(Washington DC) -- Two new laws that took effect in Iowa this month are designed to make travel on that state's 114,000 miles of roads a whole lot safer. While one change affects all drivers, both laws specifically target young drivers who are most at risk of becoming involved in a motor vehicle crash.


The first law prohibits all drivers, regardless of age or license type, from texting while driving. Additionally, this law makes it illegal for teens holding a restricted driver's license to use any electronic entertainment or communication device (not built into the vehicle) while driving; this includes, but is not limited to, cell phones and iPods.


Iowa's teen restricted driver's license types are a graduated driver's license (GDL) instruction permit, GDL intermediate license, minor school license, and special restricted license.


The second new law requires persons under age 18 to wear a safety belt or harness, or use a safety restraint system, while seated in the front or back seat of a moving vehicle. This new law is in addition to the previous Iowa laws that require all drivers and front-seat passengers, regardless of age, to wear a seat belt.


In a new Two Minute State DOT Update video, Iowa Department of Transportation (DOT) Director Nancy Richardson tells Transportation TV that her department supports the new laws because, "Every injury inflicted or life taken in a vehicle crash is someone's child, mother, father, sister or brother. No one should be injured or killed because he or she wasn't wearing a seatbelt or because someone was texting or otherwise distracted while driving."


(Watch it now: http://www.transportationtv.org/statetostate.html)


In the video, Richardson discusses the importance and specifics of the new driver safety laws that the Iowa DOT and their safety partners had been working for years to implement. "Law enforcement officials in Iowa now have two more tools to make Iowans a whole lot safer," Richardson said. "We're seeing the number of motor vehicle-related fatalities decline in Iowa, but we're still not satisfied. We have a goal to reduce fatalities by 10 percent over a 10-year period and these laws will help. The bottom line is that - One Death is One Too Many.

Iowa is making the issue of driver safety a top priority. While the campaign against distracted driving is leading the charge, the Iowa DOT has also implemented projects to improve driver behavior through effective safety education programs.


"We know distracted driving is an important challenge for Iowa drivers because last year more than 6,000 people nationally died in accidents related to it," Iowa Gov. Chet Culver said at a press conference rolling out the new laws. "Law enforcement will be offering warnings this year, but every Iowa driver should know there are real penalties in this law because keeping drivers safe on the roads is a priority of this administration."

###


The Cityof Rock Island will make available applications for CDBG and Gaming funds on Monday, August 2, 2010. Agencies interested in applying for funds should complete an application and return it to the City of Rock Island Planning and Redevelopment Division by 5:00 pm. Thursday, September 2, 2010. Please note that late applications will not be accepted. Applications from individual households are also not accepted.

Last year, the City received $1,265,462 in CDBG funding. The City anticipates receiving a similar amount of funding for FY 2011-2012. The actual amount available will not be known until the Fall of 2010. Applicants seeking funding to support housing, neighborhood, and economic development activities are encouraged to apply.

This year the City is also allocating $50,000 in gaming funds to support non-City social service agencies providing services to Rock Island residents. This is in response to the continuing reduction in Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funding to Rock Island, where we have seen annual allocation decline from nearly $1.6 million in fiscal year 2000-01 to $1.265 million expected in FY 2011-12.

A listing of the CAC Meetings / Public Hearing Schedule accompanies this notice. Please note that all CAC Meetings will be held in the City Council
Chambers, City Hall, 3rd Floor, 1528 3rd Avenue, Rock Island, Illinois 61201.

All CDBG and Gaming-related information including applications, Citizens Advisory Committee (CAC) meeting times, and allocation policies may be obtained on the City website at www.rigov.org under "Important Links" starting August 2nd. Applications will be available online in WORD and PDF format. Agencies wishing to receive a hard copy of the application or those with questions about the CDBG or Gaming process, may contact Trisha Griffin or Alan Carmen at 732-2900.

Completed applications should be returned to the attention of the City of Rock Island Planning and Redevelopment Division, 1528 Third Avenue, Rock Island, Illinois, 61201.

###

CHICAGO - July 26, 2010. Governor Pat Quinn today took action on the following bills:

Bill No.: HB 3998

Allows Grundy County to establish an Economic Development Project Area through passage of an ordinance.

An Act Concerning: Local Government

Action: Signed

Effective Date: Immediately

Bill No.: HB 4821

Restores requirements that were deleted from the Election Code by 2009's campaign finance reform law, allows the State Board to send certain notices electronically, and expands duties of the State Board of Elections.

