laureano walked and was eventually retired at home plate on a fielder's choice that allowed Fernandez to reach first base. Then first baseman Bryan Muñiz singled to left field, and an error by Wisconsin left fielder Mitch Meyer allowed Fernandez to score the third run of the game. Timber Rattlers left-hander David Carver (1-2) was charged with three runs - two earned - on eight hits and three walks with one strikeout in 5 1/3 innings.

The last two runs of the night for the River Bandits came in the eighth inning against left-hander Tyler Linehan. Fernandez led off with an infield single and stole second base before scoring on a single by Muñiz. A wild pitch moved Muñiz to second base with one out, and Trompiz reached on an infield single to put runners at first and third bases. Martin added an RBI single to right field to score Muñiz for a 5-0 River Bandits lead.

RECORD MODERN WOODMEN PARK CROWD BOOSTS BANDITS

Quad Cities treats 8,207 to fifth straight win to improve to 31 games above .500

DAVENPORT, Iowa (August 1, 2015) - In front of 8,207 - the franchise's largest home crowd in at least 14 seasons - Quad Cities River Bandits right-hander Elieser Hernandez pitched 6 2/3 shutout innings for his first Midwest League win, and All-Star third baseman Nick Tanielu went 3-for-4 with three RBIs in a 7-1 win over the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers at Modern Woodmen Park Friday night.

The River Bandits (22-13 second half, 67-36 overall) won their fifth straight game for their longest winning streak since a season-high 12-game winning streak April 29-May 11. They are also 31 games above .500 for what is believed to be the first time in 23 seasons. The 1992 Quad City River Bandits went 91-46 overall and were the last team in franchise history to finish a season at least 29 games above .500.

Before Wisconsin (13-21, 36-68) managed a hit off Hernandez (1-1), Quad Cities built a 4-0 lead in the second inning. Timber Rattlers right-hander Angel Ventura (5-5) began the bottom of the second inning by walking left fielder Drew Ferguson. After right fielder Ramon Laureano flied out to left field, second baseman Jose Fernandez hit a line drive down the third-base line for an RBI triple. First baseman Ryan Bottger lined out to Timber Rattlers first baseman Alan Sharkey for the second out, but catcher Trent Woodward reached when second baseman Tucker Neuhaus made an errant throw to first base, allowing Fernandez to score. The error extended the inning for shortstop Kristian Trompiz, who hit his fifth home run (first since June 1) over the Modern Woodmen Berm in left field for a 4-0 lead.

Hernandez yielded his first hit with two outs in the third inning, when Timber Rattlers shortstop Blake Allemand doubled to right field. Hernandez responded by striking out three of the next four batters. The only Wisconsin baserunner to reach third base against Hernandez was third baseman Sthervin Matos in the fifth inning. Hernandez hit Matos with a pitch for the second time in the game to lead off the fifth inning, and after left fielder Mitch Meyer's sacrifice and center fielder Francisco Castillo's two-out infield single, Hernandez got Allemand to fly out to center field, stranding runners at first and third bases with a 4-0 lead.

The River Bandits added a run off Ventura in the fifth inning, after designated hitter Jason Martin reached following a strikeout on Ventura's second wild pitch. Tanielu then doubled to right field, bringing in Martin for a 5-0 lead. Ventura lasted five innings, allowing five runs - two earned - on six hits and one walk with seven strikeouts. Right-hander Gian Rizzo pitched a scoreless bottom of the sixth inning.

The last two River Bandits runs came off left-hander Kodi Medeiros in the seventh inning. Woodward hit a leadoff infield single before Trompiz reached on a fielder's choice, and Martin drew a one-out walk. Tanielu then drove in both baserunners with a double to center field over Castillo to make it 7-0. Tanielu's three hits Friday raised his batting average to .313 - fourth-highest in the Midwest League and best among players on Western Division teams - and his three RBIs Friday gave him a season total of 56 - the fourth-most in the league.

Hernandez scattered four hits and one walk while striking out eight batters, including the first two in the seventh inning. But Neuhaus then hit an infield single over the pitcher's mound that ended Hernandez's night. Right-hander Jorge Perez got the last out of the inning but allowed the only Wisconsin run in the eighth inning. Allemand led off by reaching second base on a dropped fly ball by center fielder Bobby Boyd. Right fielder Elvis Rubio reached on an infield single, with a throwing error by Trompiz sending Allemand to third base. Sharkey grounded an RBI single into right field before Perez got the last two outs of the inning, allowing one unearned run on two hits with one strikeout in 1 1/3 innings. Left-hander Zach Davis worked around a leadoff walk for a scoreless ninth inning to end the 7-1 victory.

By U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley

Two summers ago, Barbara and I visited the Harry S. Truman Library in Independence, Missouri. It's also the place where President Lyndon B. Johnson chose to sign Medicare into law 50 years ago on July 30, 1965.  It was a signature moment in our nation's history that today calls for solutions to help strengthen Medicare for generations yet to come.

