News from the Illinois Channel: March 2015

Monday, March 30, 2015

Tammy Duckworth Announces Run for U.S. Senate Seat

Democratic Congresswoman Tammy Duckworth has officially announced her candidacy for the U.S. Senate seat. In a YouTube video released Monday, the Iraq war veteran says, "I'm running for the United States Senate seat in 2016 because it's time for Washington to be held accountable and to put Illinois' families and communities first."

Duckworth is the first Democrat to formally announce intentions to run for the Senate seat. Rep. Cheri Bustos, who was considering a run, has decided to no longer jump into the race after Duckworth's announcement. Other Democrats who have signaled an interest in the 2016 race are U.S. Reps. Robin Kelly and Bill Foster.

A spokesman for Republican Senator Mark Kirk released a statement saying, "Senator Kirk looks forward to a conversation on the issues that matter most to voters across the state including his record of thoughtful, independent leadership, and his work each and every day to serve Illinois families."

Duckworth is currently serving her second term as Representative of Illinois' 8th District.

Will New Fuel Mandates of E-15 Destroy Your Car or Boat engines?

RELEASE FROM THE BOAT OWNERS ASSN OF THE UNITED STATES

THE ISSUE: The Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) is the 2005 federal law that requires the blending of biofuels such as corn-ethanol into our gasoline. When it was written, it assumed that America’s use of gasoline would continue to rise and mandated escalating amounts of biofuels to be blended with our fuel. Since 2005, however, gasoline usage has actually declined steadily, which today forces more ethanol into less gasoline.

To keep up with this RFS mandate, in 2010 the EPA permitted E15 (fuel containing up to 15% ethanol) into the marketplace. Even though E15 is prohibited from being used in marine engines, snowmobiles, motorcycles, small engines like lawnmowers and leaf blowers, as well as any vehicle made before 2001, this fuel can now be found at over 100 stations in 16 states at the very same pumps as E10 and ethanol-free gasoline.

Over 60% of Boat Owners Association of The United States (BoatUS) half million members as well as millions of recreational boaters fill their boat’s fuel tanks at roadside gas stations where the higher blend ethanol fuels are often the cheapest fuel at the pump. This creates a huge potential for misfueling and puts boaters at risk.

ACTION NEEDED NOW: For years, BoatUS has been battling in Washington to make sure recreational boat owners can buy gasoline that works with their recreational boat engines. Senators Diane Feinstein and Pat Toomey have now introduced S. 577, the “Corn Ethanol Mandate Elimination Act of 2015” in the US Senate.

This bill, which has both Democrat and Republican support, will effectively remove the government mandate for higher blends of corn-based ethanol fuels (more than 10%) and allow for investment in other more compatible biofuels. BoatUS believes it is a critical step to solving the ethanol issue and urges America’s boat owners to contact their Senator now to become a co-sponsor and supporter of S. 577. Boaters can easily do this at: http://goo.gl/S4bWMu. For more on the Renewable Fuel Standard go to www.BoatUS.com/gov.

WHO: Boat Owners Association of The United States (BoatUS) is the nation’s leading advocate for recreational boaters providing its over half million members with government representation, fighting against unfair federal taxes, fees and regulations that single out boat owners. BoatUS is also non-partisan working on both sides of the aisle as well as with state agencies to promote boating laws that make sense.

Friday, March 27, 2015

Majority Leader, Barbara Flynn Currie, on FY '15 and FY 16 Budgets

SIU President Randy Dunn on Funding of IL Higher Education

Capitol Update for March 27, 2015

Saturday, March 21, 2015

House Education Funding Task Force on Education Spending Reform Bill

Friday, March 20, 2015

Capitol Update March 20, 2015

Illinois' Revenue & Deficit

House GOP Leader Jim Durkin on Fixing Illinois

Sen Dan Biss (D) on Helping the Working Poor

Municipal Bankruptcy

Wednesday, March 18, 2015

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Testifies on Vaccines

Robert Kennedy Jr. is in Springfield today advocating to Illinois state lawmakers about the need for more research on vaccines. At a Senate Executive Committee Hearing, Kennedy said, the CDC procedure for putting new vaccines on their schedule is “corrupted” because of financial interests with the vaccine industry. “They are not putting them on the schedule as a public health mission, but rather for financial mission,” said Kennedy.

At the hearing, Kennedy also mentioned there should be more transparency before forcing families to vaccinate their kids. “The checks and balances that would normally protect our children from dangerous vaccines or from too many vaccines…have been eroded.”

Kennedy finished up his testimony urging state lawmakers to push the CDC to study the link between vaccines and autism.

Tuesday, March 17, 2015

CONGRESSMAN SCHOCK RESIGNS FROM CONGRESS

Congressman Aaron Schock who was a rising star in the Republican Party, having first been elected to the Illinois Legislature at 23, and elected to Congress at 26 --is resigning in the wake of a series of ethical questions concerning his spending on his office and travel.

In a statement, Schock, who served on the powerful House Ways and Means Committee, said he was resigning, "with a heavy heart," having given his constituents "my all over the last six years."

Yet in the wake of a continued stream of negative reports about his spending, and questions arising from those controversies, Schock said,
"The constant questions over the last six weeks have proven a great distraction that has made it too difficult for me to serve the people of the 18th District with the high standards that they deserve and which I have set for myself."