An Act Concerning: Elections

Action: Signed

Effective Date: Jan. 1, 2011

Bill No.: HB 4879

Prohibits ISBE from deducting pre-k students from the total number of students for purposes of transportation reimbursement, as long as the pre-k students are transported at the same time as other students.

An Act Concerning: Education

Action: Signed

Effective Date: Jan. 1, 2011

Bill No.: HB 5006

Grants the Illinois Department of Corrections the authority to issue arrest warrants for any inmate who escapes from a correctional facility.

An Act Concerning: Corrections

Action: Signed

Effective Date: Immediately

Bill No.: HB 5154

Prohibits the disclosure of a public employee's performance evaluations under the Illinois Freedom of Information Act.

An Act Concerning: Local Government

Action: Amendatory Veto

Effective Date: Immediately

Bill No.: HB 5398

Expands the membership of the Veterans Advisory Council.

An Act Concerning: Veterans

Action: Signed

Effective Date: Immediately

Bill No.: HB 5444

Makes technical changes to the Criminal Code to ensure uniformity with the Illinois Vehicle Code as it pertains to vehicle forfeiture.

An Act Concerning: Criminal Law

Action: Signed

Effective Date: Immediately

Bill No.: HB 5838

Removes the explanation of Automatic External Defibrillator (AED) protocol and responsibility at an outdoor physical fitness facility when there is no building within 300 feet of the facility, but an AED is still required onsite.

An Act Concerning: Regulation

Action: Signed

Effective Date: Jan. 1, 2011

Bill No.: HB 5871

Requires the Department of Healthcare and Family Services to consider how gender impacts a prescription drug's effect when the Department makes the determination to require a pharmacy to request approval for Medicaid reimbursement prior to dispensing a drug.

An Act Concerning: State Government

Action: Signed

Effective Date: Immediately

Bill No.: HB 5891

Codifies the expansion of the Breast and Cervical Cancer program.

An Act Concerning: Public Aid

Action: Signed

Effective Date: Immediately

Bill No.: HB 5914

Instructs the Illinois Juvenile Justice Commission to report on juvenile parole and clarifies the Prisoner Review Board's authority to continue a juvenile on parole even if the terms of parole have been violated.

An Act Concerning: Criminal Law

Action: Signed

Effective Date: Jan. 1, 2011

Bill No.: HB 5927

Eliminates a three-month waiting period for re-enrollment for insurance coverage under the All Kids program or the Children's Health Insurance Program.

An Act Concerning: Insurance

Action: Signed

Effective Date: Jan. 1, 2011

Bill No.: HB 5931

Prohibits a law enforcement officer, State's Attorney or other official from asking or requiring an alleged rape victim, adult or child, to submit to a polygraph examination or any other type of lie detector test.

An Act Concerning: Criminal Law

Action: Signed

Effective Date: Jan. 1, 2011

Bill No.: HB 5969

Removes a requirement that a county pay for the issuance of a vehicle title if the vehicle is forfeited to a county under the Criminal Code.

An Act Concerning: Forfeiture

Action: Signed

Effective Date: Immediately

Bill No.: HB 6006

Permits nursing home and assisted living facilities to request to renew a facility license for one year instead of requiring facilities to renew for two years.

An Act Concerning: Regulation

Action: Signed

Effective Date: Immediately

Bill No.: HB 6038

Extends the credit for affordable housing donations through the end of 2016.

An Act Concerning: Revenue

Action: Signed

Effective Date: Immediately

Bill No.: HB 6041

Allows for the creation, re-creation, increase, and abatement of working cash funds and revises the regulations regarding how working cash funds can operate.

An Act Concerning: Education

Action: Signed

Effective Date: Immediately

Bill No.: HB 6047

Expands the eligibility of the Alternate Fuels Rebate program to include conversion rebates for hybrid vehicles.

An Act Concerning: Safety

Action: Signed

Effective Date: Immediately

Bill No.: HB 6153

Allows the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity to establish a grant program to provide incentives for the dissemination of new energy technologies to certain entities.

An Act Concerning: State Government

Action: Signed

Effective Date: Jan. 1, 2011

Bill No.: HB 6178

Authorizes arresting agencies to only pay an arrestee's qualified medical expenses incurred prior to the transfer of custody to the county sheriff.

An Act Concerning: Criminal Law

Action: Signed

Effective Date: Immediately

Bill No.: HB 6206

Expands the definition of an eligible institution where College Illinois! benefits may be used.

An Act Concerning: Education

Action: Signed

Effective Date: July 1, 2010

Bill No.: HB 6380

Expands the board of the Joliet Regional Port District by adding one member appointed by the Village of Romeoville.

