The Better Business Bureau is pleased to announce that Patt Englander has accepted the position of Quad City BBB Community Representative.  Patt will be responsible for implementing a new vision and strategic direction for the BBB in the Quad Cities.  She will lead a decade-old office by reenergizing the local BBB brand and promoting the 450 Quad City BBB Accredited Businesses.  

"We are thrilled to have Patt serving the BBB.  We are a 99 year old organization and Patt's skills will propel us in to our second century of work.  She is a proven and recognized Quad City leader," stated Chris Coleman, President of the BBB serving Greater Iowa, Quad Cities and Siouxland Region. 

Former President and Chief Executive Officer of the Mississippi Valley Regional Blood Center, Patt has also served in leadership positions at the American Red Cross of the Quad Cities and Center for Active Seniors.    She has a MBA from St. Ambrose University and recently helped create a local Dress for Success affiliate.

In recent years, the BBB system has embraced the benefits of technology with consolidation of services.   The new vision for the Quad Cities reverses that trend by reopening the Bettendorf office and focusing exclusively on the Quad Cities and surrounding areas.  The BBB will still provide state-of-the-art online and phone services to residents of the Quad Cities.  The re-tooled office will add a local flavor and enable the BBB to effectively promote its Accredited Businesses, warn consumers of pending scams, and provide tips and advice to the community.

Englander stated, "The mission to advance trust- right here in the Quad Cities is why I was attracted to this position.  In tough economic times like we are in today, I know the BBB is needed more now than ever.   I look forward to building our brand and our membership."

The BBB's mission is to be the leader in advancing marketplace trust. The BBB accomplishes this mission by creating a community of trustworthy businesses; setting standards for marketplace trust; encouraging and supporting best practices; celebrating marketplace role models, and denouncing substandard marketplace behavior.  The BBB is the resource to turn to for objective, unbiased information on businesses. Our network of national and local BBB operations allows us to monitor and take action on thousands of business issues affecting consumers at any given time.

Washington, DC - Today, Congressman Bruce Braley (IA-01) released the following statement after severe storms hit parts of Iowa:

"My staff and I are closely monitoring these storms and the reports of damage around Eastern Iowa. While officials are still assessing the full extent of the damage, my office is open and my staff is available to help any Iowans who need it."

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

"People are buying this drug so easily at the local mall or online that they think it's safe," Grassley said.  "The marketing is deceptive. The product is readily available.  This all makes the drug seem harmless.  It's anything but harmless.  David Rozga lost his life from using this product.  Others also have died or been seriously injured.  Congress needs to permanently control the substances used in this drug so no more lives are lost."

In March, 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.

David Rozga's death may have been the first in the country stemming from this new type of synthetic drug.  In January, a high-school student in Omaha killed his assistant principal and himself.  He had K2 in his system.

Grassley met with the Rozga family last August, and David's father traveled to Washington to testify in April at a Senate Caucus on International Narcotics Control hearing that Grassley co-chaired. 

K2 abuse has even led all branches of the military to ban the use of the synthetic drug after high-profile cases arose at the Naval Academy and on the U.S.S. Bataan, which was deployed to Libya. 

In addition to approving Grassley's bill today, the Judiciary Committee also approved bills from other senators that would ban the chemicals used to make other dangerous synthetic drugs, "bath salts," "2C-E" and others.

"All of these drugs should be banned as soon as possible," Grassley said.  "They're all highly dangerous to users.  The chemicals used to produce them have no household use.  The manufacturers and sellers of these products are engaging in a cynical money-making ploy that plays with human life." 

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." 

The text of Grassley's prepared written statement at today's Judiciary Committee meeting is available here.  Video of his verbal remarks delivered at the Judiciary Committee session is available here.

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CHICAGO - July 28, 2011. Governor Pat Quinn today took action on the following bills:

Bill No.: HB 12
Permits special education joint agreements (cooperatives) to receive grants from the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) for school energy efficiency projects.
An Act Concerning: Education
Action: Signed                        
Effective Date: Immediately

Bill No.: HB 236
Designates the second Thursday in April of every year as D.A.R.E. Day and tasks the Secretary of State with making grants from the State D.A.R.E. Fund and County D.A.R.E. Fund.
An Act Concerning: D.A.R.E. Programs
Action: Signed                        
Effective Date: Immediately

Bill No.: HB 1128
Strengthens the Department of Insurance's regulation of public adjusters.
An Act Concerning: Insurance
Action: Signed                
Effective Date: Immediately

Bill No.: HB 1295
Amends the Illinois Vehicle Code so that Interstate Commercial Driver's License (CDL) holders, subject to the physical qualification federal requirements, shall submit a medical examiner's certificate to the Secretary of State prior to the issuance of CDL.
An Act Concerning: Transportation
Action: Signed                        
Effective Date: Jan. 1

Bill No.: HB 1391
Prohibits Trauma Center Fund moneys that have been collected from one EMS region from being distributed to a different EMS region.
An Act Concerning: Health Facilities
Action: Signed                        
Effective Date: Immediately

Bill No.: HB 1485
Authorizes the human service agencies to adopt joint rules to establish a cross-agency prequalification process, master service agreement and common service taxonomy for contracting with human service providers.
An Act Concerning: State Government
Action: Signed                        
Effective Date: Immediately

