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Meet state Rep. Mary Edly-Allen at upcoming events

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State Rep. Mary Edly-Allen will meet with constituents over coffee from 10 to 11 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 14, at Lee Donuts, 124 Peterson Road, in Libertyville and at the same time on Tuesday, Sept. 17, at Barbara’s Bookstore in Hawthorn Mall in Vernon Hills.

Edly-Allen, a Democrat from Libertyville, will listen to ideas and answer questions. Also, her mobile office will be at various locations in her 51st District Sept. 12, 17, 19 and 24. Email repedyallen@gmail.com or call (224) 206-7647 for more information.

The 51st District includes all or portions of the Barrington area, Lake Zurich, Long Grove, Libertyville and Mundelein.

05-Z,25-Working,26-Delivered,01-All No Sub,02-Pol,19-Legal,24-ILGA

Feeds,Region: DuPage,Local,Region: Suburbs

via DailyHerald.com > news_county_news https://ift.tt/2LEP0I7

September 5, 2019 at 11:13AM

0

Attorney Dave Vella, incumbent John Cabello announce bids for state rep

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ROCKFORD — Attorney Dave Vella, a Democrat, has his sights set on the 68th District state representative seat occupied by Rep. John Cabello, R-Machesney Park.

Both men launched their respective campaigns on Wednesday. The district includes sections of northwest and east Rockford, Loves Park, Machesney Park and Cherry Valley.

Vella’s grandfather, E.J. “Zeke” Giorgi, served the Rockford area as a state representative in Springfield for nearly 30 years until his death in 1993.

“When I was a kid, I went down to Springfield with him,” Vella said. “I was a page for a while in the House and he’s always been my hero.”

Cabello is a self-described tax watchdog and a Rockford Police Department officer.

“I have been honored to serve the people of the 68th District in the Illinois General Assembly and I once again will step up and represent their interests,” Cabello said in a news release. “Every two years I have had my name on the ballot and voters have responded by sending me to Springfield to fight against higher taxes and spending.”

The state’s 2020 primary election is March 17. The general election is Nov. 3.

Vella, 48, is managing partner of the law firm Vella & Lund and is embracing what he said is a new strategy to fight domestic violence while empowering victims.

“I will make it a priority in my time downstate to support and encourage the creation of the vital Winnebago County Family Justice Center,” Vella said on his campaign website.  “This will serve as a beacon to all victims of domestic violence in our area and combat the most pervasive violent crime in our community. They will have a place to come for support, for services and most importantly to break the cycle of violence.”

Vella is also touting what he said is the great promise in problem-solving courts, which address addiction, mental health problems and veterans issues.

He supports the restoration of passenger rail service between Rockford and Chicago, which was discontinued in 1981.

“We’re going to have to get help from the federal government and we’re going to have to get more money from the state,” he said. “It’s probably going to have to be a government-business partnership.”

Vella, who once tackled a client who witnesses say punched a prosecutor in a courtroom, earned his law degree at Northern Illinois University. He currently serves as an elected trustee for Rockford Township.

Cabello, 48, was appointed to represent the 68th District when Rep. Dave Winters stepped down in August 2012. He was first elected to the seat in November 2012 and has served ever since.

Cabello said he will continue to fight against what he called the radical agenda of the Democratic Party, which now controls Illinois government.

“I am representing the values and wishes of the people of the 68th District who are tired of paying more taxes and seeing the businesses and jobs fleeing the state because of the anti-business agenda of the party in power,” Cabello said. “I am also proud to have done everything I could to protect the protectors, firefighters and first responders.”

Ken DeCoster: 815-987-1391; kdecoster@rrstar.com; @DeCosterKen

19-Legal,24-ILGA,25-Working,26-Delivered,AllPolGA

Region: Northern,Feeds,News,Northern,Rockford,Region: Rockford,City: Rockford

via News – Rockford Register Star https://ift.tt/2W9c1Vs

September 4, 2019 at 06:25PM

0

Rep. Maurice West, CUB to host clean energy discussion

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Wednesday

Sep 4, 2019 at 5:03 PM

ROCKFORD — State Rep. Maurice West and the Citizens Utility Board will co-host a discussion about clean energy from 6 to 7 p.m. Sept. 17 at Javon Bea Hospital-Rockton, 2400 N. Rockton Ave.