An Act Concerning: Local Government

Action: Signed

Effective Date: Immediately

Bill No.: HB 6450

Helps unemployed individuals whose driver's licenses have been suspended for failure to pay child support by allowing these individuals to obtain family financial responsibility driving permits in order to find a job.

An Act Concerning: Transportation

Action: Signed

Effective Date: Jan. 1, 2011

Bill No.: HB 6459

Bans synthetic cannabis, commonly referred to as "K2", which is increasing in popularity among youth.

An Act Concerning: Criminal Law

Action: Signed

Effective Date: Jan. 1, 2011

Bill No.: SB 387

Requires the six constitutional officers, public universities, community colleges, and the Toll Highway Authority to annually report to the legislature the progress of efforts to hire and promote Hispanics and bilingual persons at the supervisory and managerial levels of State government.

An Act Concerning: State Government

Action: Signed

Effective Date: Jan. 1, 2011

Bill No.: SB 735

Increases the Fairmount Race Track and its affiliated OTBs state tax rate from 0.25 percent to 0.75 percent of the daily pari-mutuel handle.

An Act Concerning: Gaming

Action: Signed

Effective Date: Immediately

Bill No.: SB 2350

Amends the property tax code to clarify the eligibility for the returning veterans' homestead exemption.

An Act Concerning: Revenue

Action: Signed

Effective Date: Immediately

Bill No.: SB 3029

Makes technical changes to the Criminal Code to ensure uniformity with the Illinois Vehicle Code.

An Act Concerning: Criminal Law

Action: Signed

Effective Date: Jan. 1, 2011

Bill No.: SB 3037

Changes the name of the "Ticket For The Cure Fund" to the "Carolyn Adams Ticket For The Cure Grant Fund."

An Act Concerning: State Government

Action: Signed

Effective Date: Immediately

Bill No.: SB 3091

Ensures additional funds for snowmobile trails by raising snowmobile registration fees and mandates liability insurance coverage for snowmobiles with limited exceptions.

An Act Concerning: Transportation

Action: Signed

Effective Date: April 1, 2011

Bill No.: SB 3097

Requires smoke detectors installed after Jan. 1, 2011 which are hard wired into the building's AC power line to have a battery or generator back-up.

An Act Concerning: Safety

Action: Signed

Effective Date: Jan. 1, 2011

Bill No.: SB 3222

Caps an Illinois-resident student's undergraduate tuition in their 5th and 6th years at a public university at the amount paid by the class that enrolled one year after the student first enrolled.

An Act Concerning: Education

Action: Signed

Effective Date: July 1, 2010

Bill No.: SB 3305

Adds to the offenses which are considered "violent offenses against youth" under Illinois law and which require registration with law enforcement entities.

An Act Concerning: Violent Offenders Against Youth

Action: Signed

Effective Date: Immediately

Bill No.: SB 3446

Delays the date after which tax year 2010 property taxes in Cook County will be deemed delinquent from March 1 to April 1, 2011.

An Act Concerning: Revenue

Action: Signed

Effective Date: Immediately

Bill No.: SB 3666

Ensures that disabled veterans who qualify for the disabled veterans' property tax exemption continue to receive it if they move into a nursing facility.

An Act Concerning: Revenue

Action: Signed

Effective Date: Jan. 1, 2011

Bill No.: SB 3699

Creates the Community College Transfer Grant Program Act to give grants to students transitioning from community colleges to 4-year universities.

An Act Concerning: Education

Action: Signed

Effective Date: July 1, 2010

Bill No.: SB 3705

Extends and expands - subject to appropriation - the College and Career Readiness Pilot Program for an additional 3 years to an additional 7 sites.

An Act Concerning: Education

Action: Signed

Effective Date: July 1, 2010

Bill No.: SB 3797

Amends the Criminal Code to increase the thresholds of various types of theft for which higher penalties can be imposed.

An Act Concerning: Criminal Law

Action: Signed

Effective Date: Jan. 1, 2011

###

New Law Increases Penalty for Making Fake 9-1-1 Calls

CHICAGO - July 26, 2010. Governor Pat Quinn today signed a bill into law to deter individuals from placing false 9-1-1 calls by increasing penalties for fake 9-1-1 offenses. The new law will help protect law enforcement officers and emergency responders from dangers they may face when responding to false 9-1-1 calls.

"Making false calls to 9-1-1 can put our law enforcement officers and emergency responders in serious jeopardy and endangers public safety by straining resources. We must do everything we can to support the brave men and women who protect the public," said Governor Quinn. "By making the penalty harsher, this new law will help deter people from placing false 9-1-1 calls."

