Touts strip club fee to save critical counseling services

MOLINE - April 3, 2012. Lt. Governor Sheila Simon recognized Sexual Assault Awareness Month today by visiting a rape crisis center in Moline where she advocated for a new funding stream to protect services for sexual assault survivors and save jobs.

Simon is backing Senate Bill 3348, which would require all strip clubs that permit alcohol to pay a $5-per-patron fee. The revenue would help fund community-based sexual assault prevention and response programs, such as the one run by Family Resources in the Quad Cities.

Like other agencies statewide, the Rape/Sexual Assault Counseling and Advocacy Program of Family Resources has seen its state funding drop 28 percent since 2009 and staff decline, while demand for crisis and counseling services has increased.

"Whenever a sexual assault survivor calls for help in Moline, we need to know an advocate is ready to respond," Simon said. "Budget cuts are putting these critical services and jobs at risk in the Quad Cities and statewide. That's why I'm supporting a common sense way to fund rape crisis centers that will not affect most Illinoisans' pocketbooks, but help many people receive the counseling and legal advocacy they need."

The Family Resources program provides comprehensive services to victims and survivors of rape and sexual assault and their non-offending family members in Rock Island County and parts of Henry and Mercer counties.

The center provided services in the forms of counseling, advocacy, crisis response, prevention education and training to 30,000 individuals last year through the domestic violence and sexual assault services. In Illinois alone, the program responded to more than 300 crisis clients by phone or in-person and provided medical or legal advocacy to another 74 people.

"These services are vital to the health and well being of the Quad Cities community," said Family Resource Director Nicole Cisne Durbin. "Sexual violence is a community issue, not just an issue for victims, survivors and social services. It affects everyone. The revenue raised from this proposed tax would allow our program to continue to provide these critical services to the community in a consistent manner without constant fear of losing more funds."

Senate Bill 3348, sponsored by Sen. Toi Hutchinson (D-Chicago Heights), counts among its co-sponsors Sen. Tim Bivens, who served as the Lee County sheriff for 20 years and is a past president of the Illinois Sheriff's Association. R.T. Finney, president of the Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police, supports the bill as do more than 30 rape crisis centers and Dr. Richard McCleary, a University of California-Irvine professor and leading adult entertainment business researcher. Read testimony on SB 3348 from Finney, McCleary and Simon here.

Last year, the Texas Supreme Court upheld legislation that funded crisis centers through a $5 entrance fee at strip clubs that permit alcohol based on the correlation between alcohol, live nude dancing and negative secondary effects, such as sexual assault. The U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear a challenge of that decision, effectively opening the door for other cities and states to purse similar measures. California is among the states seeking legislation; it is considering a $10-per-patron fee.

Simon's visit to the Quad Cities comes after stops at rape crisis centers in East St. Louis and Carbondale last week. Read Simon's editorial on SB 3348 here.

Washington, D.C. - Congressmen Dave Loebsack (IA-02) and Bobby Schilling (IL-17) have sent a joint letter in support of the Quad Cities' I-74 bridge to United States Department of Transportation (DOT) Secretary Ray LaHood and Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Administrator Victor Mendez.  The Congressmen met with members of the Quad Cities Chamber of Commerce in Washington, DC in February, when they discussed issues of importance to the region including the Rock Island Arsenal and the need to replace the I-74 bridge.

"[The Illinois Department of Transportation] has previously stated that the I-74 Bridge is a high priority for the state of Illinois, but that they require federal funding to complete this project with the state of Iowa," the Congressmen wrote.  "We encourage you to place the I-74 Bridge as a high priority for the U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration's Highway Bridge Program.  Doing so will not only address the safety of our citizens, but will also support the commerce that goes through our country and boost our economic viability."

Previously, Loebsack has met with representatives from the Iowa DOT about the importance of the I-74 bridge.  He has also expressed the need to replace the bridge to Secretary LaHood, and urged the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee to take action.  Schilling and members of the Illinois Congressional Delegation on February 29 had the opportunity to meet with IDOT Secretary Ann L. Schneider, who confirmed that IDOT is well aware of the need to replace the I-74 bridge.

La Mar Hasbrouck to Lead Department of Public Health;

David Vaught to Head Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity;

Jerry Stermer to Serve as Acting Director of Governor's Budget Office

CHICAGO - Monday, April 2, 2012. Today Governor Pat Quinn announced the appointments of Dr. La Mar Hasbrouck as director of the Department of Public Health (IDPH), David Vaught as director of the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) and Jerry Stermer as acting director of the Governor's Office of Management and Budget (GOMB). Today's action is the latest in a series of appointments Governor Quinn is making as he continues to fulfill his commitment to creating jobs, economic development, and increasing efficiency and accountability in all areas of state government.

"I am pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. La Mar Hasbrouck, who will strengthen Illinois with his global public health expertise," Governor Quinn said. "David Vaught and Jerry Stermer are both proven leaders with innovative ideas to create jobs and economic growth."

La Mar Hasbrouck, MD, MPH most recently served as public health director and commissioner of mental health in upstate New York. Prior to becoming commissioner, Dr. Hasbrouck spent 11 years at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), as part of the epidemic intelligence service. Dr. Hasbrouck worked to reduce and eliminate diseases in countries around the world, including polio eradication in Bangladesh and serving as the CDC director and chief of party in Guyana, South America.

Dr. Hasbrouck holds a bachelor's degree and master's of public health from of the University of California-Berkeley, and received his medical degree from the UCLA/Drew School of Medicine. He completed his medical residency at the New York-Presbyterian Hospital. Dr. Hasbrouck has published numerous scientific articles, reports and book chapters, and is the recipient of several distinguished honors, including the Secretary's Primary Health Care Policy Fellowship, the Secretary's Award for Distinguished Service, and the Meritorious Honor Award from the U.S. Department of State.

David Vaught, an attorney and longtime financial analyst, has served as director of the Governor's Office of Management and Budget (GOMB) since 2009. As budget director, Vaught increased efficiencies in state government while strategically investing in areas that support economic growth. A small business owner, Vaught will now oversee the state agency tasked with growing Illinois' economy through strong outreach with state, national and international corporations, and using a variety of job growth strategies.

Vaught is a graduate of the Southern Illinois University School of Law, and he graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point where he studied engineering.

Jerry Stermer joined Governor Quinn's administration as chief of staff in 2009 after spending several years working for numerous public interest groups that focused on state policy and state budgeting. As a senior advisor to the Governor, Stermer has been involved in the budgeting process the past three years and played a leading role in negotiations with the General Assembly and legislative leaders. Currently, he is leading the Governor's pension working group charged with devising a proposal to address the pension crisis that has resulted from decades of fiscal mismanagement in Illinois. Since joining Governor Quinn, Stermer has helped pass major legislation with the Governor's support. At GOMB, Stermer will lead the administration's budget negotiations with the General Assembly and continue the Governor's work to stabilize pensions and restructure the state's Medicaid program, which are both leading priorities for Governor Quinn this year.

Stermer holds a master's degree in political science from the University of Illinois at Chicago, and he studied at the Divine World Seminary, where he completed his bachelor's degree in liberal arts. He has been an adjunct professor at Northwestern University's School of Education and Social Policy since 2002.

The Governor's appointees will begin serving in their new positions Monday, April 2.