19-Legal

My View: I’m proud of what was accomplished during my years as state rep

As I end my time in the Illinois General Assembly, I want to thank all the residents of the 67th District and all the individuals in northern Illinois who have gotten to know me and have become supportive of me over the last four and a half years. I am eternally grateful for the chance that I have had to serve our community and our region in our state Capitol. It is, admittedly, bittersweet to leave office during the height of diversity in public office. In 2014, I became the first black woman to represent this entire region in Springfield. During my time in office, you and I have worked together to accomplish some pretty amazing things for our district.

One great feat was the extension of the River’s Edge Historic Tax Credit. This particular credit will allow for the development of downtown Rockford and surrounding areas to continue; this type of investment also helps in removing blight and despair from riverfront cities like Rockford, Aurora, Elgin, Peoria and East St. Louis. It has been responsible for the revitalization of old manufacturing buildings such as the one that the Prairie Street Brewhouse now occupies and the upcoming Amerock Embassy hotel.

In addition to that specific piece of legislation, as vice chair of the Human Services committee, I worked tirelessly to support human services funding and programs in our region and the entire state; in May 2017, I passed the first standalone appropriations bill for funding to domestic violence shelters with overwhelming bipartisan support.

Over 6 million people across the country have viewed my impassioned speech about working class families needing child care subsidies to continue working and complete educational goals. Thousands of advocates joined in the fight to make sure that the child care assistance program was fully restored after devastating changes to the program in 2015. Now, working parents are able to receive child care subsidies while they attend college or other job training programs. Additionally, low-income workers are able to access safe and affordable child care.

In addition to strengthening the child care assistance program, I created the Foster Children’s Bill of Rights to help to protect the most vulnerable children in our state. Each youth in care in Illinois must be informed of their rights; the Bill of Rights is published in four languages.

As the daughter of a veteran, I worked to expand veteran discounts throughout the year and supported the Secretary of State’s driver’s license designated for veterans. In the face of so many instances of police abuse of power, I worked to require law enforcement receive training on uncovering implicit racial bias. Similar training is also now required of educators throughout the state in the hope that we can begin to address the disparities in school discipline and academic outcomes for students of color.

I joined a coalition of women’s reproductive health advocates to create model legislation, the Learning with Dignity Act; this act provides that feminine hygiene products be in the restrooms of our schools, at no cost to the students, just as we provide toilet paper, paper towels and soap.

Before #metoo began to trend, I fought for survivors of sexual assault. And as the movement grew, I introduced legislation to address sexual harassment in Springfield. I became an outspoken advocate for change with my work appearing in Teen Vogue, recognized by Nation Magazine, and the State Innovation Exchange (SIX).

There’s so much more I wish I could share. But I’d like to leave you with three things I learned that are extremely important.

• Be willing to look for and find your voice. Once you find it, don’t allow anyone to take it from you. It is that voice that allows for you to push and advocate for the things that your district needs. And if you’re not a representative or other elected official, it is that voice that helps push forward the polices that you want to see enacted.

• The proverbial aisle is just that, an aisle. You can go speak with individuals on the other side, build consensus, and find ways to work with the other side to find solutions to problems and better our state.

• Time is figurative. Things can move very slowly in Springfield, or they can move quite quickly but the most important thing is to be prepared and ready to take on the opportunity to leverage the opportunities to improve our state when they are presented.

Again, I thank you for the opportunity to serve. I look forward to being in Rockford full time to focus on my family and community organizing. Indeed, it has truly been an honor.

Litesa Wallace retired from the Illinois General Assembly Jan 9. She joins the City of Rockford as deputy manager of Program Management and Operations-Department of Human Services helping to oversee the Community Services and Head Start divisions. She is the author of "Silenced: Memories, Musings, and Speeches of a Black Woman in Illinois Politics" and the principal consultant of the Wallace Institute for Learning and Empowerment (http://bit.ly/2Fu2Slf).

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via Rockford Register Star

January 14, 2019 at 06:59AM

January 14, 2019 0

Crosby: ER nurse from Aurora partners with state legislator on bill to prevent hospital violence

https://trib.in/2TGVtTe

Crosby: ER nurse from Aurora partners with state legislator on bill to prevent hospital violence - Aurora Beacon-News

Sonja McCarthy had no idea the day state Rep. Stephanie Kifowit (D-Oswego) made one of her routine “constituency outreach” stops at her Aurora home in the summer of 2016 that the two would end up working together on a bill to reduce workplace violence.

