State Summary: News From Around Illinois, Particularly Springfield
Metrosource Newswire Reporting
Brady Kicks Off Governor Campaign In Chicago Suburbs
(Addison, IL) State Senator Bill Brady officially kicked off his campaign for Illinois governor Sunday. The Republican nominee was joined by those who ran against him in the primary, including Kirk Dillard who considered a re-count up until the eleventh hour. More than 200 others supporters attended the launch campaign, where Brady focused on his plan to get the state out of debt rather than his social views of anti-abortion and anti-gay marriage. Campaign officials said Brady chose Chicago's suburbs to start campaigning because his position as a central Illinois state senator is not well known in the area.
2010 Census Forms Arriving In Chicago Mailboxes This Week
(Chicago, IL) Expect to find your 2010 Census form in the mailbox this week. The United States Census Bureau is sending out thousands of forms to Chicago-area households. Residents are asked to take ten-minutes to fill out ten questions and then mail back the completed forms in a pre-paid envelope. Census officials are reminding residents there will be no adverse affects for filling out the forms, and the information will only be beneficial when determining federal funding for municipalities and states.
Durbin Urges Healthcare Passage; Touts Boost For State's Medicaid
(Washington, D.C.) Illinois' Senior Senator took to the television airwaves this weekend to stump for votes from colleagues to pass the latest healthcare reform bill. Dick Durbin joined House Majority Whip James Clyburn on NBC's "Meet the Press." Clyburn said he believes the House is currently short of the 216 votes to pass the bill, but Durbin believes there is enough support in the Senate. Durbin also held a press conference at his Springfield home Sunday, again touting the passage of the healthcare reform bill he says would help 30-million uninsured Americans. He also urged the passage of a bill that would effectively extend the expiring federal stimulus by providing about 600-million-dollars for Illinois' Medicaid program. The bill would also extend unemployment benefits as well as other benefits and tax credits.
Quinn, DNR Lead Push To Get Kids Outside
(Chicago, IL) Governor Pat Quinn and the state's Department of Natural Resources are leading a push to get kids outdoors. During a stop at a school late last week, Quinn unveiled "No Child Left Inside." The DNR and other state organizations are sponsoring events this spring and summer designed to lure families outside. Quinn believes getting kids outdoors will not only improve their health but also help them experience some of the state's natural attractions. The list of events is available at www.dnr.state.il.us
Airport Full-Body Scans Start Today
(Chicago, IL) Full-body scans begin today at O'Hare Airport. People who don't want the extra-strong X-rays can submit instead to a thorough patdown by a Transportation Security Administration officer. The full-body scans take only a few seconds and can peer under clothes, prompting privacy concerns. The scanners were put in place to detect the kind of explosives used by the so-called shoe and underwear bombers. Their devices got past metal detectors.
Ex-Bears Coach Mike Ditka Recalls Brush With Illinois Politics
(Palm Beach, FL) Mike Ditka says it took him only two days to reject the idea of running for the U.S. Senate in Illinois in 2004. The ex-Chicago Bears coach recalled his brush with politics at a fundraiser for the Jewish Federal of Palm Beach County, Florida last Thursday. He was approached by Illinois Republicans to run against then-state Senator Barack Obama. According to the "Palm Beach Post," Ditka blasted, quote, "the hypocrisy of both parties." Ditka said politicians fail to remember that, quote, "You're not there to represent a party, a special interest. You're there to represent America, the people that elected you." He added, quote, "You can't make all these promises when you're a candidate and none of them happen."