Bill No.: HB 1531
Allows licensed medical personnel to administer vaccinations on Chicago Park District property provided they obtain necessary permits.
An Act Concerning: Local Government
Action: Signed                        
Effective Date: Immediately

Bill No.: HB 1542
Amends the Illinois Governmental Ethics Act so that economic interest statements may be filed via the Internet, or by standardized form. 
An Act Concerning: Government
Action: Signed                        
Effective Date: Immediately

Bill No.: HB 1657
Adds a member of the Illinois U.S. Congressional delegation or a designee to the Task Force on the Conservation and Quality of the Great Lakes, and sets June 1 as an annual reporting date.
An Act Concerning: Conservation
Action: Signed                        
Effective Date: Immediately

Bill No.: HB 1683
Modifies the process by which 4-H agricultural fair premiums and reimbursements are documented and paid by the Department of Agriculture and University of Illinois extension offices.
An Act Concerning: Finance
Action: Signed                        
Effective Date: Immediately

Bill No.: HB 2861
Permits the Department of Natural Resources to create a special no-charge hunting and fishing license program for children and adults who are terminally ill.
An Act Concerning: Wildlife
Action: Signed                        
Effective Date: Jan. 1

Bill No.: HB 3035
Extends various sunsets to give military families more leniency in out-of-state school transfers.  
An Act Concerning: Education
Action: Signed                        
Effective Date: Jan. 1

Bill No.: HB 3171
Recognizes assistant principals in the Illinois School Code and specifies their duties, terms of employment and methods for their evaluation.  
An Act Concerning: Education
Action: Signed                        
Effective Date: Immediately  

   

Bill No.: HB 3179
Redefines a "chronic or habitual truant" as those children who are absent without valid cause for 5 percent or more of the previous 180 regular attendance days. Currently, the definition requires absence for 10 percent or more of the previous 180 regular attendance days.  
An Act Concerning: Education  
Action: Signed                            
Effective Date: Immediately  

Bill No.: SB 64
Expands the definition of false personation to include use of the Internet as well as using a public office to benefit, defraud or injure another.  
An Act Concerning: Criminal Law  
Action: Signed                            
Effective Date: Jan. 1  

Bill No.: SB 100
Makes numerous changes to acts that govern the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency in order to streamline and coordinate state statutes.  
An Act Concerning: Safety  
Action: Signed                            
Effective Date: Immediately     

Bill No.: SB 1360
Directs the Secretary of State's office to complete a feasibility study for the creation of a corporate-sponsored license plate program.  
An Act Concerning: Transportation  
Action: Signed                            
Effective Date: Immediately     

Bill No.: SB 1396
Requires the Illinois Commerce Commission to revise consumer education information program.  
An Act Concerning: Regulation  
Action: Signed                            
Effective Date: Immediately  

Bill No.: SB 1654
Changes certain reporting requirements for the Illinois Commerce Commission.  
An Act Concerning: Public Utilities  
Action: Signed                            
Effective Date: Jan. 1  

Bill No.: SB 1669
Promotes school transportation safety by strengthening requirements for school bus driver permits, improving soundness of school transport vehicles, prohibiting smoking and requiring school districts to maintain copies of the permits of each individual operating a vehicle for the district.  
An Act Concerning: Transportation  
Action: Signed                            
Effective Date: Immediately   

Bill No.: SB 1754
Amends the Criminal Code to include in the offense of aggravated assault, the assault of an employee of a county juvenile detention center.  A violation is a Class 4 felony.
An Act Concerning: Criminal Law
Action: Signed                        
Effective Date: Immediately

Bill No.: SB 1806
Updates the Home Inspector License Act language to be consistent with other professional licensing acts, and eliminates grandfather language; also extends the licensing act sunset date. Eliminates the Home Inspectors Board and allows the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation to hire a licensed home inspector as a peer review advisor when necessary.
An Act Concerning: Regulation
Action: Signed                        
Effective Date: Immediately

Bill No.: SB 1833
Replaces outdated terms for individuals with mental and physical disabilities in state statutes with more appropriate terms.
An Act Concerning: Health
Action: Signed                        
Effective Date: Jan. 1

Bill No.: SB 1923
Redefines the purpose of the Target Market program as a remedy to "particular incidents and patterns of egregious race or gender discrimination," and gives the chief procurement officer and the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) the power to implement a Target Market program.
An Act Concerning: State Government
Action: Signed                        
Effective Date: Immediately

Bill No.: SB 1924
Amends the Illinois Vehicle Code and the Illinois Identification Card Act to make various technical changes.
An Act Concerning: Secretary of State
Action: Signed                        
Effective Date: Immediately

Bill No.: SB 1929
Changes regulations for the handling of recyclable general construction and demolition debris at waste processing facilities.
An Act Concerning: Safety
Action: Signed                        
Effective Date: Immediately

Bill No.: SB 2027
Amends the Criminal Code of 1961 and provides that a person commits forgery when, with intent to defraud, he or she knowingly makes a false document or alters any document to make it false and that document is apparently capable of defrauding another.
An Act Concerning: Criminal Law
Action: Signed                        
Effective Date: Jan. 1

Bill No.: SB 2143
Extends from two to four years the window of time within which a specified requirement must have been met in order for a reorganized school district or cooperative high school to use a previously submitted school construction application.
An Act Concerning: Education
Action: Signed                        
Effective Date: Immediately

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