At that time in our nation's history, nearly half of older Americans had no health insurance. In the last five decades, Medicare has provided tens of millions of Americans and individuals with disabilities access to health care. It has arguably contributed to increased life expectancy, improved the quality of life for aging Americans and secured peace of mind for people worried about medical expenses in retirement.  As the baby boom population reaches Medicare eligibility, the program's already broad impact on the nation's health care delivery system and the taxpaying public will become even more significant.

Medicare flexes enormous influence in local economies and shapes how medicine is delivered and paid for by older Americans and people with permanent disabilities. Throughout its first 40 years, Medicare established itself as the primary insurer for hospital coverage (Part A) and physician coverage (Part B) for older Americans. As then-chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, I shepherded through Congress the most significant reform to Medicare since its enactment. This bipartisan, bicameral effort helped secure the first-ever voluntary prescription drug benefit through Medicare (Part D). Since 2006, Medicare recipients may obtain pharmaceutical coverage through this program.

Today Medicare serves nearly 54 million Americans.  An entitlement program that administers health care insurance for that many people has its share of challenges. For starters, it's burdened by the infamous complexity and unaccountability that afflicts so many government-run programs. Keeping intact the fiscal integrity of the program will become even more important to help ensure the sustainability of the program for our children and grandchildren. That's why I work to strengthen whistleblower protections laws that have proven instrumental to expose wrongdoing. And I keep close tabs on federal agencies tasked with rooting out health care fraud so that Medicare dollars are spent as intended.

The 114^th Congress took decisive bipartisan steps earlier this year to fix a flaw that contributed to huge uncertainty for patients and doctors for the last 17 years.  The Medicare Access and Chip Reauthorization Act improved the reimbursement formula that adversely affected health care providers serving Medicare patients.  Medicare doesn't do a whole lot of good if a sick patient doesn't have a doctor or health care provider to visit.

Looking ahead, Medicare needs to strengthen its ability to secure access to affordable care. Federal lawmakers must ask probing questions that demand fiscal accountability. I have worked to secure stronger transparency laws that give policymakers and the public the opportunity to check out Medicare payment data to make sure Medicare dollars aren't squandered.

Medicare spending consumes nearly 14 percent of the federal budget, accounting for about a fifth of the health care spending in the United States. In Iowa, it leaves a big footprint across the network of hospitals and health care providers that serves 531,209 Iowans and spends $4.3 billion per year in the state.

And yet, a number of U.S. hospitals struggle to keep their doors open, especially those serving people who live and work in rural America.

This summer I introduced the Rural Emergency Acute Care Hospital Act (REACH) to address a rising concern that acute health care services in rural areas are at risk.  Supporters of the Affordable Care Act lamented the coverage gap between the insured and the uninsured in America. Notably, since passage of the Affordable Care Act, 55 rural hospitals have closed.

There's arguably a growing divide between rural providers and those whose revenues are stocked with a healthier payment stream divided among private payers, government payers and self-payers.

As an outspoken champion for rural health care, I have long worked to help make sure Medicare supports the financial viability of rural providers. Americans living in rural areas deserve timely access to health care services.  The REACH Act would create new flexibility and change the Medicare payment structure so that reimbursements for rural emergency health care services aren't tied to inpatient volume.  Basically, it would give a boost to freestanding 24-hour emergency medical care departments in our rural communities to help keep life-saving medical facilities open for business, around-the-clock, close to home.  Individual states would apply for certification to participate. It also would add incentives to encourage emergency medical professionals to practice in rural areas.

DAVENPORT, IOWA–August 1, 2015–Absolute Publishing Services announced today that it has acquired 918studio, an independent small literary press based in LeClaire and established in 2010.  Absolute Publishing Services will continue to publish the 918studio literary imprint for poetry, fiction, and non-fiction by local and regional authors.

Since 2010, 918studio has released eight prose and poetry chapbooks and two full-length works of fiction including The Legend of Tug Fest and other LeClaire Ghost Stories, a collaborative project with the Buffalo Bill Museum. 918studio poetry chapbooks are featured annually in the New York City Poets House Showcase collection of new poetry, and 918studio authors are featured regularly in the Bettendorf Public Library and Midwest Writing Center's Read Local initiative. Quad Cities area authors published by 918studio have included Ryan R. Collins, Trisha Georgiou, Ellen Tsagaris, Jodie Toohey, and Jan VanVooren Rogers among many others.

Since 2007, Absolute Publishing Services has assisted the novice and experienced author from beginning to end with their book release. Absolute provides a comprehensive list of services, including book design, formatting, editing, eBooks and printing for authors who seek self-publishing or hybrid publishing options. The Absolute team services authors in the Quad Cities area as well as nationwide.