House Bill 6101, sponsored by Rep. Lisa Dugan (D-Kankakee) and Sen. Toi Hutchinson (D-Chicago Heights), amends the law to impose greater penalties on individuals found guilty of making a false 9-1-1 call.

Under the new law, a person found guilty of making a false 9-1-1 call will face a Class 4 felony for the first violation as well as subsequent violations. A Class 4 felony is punishable by one to three years in prison and a fine of up to $25,000. Under current law a false 9-1-1 call can result in a Class A misdemeanor, punishable by a fine of up to $2,500 and one year in jail.

The new law passed the Illinois General Assembly unanimously and takes effect Jan. 1, 2011.

This legislation comes after Kankakee County Sheriff's Deputy Dave Stukenborg was seriously injured in a car accident when responding to a prank call made to 9-1-1.

"Hopefully, this new law will deter people from making fake calls to 9-1-1, so no other family has to go through what my family has endured from such a senseless prank," said Stukenborg.

###

Davenport NEW  Neighborhood Summit -  July 29, 2010 at 6:00 p.m. -   Fairmount Branch Library, 3000 N. Fairmount St.

Join us and learn about the recommendations from the Davenport in Motion Transportation Master Plan and how they may improve the quality of life in your
neighborhood!

Meet the new City Arborist!  Status Report on the West Side Sewer Diversion Tunnel Project.  Davenport NEW (Neighborhood Empowerment & Wellness) Update.  Neighborhood Planning Process Highlights.  Talk About Community Needs with City Staff.

Every attendee gets a FREE Neighborhood   Resource & Problem-Solving Guide!

For accommodations contact 326-7748.

A combined effort from students, faculty, staff, parents, and Trinity Lutheran Church volunteers are making the concept and a dream of a service garden into a reality at Trinity Lutheran School this summer. Students from Trinity Lutheran School's Shining Stars summer care program are discovering how plants grow from seeds and small plants to large, vegetable-producing plants.  They are part of the process of maintaining a healthy garden, and the students are now reaping the fruits of their labor.

This outdoor classroom has provided a great life-long learning opportunity for the Shining Stars students.  The students have learned how to prepare the soil for planting, experienced planting a variety of vegetables, tended the garden by weeding and watering, and are now starting to harvest and enjoy eating the various produce.  They are also learning how to prepare produce for use in cooking and baking.

The plants have come from a few key sources: the radish, carrot and sunflower plants came from Jill Schmitzer's preschool classroom at TLS.  She taught her students how to plant seeds and they watched them grow in the classroom.  Several of the other plants were ordered from Trinity Lutheran School's annual plant sale fundraiser.  Approximately 50 tomato plants and 25 green pepper plants were planted, along with hot peppers, cucumbers, squash, pumpkins, cauliflower, zucchini, a variety of herbs, and more.  Matt Wilshusen, an agronomist and a parent volunteer, donated a great deal of his time and knowledge for this 30' x 70' garden.

"This service garden is a start for us; our larger vision is to truly have a community garden to serve the community around our school and church.  This has given the students a great learning laboratory to visualize how food grows and to taste the end results," said Bill Meyer, Principal of Trinity Lutheran School.  Even this year, the community will benefit from this new project.  Extra produce will be donated to community organizations and food pantries.

The Shining Stars summer care program, led by Kathy Schneiderman, a TLS preschool teacher and preschool coordinator, and Karla Heuertz, Shining Stars program director, was established this summer to provide quality child care and education for children who have completed 4-year-old preschool - 5th grade in a Christ-centered environment.

Trinity Lutheran School offers quality Christian education for preschoolers - 8th grade, dedicated teachers, extra-curricular activities, including sports, music, and art, and an after-school and summer child care program in a Christian environment. For more information about Trinity Lutheran School, please call 563-322-5224, stop by the school office at 1122 West Central Park Ave., Davenport, or go to www.TrinityDavenport.org/school.

###

CHICAGO - July 19, 2010. Governor Pat Quinn today took action on the following bills:

Bill No.: HB 4587

Creates the Lupus Education and Awareness Act.

An Act Concerning: Public Health

Action: Signed

Effective Date: January 1, 2011

Bill No.: SB 2488

Increases penalties for aggravated assault of a law enforcement officer with certain types of deadly weapons.

An Act Concerning: Criminal Law

Action: Signed

Effective Date: January 1, 2011

Bill No.: SB 3411

Requires the Illinois Department of Corrections to post additional information on its website.

An Act Concerning: Criminal Law

Action: Signed

Effective Date: Immediately

Bill No.: SB 3491

Ensures that law enforcement officers who conduct a homicide investigation are trained in the best methods and practices for such an investigation.

