SPRINGFIELD - May 24, 2012. Governor Pat Quinn today released a statement regarding the Illinois General Assembly passing Senate Bill 2840, a key part of his proposal for Medicaid restructuring.

"I salute Speaker Michael Madigan, House Minority Leader Tom Cross, Senate President John Cullerton, Minority Leader Christine Radogno, Rep. Sara Feigenholtz, Rep. Patti Bellock, Sen. Heather Steans, Sen. Dale Righter, members of the General Assembly and everyone who joined the working group for making significant progress today towards rescuing our Medicaid system.

This is the first step toward saving Medicaid for those that rely upon it. The status quo would have led to Medicaid's collapse, and I am pleased to see the General Assembly take strong action to put our Medicaid system and our state on the path to sound fiscal footing.

And there is more work to do.

The General Assembly must move quickly to pass legislation to add a dollar a pack to the cost of cigarettes, which - combined with today's legislation - will achieve the necessary $2.7 billion in savings to rescue Medicaid.

Raising the price of cigarettes is also sound health policy; smoking-related conditions are a significant burden on our Medicaid system, and this measure will improve the health of our people and reduce future Medicaid costs. Members of the General Assembly should not delay in taking action to reduce our Medicaid burden and access dollar-for-dollar federal matching funds by increasing the price of cigarettes.

Revel poolside amid flickering tiki torches and listen to the beat of steel drums with a cool beverage in hand during the fourth annual Tahitian Party on June 22 from 6:30 to 10:00 p.m. Throw on a hula skirt and or Hawaiian shirt and relish the atmosphere of Tahiti in Cedar Rapids thanks to Howard Hall's famous Tahitian Room located in the basement of the Brucemore mansion.  Enjoy roast suckling pig, noshes, and Polynesian drinks. Bid on exclusive Brucemore experiences in the silent auction such as special floral packages from the Brucemore Cutting Gardens Flower Shop, VIP ticket packages for Brucemore events, and exclusive group experiences on the estate. Food and drinks will be provided by Benz, Braise, First Avenue Wine House, Ruzicka's, Wright Touch Bake Shoppe and Catering, and Zins Restaurant.  All proceeds will benefit the rehabilitation of the Garden House. This is an event you will not want to miss.

Sarah Olson, member of the Tahitian Party Steering Committee, said, "The Tahitian Party is one of the events I look forward to most each year. Relaxing poolside with friends, soaking up the historic charm of the Brucemore mansion and estate, and enjoying exotic beverages and foods is the perfect way to spend a summer night out in Iowa."

The Garden House has had many tenants and uses over the past 100 years. Mold, mildew, crumbling plaster, and rotten wood have caused the building to become uninhabitable. This summer, Brucemore will repoint the chimneys, replace the roof, repair the recessed gutters, consolidate the rotten wood, and paint this building.

Tickets are $60 per person.  Please call (319) 362-7375 to make reservations by Wednesday, June 13. Sponsorship levels are also available beginning at $100 and offering additional benefits. Tahitian Star Title Sponsors include Kathleen and Tom Aller; Bradley and Riley PC; Brenda Duello; Klingler Painting and Decorating; Paulson Electric Co.; Rinderknecht Associates, Inc.; Shuttleworth and Ingersoll PLC; Simmons Perrine Moyer Bergman PLC; and Wells Fargo. Mercy Medical Center is the Printing Sponsor.

Brucemore, Iowa's only National Trust Historic Site, is located at 2160 Linden Drive SE, Cedar Rapids, Iowa. The 26-acre park-like estate in the heart of Cedar Rapids boasts a Queen Anne style mansion built between 1884 and 1886. Brucemore has been home to three prominent families who used the estate as a center for culture and the arts. The estate continues to be a hub for cultural, philanthropic, and educational activities. Each year thousands of visitors attend specialty tours, concerts, fine arts performances, children's programs, holiday celebrations, preservation events, and garden workshops on the estate. For more information, call (319) 362-7375 or visit www.brucemore.org.

WASHINGTON -- Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa today received full Senate passage of his legislation to impose a nationwide ban on the chemicals used to make the dangerous drugs known as "K2" or "Spice." As Judiciary Committee Ranking Member, Grassley advanced the legislation, named for a young Iowa man who took his own life after using the drug.

"An 18-year-old constituent of mine tragically took his own life after using this drug," Grassley said.  "Other deaths around the country have been linked to it.  It's poison. Its manufacturing processes are largely unknown and 100 percent unregulated.  In some instances, the drug is made on the floor of a household garage.  People are spraying chemicals on a pile of dried plant clippings, putting that in an envelope and selling it to kids.  Anybody who ingests this substance is risking their lives.  A federal ban will go a long way in  preventing this poison from causing any more harm."

Grassley said the federal ban will prevent foreign manufacturers from getting their products into the United States in the first place.  And a federal ban is necessary to get the material out of stores in all 50 states.  The existing state bans vary from state to state and may not be broad enough to anticipate the chemical tweaks that cynical manufacturers use to evade the ban.  "And the clock is ticking on how long the current federal regulatory ban will remain in place," Grassley said.  "Congress needs to finalize a permanent, comprehensive ban effective in all 50 states."

Last year, Grassley introduced the David Mitchell Rozga Act, S. 605, named for the 18-year-old from Indianola who took his own life in June 2010, soon after using K2 purchased from his local shopping mall.  Poison control centers and emergency rooms around the country are reporting skyrocketing cases of calls and visits resulting from K2 use, with physical effects including increased agitation, elevated heart rate and blood pressure, hallucinations, and seizures.  A number of people across the country have acted violently while under the influence of the drug, dying or injuring themselves and others.

The Senate approved the Grassley legislation as part of legislation re-authorizing a key component of Food and Drug Administration funding.  The Senate also approved bans of the chemicals used to make other dangerous synthetic drugs, "bath salts," "2C-E" and others.  The measures were included in an amendment from Sen. Rob Portman.  "I appreciate Sen. Portman's attention to this issue and work to move forward on a ban," Grassley said.

The House of Representatives passed similar legislation last December.  Grassley said he hopes the House will give final passage to the synthetic drug ban as soon as possible.

"The chemicals used to produce these drugs have no household use," Grassley said.  "The manufacturers and sellers of these products are engaging in a cynical money-making ploy that plays with human life.  Until a final ban is in place, everyone should stay away from these products."

It's necessary for Congress to act to ban the chemicals used to make the new wave of synthetic drugs because the federal Drug Enforcement Administration's capacity to ban chemicals is limited.  Grassley's legislation treats K2 like other banned narcotics such as methamphetamine and cocaine.  The same is true for the bills on "bath salts" and "2C-E."