McCarthy, an emergency room nurse who had just gotten off her overnight shift at Advocate Good Samaritan Hospital in Downers Grove — and, like Kifowit, a fellow Marine — was awakened by that late morning knock on her door. But the two women quickly fell into a passionate conversation when her state rep asked what issues were of most concern.

McCarthy knew a lot about workplace violence. Not only had she run into it time and again as a level one trauma nurse at Advocate Good Samaritan for 13 years, she was a founding member of the group’s committee to address an issue that was starting to be recognized as a critical problem in the industry.

The conversation went well. And because of this meeting, Kifowit was instrumental in passing a bill that would raise the penalty for assaulting a healthcare worker to a felony.

But that was far from enough.

The two met again at a rally at Northwestern Medicine Delnor Hospital in Geneva in August the following year that was attended by throngs of nurses rightfully upset after a Kane County inmate brought in for treatment in May 2017 at the hospital stole a guard’s gun and held two nurses hostage, even sexually assaulting one of the caregivers before he was shot and killed by police, according to reports.

While many hospitals had begun to recognize workplace violence as an issue, it was the Delnor incident that brought national attention to the problem.

And, as a lawmaker, it takes working with those who have “first-hand experience to realize its importance,” Kifowit said. “People in the community really are the local experts on things.”

McCarthy, a charge nurse who “felt responsible for the well-being of the staff,” joined Kifowit in writing a bill that went into effect at the start of this year requiring Illinois hospitals to have violence prevention protocols in place. With a framework built using Occupational Safety and Health Administration guidelines, the law includes better communication between hospitals and law enforcement, as well as specific requirements for inmates seeking medical treatment. It also provides whistle-blower protection for those who report violent incidents and requires specific action by healthcare facilities.

Workplace violence is, of course, nothing new, and that’s especially true of hospitals, in particular emergency rooms, where patients and loved ones are often in a state of stress or crisis. But a rash of high-profile incidents, particularly the Delnor assault, have put a much-needed spotlight on what experts describe as a serious and escalating problem.

A report from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration indicated workplace violence at hospitals was up 72 percent from 2012 to 2015. Even more compelling than cold data, however, are the stories that come from local hospitals that deal with verbal and physical assault on what officials insist is a daily basis.

McCarthy, who had just gotten off her overnight shift, drove to Springfield, where she testified before the House Committee about a friend and coworker who was slammed into a wall by a patient. Although her injuries were minor, the employee did not return to work for a few days because of the emotional stress that resulted in this level of violence, she said.

While workplace violence is not always this dramatic, it is indeed “a daily occurrence,” McCarthy insisted, recalling an incident from last August where a medical technician suffered a concussion from being punched by a patient who had “just retrieved a chair for his grandmother to make her more comfortable.”

The next day, she said, a patient spat in the face of another tech and the following day a tech was injured while protecting a nurse from a patient attempting to kick her.

Mary Lou Mastro, president and CEO of Edward-Elmhurst Health, said there is no doubt “we are seeing an increase in acts of violence,” adding that, as a nurse in the 1970s and ‘80s, she never saw the kind of “in-your-face” aggression employees now face day-in and day-out.

For too long, healthcare workers have simply put up with verbal attacks or being punched and spat upon, she said, “as just part of the job.”

Hospital officials also seem to agree the reason we are seeing more violence in medical settings is lack of resources for mental health, as well as a general lack of civility and sense of entitlement patients often feel when they walk into a hospital.

Even before Delnor, hospitals like Advocate Good Samaritan had already begun to recognize this disturbing escalation. Three years ago, Edward-Elmhurst put into place a workplace violence committee and worked to get employees to report incidents of violence that had gone under-reported.

But more was called for, especially after the Geneva case. Advocate Aurora Health accelerated its safety training and refresher training at all inpatient and outpatient facilities. In 2017, Rush Copley Medical Center formed a Workplace Safety Committee, upgraded its aggressive patient and care of prisoner policies, reviewed its active shooter policy and enhanced department drills, according to Vice President and Chief Operating Officer John Diederich.

The hospital also educated employees on “Run, Hide, Fight” and during the coming months, “will be conducting additional training to enhance the safety of everyone who comes to our campuses to work or receive medical care,” he said.

