Legislation Modernizes Illinois' Recycling Laws

CHICAGO - August 10, 2011. Governor Pat Quinn today signed legislation that will take a major step to increase e-recycling in Illinois. The new law overhauls the state's Electronic Products Recycling and Reuse Act by requiring more electronic products to be recycled, increasing recycling goals for Illinois' manufacturers and strengthening penalties for those who do not follow the law.

"This law will keep reusable materials from filling our landfills, and it will help us put people to work giving those materials new uses," said Governor Quinn. "Today's action reinforces our commitment to a green Illinois that continues to be a leader in protecting the environment."

Senate Bill 2106, sponsored by Sen. Susan Garrett (D-Lake Forest) and Rep. Daniel Biss (D-Evanston), expands the types of electronic products that will be subject to the state's landfill ban. Current law requires computer monitors, televisions and printers to be diverted from landfills. Under the new law, the list of items required to be recycled is expanded to include keyboards, portable music devices, scanners, videocassette recorders, video game consoles and more.

"Governor Quinn has made the recycling of e-waste a top environmental priority for the state, which is why Illinois is a leader on removing electronics from our waste stream," said Sen. Garrett.

"This bill not only prevents toxic substances from entering into the ground," said Rep. Biss. "But it also encourages the continued rapid growth of the e-recycling industry, supporting small businesses around the state that have created thousands of new jobs in recent years."

The new law also increases recycling goals for Illinois manufacturers. For example, in 2012 manufacturers will be required to recycle 40 percent of the products they sold in 2010. According to the Environmental Law & Policy Center, the new goals mean that statewide e-recycling will increase from 28 million pounds in 2011 to over 50 million pounds in 2012. The dramatic increase in recycling efforts is expected to create jobs for Illinois residents.

"This legislation will keep toxins out of our air and water while conserving valuable resources and creating jobs," said Melville Nickerson, Policy Advocate for the Environmental Law & Policy Center. "The Environmental Law & Policy Center looks forward to working together with manufacturers to implement this recycling bill and create a cleaner environment in Illinois."

The fine for violations of the new law will increase $1,000 to $7,000. It also gives the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency greater regulatory authority for violations of the act. Additionally, the bill requires manufacturers to maintain consumer education programs designed to inform customers of proper disposal policies for electronic products. The new law takes effect immediately.

Governor Quinn also signed House Bill 2001, sponsored by Rep. Ann Williams (D-Chicago) and Sen. John Millner (R-Carol Stream), which strengthens penalties for criminal disposal of waste. The law, which takes effect immediately, reclassifies the initial and all subsequent violations as felonies, lowers the violation threshold and increases fines to $25,000, up from $5,000.

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Landmark Law Increases Higher Education Opportunities for Children of Immigrants

CHICAGO - August 1, 2011. Governor Pat Quinn today signed historic legislation to increase education opportunities to children of immigrants in Illinois. The Illinois DREAM Act creates a privately-funded scholarship program for high school graduates from immigrant families who wish to attend college.

"All children have the right to a first-class education," Governor Quinn said. "The Illinois DREAM Act creates more opportunities for the children of immigrants to achieve a fulfilling career, brighter future and better life through higher education."

Senate Bill 2185, sponsored by Senate President John Cullerton (D-Chicago) and Rep. Eddie Acevedo (D-Chicago), establishes a nine-member Illinois DREAM Fund Commission to manage the program, whose members are appointed by the Governor. The commission will help establish privately-funded scholarships for students who have resided with their parents while attending high school in Illinois, earned their high school diploma, attended school in Illinois for at least three years, and have at least one parent who immigrated to the United States. 

In addition, the new law allows any person with a Social Security or taxpayer identification number to participate in a state-operated college savings pool. It also requires high school counselors to provide college information to all children of immigrants. Children of immigrants will have unprecedented opportunities to access higher education as a result of the Illinois Dream Act.

"We should be opening, not shutting doors of opportunity for young students regardless of how or why they are living in Illinois," said President Cullerton. "This new law moves the state beyond the rhetoric of equal opportunity by making the dream of a college education a reality for more of Illinois' outstanding students."

The new law was one of Governor Quinn's top priorities during the spring legislative session. The Governor recognized that it would ensure that Illinois continues to lead the nation in increasing access to top-quality education, which is critical to retaining our best and brightest students and ensuring our continued success in the competitive global economy.

Students, community leaders and elected officials from across the state joined Governor Quinn to celebrate the new law that brings more affordability and better access to higher education in Illinois.  

"Immigrants are a driving force in our city's cultural and economic life, and opening the way for all Chicago students to earn an excellent higher education will make our city even stronger," said Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel. "I am proud that families and students across Illinois will now have a better shot at the American Dream ? which starts with a great education."

With an estimated 65 percent of immigrant students coming from households earning below 200 percent of the poverty line, the financial barriers to higher education for academically qualified immigrant students are steep. Through the DREAM commission, Illinois leaders will now be able to raise private funds to help these students achieve their full potential.

"We thank Governor Quinn for his continuous support and his tireless work for the immigrant community," said Lawrence Benito, Deputy Director of the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights (ICIRR). "The signing of this bill into law is historic and it confirms that Illinois is not only an immigrant-friendly state but also a national leader on moving fair, humane, and practical solutions."

