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TOPINKA SUPPORTS CIGARETTE TAX INCREASE AS PART OF SOLUTION
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Comptroller Judy Baar Topinka
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Illinois Comptroller Judy Baar Topinka on Thursday said she supports a proposed
cigarette tax increase for Medicaid provided that it is tied to significant spending
cuts and approval of a gaming expansion bill that includes a Chicago casino and
slot machines at horse racing tracks.
The proposal offered by the state fiscal officer represents a compromise in the
ongoing state budget and Medicaid negotiations.
“I am not inclined to support any tax or fee increases, but can back the cigarette
tax provided that critical spending cuts are made and much-needed support of
...
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DMH CANCER CARE INSTITUTE TO HELP EDUCATE MEN ABOUT PROSTATE HEALTH
The DMH Cancer Care Institute is teaming up with local churches for the
fourth year in a row in the fight against prostate cancer this Father’s Day.
Pin-A-Brother Day will be held Sunday, June 17, at 11 local churches to help
educate men about prostate cancer and the importance of early detection.
The event is organized by community member Elizabeth Rawls and is
sponsored by the DMH Cancer Care Institute, Macon County Health
Department and Central Illinois Us TOO Prostate Cancer Support Group.
“According to the American Cancer Society, one in six men will be ...
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SCHILLING CALLS ON SENATE TO 'LEAD BY EXAMPLE'
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Congressman Bobby Schilling
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With a unanimous 99-0 rejection of President Obama's budget proposal, the
U.S. Senate has now extended their streak of fiscal inaction to 1,114 days.
Frustrated by the Senate's refusal to lead, U.S. Rep. Bobby Schilling (R-Ill.)
came forward today with a message for the upper chamber:
"If I can lead by example, so can you."
"As elected officials, we are supposed to lead," Schilling said. "We do that by
setting an example. It's time for Harry Reid and Dick Durbin to get their act
together, put a pen to paper, and come up with their own budget proposal."
Schilling highl...
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PENN STATE SCANDAL-INSPIRED MEASURE HEADS TO THE GOVERNOR
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Sen. Kyle McCarter
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The Illinois Senate took final action May 15, passing a new law inspired by
the horrific allegations against a former Penn State football coach.
State Sen. Kyle McCarter (R-Lebanon) sponsored House Bill 3887 in the
Senate.
“In the Penn State case, an assistant football coach was accused of sexually
abusing minors on the university campus. University employees were said to
have witnessed the abuse but did not report the actions of the coach to
outside authorities,” said McCarter. “We want to make sure nothing like that
occurs in Illinois.”
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MITCHELL: DEMOCRATS GIVE HOLLYWOOD ANOTHER TAX BREAK; REFUSE TO EXTEND LIVES OF ILLINOIS ENTERPRISE ZONES
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Rep. Bill Mitchell
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State Representative Bill Mitchell (R-Forsyth) chastised House Democrats
Wednesday for passing legislation to expand the Illinois Film Production Tax
Credit at the same time they are holding up crucial legislation to extend the lives
of Illinois enterprise zones.
“The House Democrats are giving their liberal Hollywood friends another tax
break, yet they refuse to allow a vote on our enterprise zone extension
legislation,” Mitchell said. “The Decatur/Macon County enterprise zone will
expire next year if we don’t take action soon. I am disgusted that the ...
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REP. BROWN URGES SUPPORT FOR CONCEALED CARRY PETITION
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Rep. Adam Brown
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Legislation that would grant concealed carry rights to law-abiding gun owners
could be called for a vote by the Illinois House of Representatives this month.
State Representative Adam Brown (R-Decatur) is urging concerned citizens to
sign a petition supporting passage of House Bill 5745, the Family and
Personal Protection Act. Brown is a co-sponsor of HB 5745, which establishes
statewide standards for the issuance of licenses to carry concealed firearms in
Illinois.
“Illinois stands alone as the only state without a concealed carry law,” Brown
said. “Our...
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AMEREN WARNS AGAINST UTILITY ACCOUNT PAYMENT SCAM
Ameren officials today issued a statement that a scam is impacting Ameren
customers in Illinois and Missouri in an effort to illegally obtain their Social
Security numbers.
The Better Business Bureau reports this scam has affected utility customers in
several states. According to reports, the scam claims President Barack Obama
is applying payments or credits of up to $1,500 to the customer's utility bill.
This is false. The scam calls for customers to make a payment “today” by
using a bank routing number supplied by the scammers, and the number
appearing on the ...
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GILL CHALLENGES REPUBLICAN OPPONENTS: TURN DOWN WALL STREET MONEY
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David Gill
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Democrat David Gill today challenged the remaining four Republican
candidates for Congress in Illinois’ new 13th district to join him in refusing
contributions from Wall Street bankers and corporate political action
committees.
“I see it as legalized bribery,” Dr. Gill said. “That’s how citizens across this
district see it too. You can’t stand up to Wall Street bankers and make sure
they are regulated properly if your campaign has been bought and paid for by
them.”
Gill announced his campaign’s policy to refuse money from Wall...
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PUBLIC'S HELP NEEDED IN SOLVING 'CRIME OF THE WEEK'
The Decatur Police Department and Macon County Sheriff’s Office needs your
help in solving this week’s crime of the week.
Within the past week there have been multiple burglaries to businesses in
Decatur and Forsyth. The belief is the cases are related due to the suspect’s
actions in the incidents. The suspect could also be responsible for burglaries in
the Clinton area.
The suspect throws a large rock or brick through a door or window to gain
access to the businesses. Once inside the business the suspect gathers jewelry
and other valuable items before ...
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GOVERNOR QUINN LAUNCHES 'SAVEOURSTATE.ILLINOIS.GOV' WEBSITE
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Gov. Patrick Quinn
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Governor Pat Quinn today announced SaveOurState.Illinois.gov, a new resource
to empower the people of Illinois to help restore fiscal stability to our state. This
new online tool provides helpful background on the state’s Medicaid and
pension challenges, details about the governor's proposed solutions, and the
latest media reports on these issues. In addition, SaveOurState.Illinois.gov helps
citizens take action by directing them to contact information for their local
legislators.
“We owe it to the next generation to rise to the occasion in the next 15 days and ...
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