Changes coming at Rock Island Arsenal Golf Club

Governor Quinn Announces Food Stamps Available for Northern Illinois Flood Victims

Applications Available at Illinois Department of Human Services Offices in Seven Counties

CHICAGO – August 30, 2010. Governor Pat Quinn today announced that the Illinois Department of Human Services (DHS) will offer immediate food assistance to Northern Illinois flood victims. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Food and Nutrition Services has authorized DHS to offer special Disaster SNAP (formerly Food Stamps) benefits for residents of seven counties declared federal disaster areas as a result of flash flooding in late July.

“The recent floods in Cook and six other northern Illinois counties have had a devastating effect on many families and businesses,” said Governor Quinn. “Flood victims have immediate needs such as employment, food, clothing and shelter. This emergency program will provide immediate help to families that are recovering from these devastating floods.”

Individuals may be eligible for Disaster Food Stamps if they live or work in specific areas of the following counties: Cook, DuPage, Carroll, Jo Daviess, Ogle, Stevenson and Winnebago. Illinois residents who lived or worked in a disaster area within one of these counties at the time of the disaster may qualify for this special program. To qualify, a person must have had damage to their home or business, disaster-related expenses that were not reimbursed, or a loss or reduction of income during the period of July 22, 2010 through Aug. 20, 2010.

Disaster SNAP benefits will be provided to families based on total income and assets available to a household during the disaster. Non-reimbursed disaster-related expenses are allowed as a deduction from income and assets. A qualifying two-person family with a net income of less than $1,815 would receive $367 and a one-person household with a net income of less than $1,503 would receive $200. Most benefits will be available within three days of the date of application.

SNAP benefits can be used to purchase food for human consumption, but cannot be used to buy alcoholic drinks, tobacco products or non-food products. Benefits must be used within 90 days.

Applications for SNAP benefits are available starting today at certain Illinois Department of Human Services offices. Applicants must bring proof of their identity and their residence or job in a disaster area prior to the disaster.

For more information about SNAP benefits or to find the nearest DHS location, please call DHS at 1-800-843-6154. A list of DHS offices accepting applications is included in the attached fact sheet. Applications will be accepted now through Sept. 3 from 8:30 a.m. until 4 p.m. each day.

###

Governor Quinn Makes Executive Appointments

Campaign Finance Reform Task Force to Study Campaign Contribution Limits

CHICAGO – August 30, 2010. Governor Pat Quinn today announced appointments to the Campaign Finance Reform Task Force. The Governor signed Senate Bill 1466 into law late last year, creating the task force to examine campaign contribution limits.

“This task force is an important tool that will ensure that our election process reflects the will of the citizens of Illinois, not the influence of special interests,” said Governor Quinn.

The Campaign Finance Reform Task Force will study the impact of contribution limits and make recommendations following the 2012 and 2014 elections. The task force will also conduct an in-depth study on the feasibility of implementing public financing for statewide, legislative and judicial offices and will make those recommendations by Sept. 30, 2012.

The task force, consisting of 11 members appointed by the Governor and the Illinois General Assembly, will issue a final report by March 10, 2015. The new appointees include:

Lindsay Hansen Anderson will serve as the chair of the Campaign Finance Reform Task Force. Anderson lives in Chicago and is Governor Quinn’s legislative director/legislative counsel. Prior to joining the Quinn Administration in February 2009, Anderson was an attorney at the law firm McGuireWoods. She worked in the State Government Relations practice group, providing clients with the development and execution of strategic legislative plans. Also in that role, she a dvised clients on how to comply with complex campaign finance laws.

William McNary lives in Chicago and is currently the president of USAction, one of the largest national federations of independent state organizations. He is also the co-executive director of Citizen Action/Illinois, the Illinois affiliate of USAction. In addition, McNary serves as a board member of Public Campaign, a national nonprofit, non−partisan organization dedicated to sweeping campaign reform that will lessen the role of special interest money in elections.

Joseph Seliga of Chicago is an attorney and partner with Mayer Brown LLP. In his current role, Seliga helps lead his law firm's campaign finance practice by advising candidates, public officials, individual contributors and corporations on the laws and regulations related to campaign disclosure requirements and political contribution limitations.

Today’s appointments reflect Governor Quinn’s longtime commitment to increasing ethics and accountability in state government. The Governor led the effort for the state’s first constitutional amendment that will enable Illinois residents to remove a governor from office. Governor Quinn also signed legislation to strengthen the state’s ethics laws, reform the Illinois Freedom of Information Act and to prohibit state funds from being used to finance gubernatorial portraits of individuals who have been impeached.

###