The DREAM Act passed with bipartisan legislative support and with the strong support of the education community. The commission will provide training to school service personnel and work with admission and financial aid officers and high school counselors across Illinois to help students utilize the wide array of higher education opportunities.

"The Illinois DREAM Act is a crucial step in the right direction, ensuring that worthy students are no longer denied the life-changing opportunity of college simply because their immigration status puts needed financial aid out of reach," said University of Illinois President Michael J. Hogan. "I'm grateful to our legislators and Governor Quinn for supporting the shared vision that bright minds are our most precious resource and must be cultivated, not thwarted by outdated immigration laws."

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Investment Will Keep Illinois on the Cutting Edge of Nuclear Safety

SPRINGFIELD - July 23, 2011. Governor Pat Quinn today announced the signing of legislation that will bolster Illinois' world-class nuclear safety program. The new law increases fees paid by Exelon to fund upgrades to remote monitoring systems at each reactor site, hire additional nuclear safety experts and update vital nuclear safety equipment.

" Illinois continues to be a national leader in nuclear safety," said Governor Quinn. "After reviewing Illinois' nuclear safety programs, we have identified needs for updated equipment, as well as increased personnel in several key areas. This investment will further strengthen that program, and ensure Illinois continues to lead the nation with the best nuclear safety program."

Governor Quinn proposed and led passage of House Bill 1723, which was sponsored by Rep. Thomas Holbrook (D-Belleville) and Sen. Dave Koehler (D-Peoria), to ensure the Illinois Emergency Management Agency (IEMA) has adequate resources to operate the state's nationally-recognized nuclear safety program. Eleven nuclear reactors currently operate in six locations in Illinois. The new law increases fees paid by Exelon, which operates all 11 reactors, to support upgrades to IEMA's Remote Monitoring System (RMS) and specialized response equipment, and increases the agency's staff of nuclear safety experts.

Illinois' annual per-reactor fee has been $1.75 million since 2003. House Bill 1723 increases that fee to $1.9 million per reactor, providing an additional $1.6 million annually to support Illinois' nuclear safety programs, with no additional consumer costs attached to the legislation. The new funds will enable IEMA to fill approximately 12 staff positions, including nuclear safety scientists, health physicists, computer experts and lab assistants.

The legislation also includes a one-time capital infrastructure fee of $3.6 million to be paid over three years for a major upgrade of the computer system that supports Illinois' unique RMS and other essential safety equipment. The RMS collects critical data from inside and around each reactor plant and transmits that information to IEMA's Radiological Emergency Assessment Center in Springfield. During an incident at a nuclear plant, the information would be analyzed by IEMA's reactor and environmental analysts in order to develop action recommendations to protect the public.

"This investment will enable us to modernize technology and critical components of our Remote Monitoring System, which will ensure that we continue to receive the independent, real-time information that is essential for protecting public safety and the environment," said IEMA Director Jonathon Monken.

More information about the RMS and IEMA's other nuclear power plant monitoring and emergency response programs is available on IEMA's website at www.iema.illinois.gov.

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Educational Mission to Focus on Strengthening Relations, 
Innovation, Education and Environmental Issues

CHICAGO - July 15, 2011. Governor Pat Quinn will visit the State of Israel from July 19 through July 25, 2011 to further develop ties between Illinois and Israel. The week-long educational mission will include meetings with Israeli officials, visits to innovative businesses, the signing of a 'Sister Lakes' agreement, and witnessing the signing of a cooperation agreement between Israeli and Illinois universities.

"Israel, like Illinois, is making key advancements in innovative technologies and the business sectors that are creating the jobs of today and tomorrow," said Governor Quinn. "Education, green technologies, and our environment are some of the most critical issues facing our world. This visit is about sharing what we know, and learning from our friends."

The Governor will visit Better Place, which helps further development of battery-operated vehicles by developing battery charging and swapping locations. He will also stop at the Israeli headquarters of Motorola Solutions, which has its global headquarters based in Schaumburg.

Governor Quinn will also attend the signing of a formal agreement between Ben-Gurion University and the University of Illinois at Chicago, which was encouraged by the Governor's Office and the Jewish United Fund. The agreement will help promote faculty exchange, student exchange, joint research efforts, and other partnerships to advance higher education in both institutions.

Israel and the State of Illinois will also enter into a 'Sister Lakes' agreement, which will be signed by the Governor during his visit. The Sister Lakes' agreement will benefit Israel's Lake Kinneret (Sea of Galilee) and Lake Michigan by helping Illinois and Israel develop and share solutions regarding water purification, invasive fish species, and other environmental concerns. The Governor will also tour Lake Kinneret with lead scientists conducting research at the site.

The Governor's educational visit to Israel was organized and paid for by the Jewish United Fund (JUF) of Metropolitan Chicago. Joining him are Illinois State Senators Jeffrey Schoenberg and Ira Silverstein, along with Skip Schrayer, Chairman of the Jewish United Fund and Michael Kotzin, Executive Vice President of the Jewish United Fund and other Illinois leaders.

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