An Act Concerning: Government

Action: Signed

Effective Date: January 1, 2012

Bill No.: SB 3503

Prohibits certain tools used for the purpose of defeating locks from being brought into prisons.

An Act Concerning: Criminal Law

Action: Signed

Effective Date: January 1, 2011

Bill No.: SB 3684

Protects homeowners from burglary and home invasion committed by persons who falsely represent themselves as government or utility employees.

An Act Concerning: Criminal Law

Action: Signed

Effective Date: January 1, 2011

###

Washington, DC (July13, 2010) = "A ruling by the U.S. Court of Appeals for 2nd Circuit today declaring unconstitutional the Federal Communications Commission's indecency policy seems foolish on it face," said Patrick A. Trueman, former chief of the U.S. Department of Justice Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section in Washington, D.C. "How is the American public to understand that federal judges don't know that use of the "F-word" is indecent during prime-time television?"  This ruling only increases the public's belief that government is out of touch with the public and out of step with the U.S. Constitution, Trueman added.

The court found that FCC policy was, "unconstitutionally vague" and creates a "chilling effect" on broadcasters. Trueman said, "There is nothing vague about federal indecency law which has been in effect for decades and has always been though to prohibit the "F-word on primetime television. Trueman predicted that there will be no chilling effect on broadcasters if the U.S. Supreme Court upholds this bad ruling. "Broadcasters will have a green light to pump indecent language and perhaps much more into the homes of families at will."

"Rock singer Bono has no more right to shout, "f***ing brilliant" in the homes of unsuspecting American families than we would have in his," Trueman said. "He made himself an uninvited guest of those families that believed honorees at the Grammys would respect the norms of civilized discourse on broadcast television. Similarly, the indecent comments of singer/actress Cher and actress Nicole Richie are out of place in the homes of those families who thought that network television represented a safe haven for family viewing.

Trueman represented the Family Research Council and Focus on the Family in filing a "friend of the court" brief in this case; Fox Television Stations v. Federal Communications Commission. He is currently heading up the War on Illegal Pornography, a national coalition effort to get federal laws against illegal adult pornography enforced. His websites include http://pornharms.com and http://www.youtube.com/user/PornHarms.

The opinion in Fox Television Stations v. Federal Communications Commission may be found here: http://voices.washingtonpost.com/posttech/indecency.pdf

# # #

Figge outreach program is awarded grant from the NEA

The Figge Art Museum received announcement this week that its arts education initiative, The Big Picture, has been awarded a $10,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Arts.  "Receiving NEA support is a huge victory for the Figge, as well as for the Quad Cities Area. This grant confirms that the Figge's arts-integration initiatives can compete at the national level and it shows that Washington recognizes the Quad Cities as a community that values keeping art in its schools." - Melissa Hueting, outreach coordinator

The Big Picture connects K-12 curriculum topics with art to teach "big picture" ideas from a visual perspective.  Figge staff members visit classrooms to deliver 45-minute PowerPoint presentations that are focused on Iowa and Illinois curriculum requirements in math, science, language arts, social studies and visual arts.  Each of these presentations includes guided student discussion and, in some cases, art objects are brought to the classroom for a hands-on experience.

During its first two years, The Big Picture reached nearly 20,000 students and this number is expected to increase during the 2010-2011 academic year as more and more teachers spread the word. "As an art educator, I am so grateful to The Big Picture for providing such a wonderful learning opportunity for our community and I extend my highest recommendation for this program. This is a great opportunity to bring the art world to thousands of students." - Craig Lennon, art instructor, Bettendorf Middle School.

-end-

Senator Chuck Grassley's regional director, Penny Vacek, will be holding open office hours in Scott and Clinton counties on Tuesday, July 20. These office hours provide an opportunity for Iowans to obtain casework assistance or to express views.

Vacek's schedule is as follows:

Tuesday, July 20, 2010

1 - 2 p.m.

Scott County

Eldridge

Eldridge City Hall

Council Chambers

305 N. 3rd St.


Grassley's offices in Iowa regularly help constituents contact federal agencies to sort through problems with Social Security payments, military service matters and immigration cases.  His state offices are located in Cedar Rapids, Council Bluffs, Davenport, Des Moines, Sioux City and Waterloo.

Here is a comment from Grassley about his staff's upcoming office hours:

"These open office hours are designed to help more Iowans access the assistance that is available from the office of their United States Senator.  I hope any Iowan with federal agency-related casework will take advantage of Penny's visits."

Should constituents have any questions please contact Grassley's Davenport office at 563/322-4331.

Pages