While there has been “critical incident stress training” in place for many years at Edward-Elmhurst, it is now implemented across a much broader scale and includes non-clinical workers such as receptionists in doctor’s offices, noted Mastro.

Every employee who gets injured receives a call from the president of the company, she added, “to see how they are doing, to let them know that what happened is not acceptable and to make sure they receive necessary follow-up.”

Also, every morning there is a “safety huddle … where we talk about any issues that are safety concerns, including verbal and physical assaults.”

One physician, Mastro added, recently had his jaw broken. And, while some of this violence is the result of drug reactions, it can also involve patients “who come in with the intent to harm.” All of which the CEO describes as a “dilemma” because hospitals are a workplace that welcomes saints and sinners alike.

Still, “we have to balance that with safety,” she said of healthcare employees who “get up every day in service to others. They have a right to a safe workplace.”

While hospitals statewide already have or are working to comply with the new law, the consensus is there is no way you can stop violence from happening. As one official noted, when you have hundreds of patients in a building with thousands going through the ER a year, “things are going to happen.”

But the idea is to continually work toward updating policies, reviewing them and giving employees as much feedback as possible to assure them they will be kept as safe as possible, officials insist.

McCarthy, who estimates she’s put “thousands of hours” into this issue, hopes to one day train others in how to recognize pre-violence indicators and de-escalate situations, as well as work with hospitals on appropriate documentation that, for example, would more quickly denote a patient’s history of violence.

While attacks, particularly verbal assaults, are still under-reported, likely because there is still fear among workers that speaking out could jeopardize their careers, McCarthy is encouraged by “significant progress” in defining the problem.

And, while she recognizes there “is still work to do when it comes to how best to report and track the violence,” she describes it “as such a proud moment” when this bill became law.

“We no longer consider it part of the job … that it’s not OK if this person is violent towards me,” she said. “I really do see how far we have come.”

dcrosby@tribpub.com

Twitter @dencrosby

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City: Aurora,Region: W Suburbs,Opinion

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January 13, 2019 at 07:12AM

January 13, 2019 0

State Rep. Connor wants to focus on helping families, end gridlock in new term

http://bit.ly/2RD3H1B

State Rep. John Connor, D-Lockport, began a new term Wednesday by urging his colleagues in the General Assembly to move beyond the partisan gridlock and work together to improve the lives of all Illinois residents.

“This new General Assembly is an opportunity to move beyond the paralyzing games we faced under Gov. [Bruce] Rauner,” Connor said in a statement. “I am focused on passing legislation that will move Illinois forward by investing in our schools and lowering the property tax burden on families throughout our community.”

Connor said the General Assembly should act to protect health care, prepare for the jobs of the future through education and training, and put the state back on sound financial footing by continuing to shorten the time in which state bills are paid to avoid millions of dollars in interest payments down the road.

His legislative agenda for the 101st General Assembly is centered on feedback he received from his constituents. Connor said he intends to work on legislation that will lower the tax burden on local families and continue to fight against the privatization of water systems in his district. He also is interested in Will County’s plan for another bridge to the Lockport area.

Connor also wants residents to reach out if they have concerns about legislation or state services. He plans to host community events and regularly walk door-to-door to hear directly from residents about the issues that matter to them.

Connor’s office can be reached at 815-372-0085 or RepConnor@gmail.com. He recently moved his office to the Crestlake building in Crest Hill.

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Politics,Region: Suburbs

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January 10, 2019 at 10:43PM

January 11, 2019 0

State Rep. Connor moves district office to Crest Hill

http://bit.ly/2VAfVa7

State Rep. John Connor, D-Lockport, announced on his Facebook page that his local district office is moving from Romeoville to Crest Hill.

As of Friday, his office will be located at 16151 S. Weber Road, Suite 103, at the Crestlake Professional Center in Crest Hill. His now former office was located in the 200 block of Romeo Road in Romeoville.

Connor was first appointed to represent the 85th District, which includes all or parts of Lockport, Crest Hill, Romeoville and Woodridge, in June 2017 after Emily McAsey stepped down to move out of the state. He was elected for his first full term this past November. He used to work in the Will County State’s Attorney’s Office under Jim Glasgow.

For information on Connor’s new office, call 815-372-0085 or email RepConnor@gmail.com.

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City: Joliet,Region: Joliet,Region: South Suburbs,Opinion

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January 6, 2019 at 11:29PM

January 7, 2019 0

Did J.B. Pritzker make empty promises during his campaign?

http://bit.ly/2TzF8jr

Illinois House Republican Leader Jim Durkin joins Rick Pearson 4/8/18.

