The Martin Luther King Jr. Community Center plans a $3.6 million expansion and renovation to the center this year. $3.3 million has been raised and $300,000 is still needed. Find out the details of the project at our news conference on Thursday, June 24, 2010 at 10 am at the Martin Luther King Jr. Center, community room, 630 Martin Luther King Drive, Rock Island.

The King Center is been a resource for youth and families in the Quad Cities to nurture dreams, build community, and change lives. In 35 years, the King Center programs have evolved to meet the needs of the community but the building has not changed.

This project will allow the enhancement of afterschool activities, job training, mentoring, community services, and others. The design will allow for 200 youth to be served daily onsite along with over 250 adults. The facility will be flexible to meet a variety of needs and offer a revitalized resource to the community.

New Law Allows Illinois' Free Medical Clinics to Employ Health Care Workers Licensed Out-of-State

LA GRANGE - June 19, 2010. Governor Pat Quinn today signed a bill into law to allow health care workers authorized to practice in other states to work at free medical clinics in Illinois. The new law will improve access to health care for low-income families by increasing the number of licensed workers allowed to work at Illinois' free medical clinics.

"I am happy to sign this new law that will make it easier for Illinois families to receive much-needed medical care," said Governor Quinn. "As long as the health care worker is licensed and in good standing in another state, we welcome them to Illinois to help working families in need of health care."

House Bill 5744 ensures that health care professionals who work at free medical clinics in Illinois will be allowed to practice as long as they are licensed and in good standing elsewhere in the United States. The new law requires workers to provide the clinic with a copy of their out-of-state license, and ensures that they do not provide services beyond those their license allows. Additionally, the free medical clinic must meet the standards set in Illinois' Good Samaritan Act.

Studies done by the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity found that the number of potential caregivers in Illinois - including nurses - is projected to decrease 4.2 percent between 2000 and 2020; while the number of those who need care is projected to increase by 31 percent. The studies show that Illinois could be facing a shortage of over 21,000 nurses by 2020.

Additionally, according to the Center for Workforce Studies of the Association of American Medical Colleges, retirements in the health care field over the next 10 to 15 years will greatly weaken the health care workforce. House Bill 5744 will clarify who can work at free medical clinics and help to increase the number of health care workers available to staff those clinics.

The new law passed the Illinois General Assembly unanimously and was sponsored by Rep. Angelo Saviano (R-Elmwood Park) and Sen. Randy Hultgren (R-Wheaton). It takes effect immediately.

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The fact that summer's here isn't a license to forget about good nutrition and good choices for kids and families. It's why many parents will remind their kids that reading books and riding bikes around the neighborhood are better choices than eating potato chips and turning into a couch potato while school's out.

At the same time, federal lawmakers need to wrap up important policy decisions that will impact the wellbeing of the nation's school children when they return to school this fall.

As a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, I helped advance "The Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010" this spring. The bipartisan bill reauthorizes federal youth nutrition programs administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), including the National School Lunch and Breakfast Programs, Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC), Child and Adult Care Food Program, and the Summer Food Service Program.

The economic downturn has put increased pressure on neighborhood food pantries and federal nutrition programs to help those in need. Our legislation bumps up federal spending by $4.5 billion spread over the next decade to help thwart the pangs of hunger in America. That comes to a nearly ten-fold increase reflecting the considerable need that exists to channel more resources to those who still go to bed on an empty stomach.

Federal policymakers also must address the other end of the nutrition spectrum. It's no secret the United States is battling an obesity epidemic, including an alarming rise among children and teenagers. America's growing waistline poses significant health risks to individuals and a costly burden to the nation's public health systems as research tells us obesity leads to chronic diseases such as diabetes, hypertension and cardiovascular disease.

The Senate's Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 does not increase the deficit, and it includes measures designed to give parents, schools and communities additional tools to promote healthy habits that will lead younger generations to enjoy longer, high-quality, productive lives. The legislation would increase the number of children eligible for free or reduced cost meals, encourage schools to adopt better nutritional standards as outlined by the USDA and automatically enroll foster children for free school meals.

The current federal school nutrition law expires on September 30. I'm pushing the Senate leadership to get this bill passed before we start the next school year. The federal government obviously shouldn't dictate what every child in America eats for lunch. But taxpayers have a vested interested to know Uncle Sam expects quality, wholesome, nutritious foods to be served by taxpayer-subsidized food programs.

Whether it is spring, summer, fall or winter, parents obviously never stop worrying about the wellbeing of their children.  The earlier we all start teaching healthy eating habits, the better.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - June 18, 2010 - Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA), Chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, today applauded Senate passage of legislation to ensure seniors and veterans can continue to receive medical care from the doctors they depend on.  The legislation, which provides a six month extension of the Medicare payment fix for doctors, is fully paid for and was passed by unanimous consent.  The bill now heads to the House for its consideration.

"I am encouraged that the Senate passed an extension of the Medicare payment fix for doctors.  Iowa's seniors deserve to continue to receive the highest quality medical service and stops doctors from taking a 21 percent pay cut," said Harkin.  "I am disappointed, however, that the Medicare fix was separated from an extension of unemployment insurance, a benefit that helps families pay the rent, put food on the table and keep their kids in school as they search for work.  I will continue to fight for this extension and hope that the Senate takes it up expeditiously."

The 21 percent payment cut, which is a result of flaws in Medicare's physician payment formula, the Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR) formula, took effect June 1.  The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services placed a temporary hold on the processing of Medicare reimbursement claims to delay implementing the reduced doctor payments.  Unfortunately, the agency was forced to begin processing Medicare claims with the 21 percent payment cut today in order to reimburse doctors' offices for their services.