Rick Pearson is joined by Illinois House Republican leader Jim Durkin of Western Springs to discuss where Republicans fit into the new dynamic of Democrats expanding their legislative majorities. Jim shares details about two new legislation expected to come into play within the next week that will affect tollway authorities and agency members; as well as his opinions on J.B. Pritzker capability of fulfilling all of the commitments he made during his campaign.

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Region: Chicago,Shows,Politics,City: Chicago

via The Sunday Spin: Politics with Rick Pearson – WGN Radio – 720 AM https://wgnradio.com

January 6, 2019 at 08:59AM

January 6, 2019 0

Newly elected state rep to leave Vernon Township post

http://bit.ly/2Vxs8MT

Vernon Township Supervisor Daniel Didech will officially leave the post as he heads to Springfield as the newly elected Democrat state representative for the 59th District.

A special board meeting has been called for 7:30 p.m. Sunday at the township office, 3050 N. Main St., Buffalo Grove. Didech has tendered his resignation and the board is expected to choose a successor at the meeting. The pending position was advertised in a recent township newsletter and three candidates were interviewed, Didech said Friday.

In November, Didech, a municipal attorney, defeated former Lincolnshire Trustee Karen Feldman to take the seat held by Democrat Carol Sente, who did not seek a fifth term. He’ll be sworn in Wednesday with other state legislators as the 101st General Assembly.

He was elected supervisor in 2017 and had an active tenure. He led an initiative, which was overwhelmingly approved by voters in November, to eliminate the local highway district and its elected highway commissioner and shift oversight of its duties to the township board starting in 2021.

Didech said he also successfully fought to lower the township’s property tax levy by more than 5 percent, modernized the township’s food pantry, increased transparency and accountability of expenditures and "shut the door on a culture of corruption" that served insiders.

During his time as supervisor, he, the township board and highway commissioner were sued by Assessor Gary Raupp alleging they held an illegal meeting to deal with claims of sexual harassment against Raupp’s son and another employee.

The suit has been settled, with the assessor agreeing to put policies and training in place, Didech said.

"I look forward to bringing this brand of independent leadership down to Springfield, where our work at Vernon Township can serve as a model of how to reform government, pursue justice and equality, and reduce the tax burden on middle-class families while improving services that are provided to our neighbors," Didech told township trustees in his letter of resignation.

Illinois faces many challenges after four years of "reckless leadership, unnecessary tax increases and irresponsible cuts to social services," Didech said, and it will be a full-time endeavor to get the state back on track.

He said he will work to consolidate layers of government while trying to build coalitions to make progress on that and other matters.

"I’m not going down there to work for the insiders," he said Friday.

The 59th District spans portions of 21 towns, including large sections of Lincolnshire, Buffalo Grove, Wheeling, Vernon Hills and Mundelein.

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January 6, 2019 at 08:46AM

January 6, 2019 0

Connor-backed Health Care Violence Prevention Act to take effect in 2019

http://bit.ly/2Agr8nk

Legislation backed by state Rep. John Connor, D-Lockport, will require hospitals and other health care facilities to develop a workplace violence prevention program to help address increased violence toward registered nurses.

The law takes effect in January, according to a news release from Connor’s office.

“Workplace violence committed against nurses has been increasing in recent years, and something needed to be done in order to prevent future incidents from occurring,” Connor said in the news release. “I am hopeful that the Health Care Violence Prevention Act will being about better safety guidelines to prevent violence toward nurses and allow for better working environments moving forward.”

The bill was prompted by incidents last year in Geneva and Joliet where medical professionals were held hostage and assaulted.

The law will require hospitals and correctional agencies to create a workplace violence prevention program that must reference Occupational Safety and Health Administration guidelines.

The measure also requires hospitals to establish protocols for the intake and treatment of incarcerated individuals, and for in-hospital emergencies. It also creates whistleblower protections for nurses who take action on instances of workplace violence.

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Feeds,News,Local

via MySuburbanLife.com http://bit.ly/2ECFGk7

December 26, 2018 at 10:30PM

December 26, 2018 0

State Rep. Says New State Law Would Have Helped Vet Whose Remains Were Found Along Fox River in Kendall Co.

http://bit.ly/2rR4aPa

State Rep. Says New State Law Would Have Helped Vet Whose Remains Were Found Along Fox River in Kendall Co. | Wspynews | wcsjnews.com

A new state law that becomes effective on January 1st will include what is called a “Silver Alert” for missing veterans, particularly those suffering from a physical or mental health condition.

House Bill 4212 amends the Missing Persons Identification Act to add veterans and active duty members suffering a physical or mental health condition in an attempt to reduce the suicide rate.

Law enforcement will be able to issue a “Silver alert” for a missing veteran. Like an Amber alert, the public will be notified in an effort to quickly locate a missing veteran and perhaps save a life.

Representative Stephanie Kifowit. (Photo provided)

The measure was a bi-partisan effort that passed unanimously. Democratic State Rep. Stephanie Kifowit of Oswego says the new law, “would have helped the Soesbe family when their son Trey, a National Guardsman, who struggled with depression, was missing for two years.”

As WSPY reported in August, the Kendall County Coroner’s Office positively identified 30-year-old Trey Nathan Key Soesbe of Aurora as the man whose remains were found by kayakers near the Route 30 bridge between Oswego and Montgomery.

Soesbe, a former Army National Guard Specialist, was reported missing in December of 2015 and was last seen by a family member Dec. 29, 2015 when he was dropped off at a homeless shelter in Aurora but never registered or spent a night there.

Police say Soesbe suffered from alcoholism and bipolar disorder. In July of 2016, Soesbe’s father wrote an email to Kifowit about his son recalling when Kifowit had visited Soesbe and his father two years prior to the disappearance.

Soesbe’s father in the email said that Trey Soesbe’s sister had contact with Soesbe, who’s phone allegedly went dead after he told her he was “down by the river by some dangerous people.” His remains were found on an island in the river on August 4, 2018.

Kifowit said in a statement on Friday about the law, “I think of Veterans such as Trey Soesbe, and hope that this law will help our struggling Veterans. The State of Illinois must help search for Veterans in danger and I will continue to support legislation that helps all Veterans readjust to civilian life.”

The legislation was proposed by Republican State Rep. Dan Swanson of Woodhull who was a 2nd Lt. in the Army National Guard. Rep. Kifowit served as a United States Marine.

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Region: Northern,News,City: Morris,Region: Morris

via http://www.wcsjnews.com – RSS Results of type article http://bit.ly/2T4KXF3

December 21, 2018 at 05:45PM

December 21, 2018 0

Stuart encourages food pantry donations

https://ift.tt/2SSmQtn

State Rep. Katie Stuart (D-Edwardsville) attended the annual Christmas luncheon of the Steelworkers Organization of Active Retirees on Monday to discuss the canned food drive and other accomplishments of the organization this past year.

“This chapter of SOAR is one of the most active in the nation and has done so much to help steelworkers and local community organizations here in the Metro East, like TWIGS, Faith in Action, and others, through winter clothing drives and various fundraisers. Last year, they stepped up to help provide winter clothing to laid-off steelworkers in the area,” Stuart said. “This year, now that many of the steelworkers have rejoined the workforce at the mill, they are using their resources to help the entire community through a canned food drive.”

Stuart will collect canned and nonperishable food items from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. through Dec. 20 at her constituent services office, 2105 Vandalia St., Unit 16, in Collinsville. She will also collect donations from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 18, at her Holiday Open House, also at her local office.

“I am proud to support our active and retired steelworkers in any way I can, whether through legislation to help promote buying local and American-made goods, or through canned food collections for them to give back and donate to local food pantries,” Stuart added. “I encourage everyone to join local steelworkers and me to donate nonperishable goods and help those in need this holiday season.”

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via AdVantageNEWS.com

December 14, 2018 at 10:05PM

December 14, 2018 0

Working for Illinois Caucus

House Downstate Democrats work for the good people of Illinois

Tag

My View: I’m proud of what was accomplished during my years as state rep

Crosby: ER nurse from Aurora partners with state legislator on bill to prevent hospital violence

State Rep. Connor wants to focus on helping families, end gridlock in new term

State Rep. Connor moves district office to Crest Hill

Did J.B. Pritzker make empty promises during his campaign?

Newly elected state rep to leave Vernon Township post

Connor-backed Health Care Violence Prevention Act to take effect in 2019

State Rep. Says New State Law Would Have Helped Vet Whose Remains Were Found Along Fox River in Kendall Co.

Stuart encourages food pantry donations