Attendees will learn about money-saving energy efficiency programs that can cut their utility bills and new state legislation, the Clean Energy Jobs Act.

For information: jjones@citizensutilityboard.org.

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Region: Northern,Feeds,Region: Rockford,Local,City: Rockford

via Rockford – Rockford Register Star https://ift.tt/2RKX6jg

September 4, 2019 at 05:17PM

0

Rep. Maurice West, CUB to host clean energy discussion

https://ift.tt/2UsQc3o

Wednesday

Sep 4, 2019 at 5:03 PM

ROCKFORD — State Rep. Maurice West and the Citizens Utility Board will co-host a discussion about clean energy from 6 to 7 p.m. Sept. 17 at Javon Bea Hospital-Rockton, 2400 N. Rockton Ave.

Attendees will learn about money-saving energy efficiency programs that can cut their utility bills and new state legislation, the Clean Energy Jobs Act.

For information: jjones@citizensutilityboard.org.

01-All No Sub,02-Pol,16-Econ,17-Energy,19-Legal,06-RK Email 11,24-ILGA,25-Working,26-Delivered

Region: Northern,Feeds,Region: Rockford,Local,City: Rockford

via Rockford – Rockford Register Star https://ift.tt/2RKX6jg

September 4, 2019 at 05:17PM

0

Yednock attends Vactor Manufacturing plant’s grand opening

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Yednock attends Vactor Manufacturing plant’s grand opening

 

STREATOR – State Rep. Lance Yednock, D-Ottawa, is touring local businesses throughout the Illinois Valley to discuss the state’s balanced budget along with tax credits that will help businesses grow. He recently toured the new Vactor Manufacturing plant in Streator to attend its groundbreaking and discuss new ideas to attract new businesses to Illinois.

“Building a stronger Illinois will take a lot of work, and to help make that happen businesses will need more resources to create good paying jobs,” Yednock said. “Companies like Vactor need incentives to stay in Illinois and contribute to growing local economies. That is why I supported a balanced budget plan that repeals burdensome taxes and strengthens policies that foster business and job growth.”

Yednock toured Vactor Manufacturing in Streator, which is a company that specializes in engineering durable equipment to assist with sewer cleaning, vacuum excavations and basin cleaning. Yednock met with company owners to discuss current work projects and discuss potential ideas to bring more businesses to Illinois.

Yednock supported Illinois’ balanced budget, which was backed by the Illinois Manufacturers’ Association, and eliminates more than $1 billion in the state’s unpaid bills and implements the Blue Collar Jobs Act. His plan strengthens existing job creating tax credits, expands machinery equipment exemptions for businesses and begins to eliminate the state’s franchise tax.

01-All No Sub,02-Pol,25-Working,26-Delivered,24-ILGA

Region: Northern,Local,Region: La Salle

via Local Headlines – WSPL https://ift.tt/2Jv81bQ

September 4, 2019 at 05:18PM

0

Miro on representing El Chapo and Epstein, Drizin on the felony murder law, Rep. Kifowit and much more

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We welcome back Illinois State Representative Stephanie Kifowit to discuss the new law on in-school interrogations.

Co-Director of the Center on Wrongful Convictions and Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law Professor Steven Drizin discusses IL’s felony murder law and the Central Park 5 case.

Mariel Colon Miro discusses her experience representing high profile clients such as El Chapo and Jeffrey Epstein.

In the Legal Grab Bag, Illinois Commerce Commission Commissioner Sadzi Oliva and Founder of Eames Law Group Ltd. Brent Eames join Tina and Rich to cover breaking legal news involving new Texas gun control laws, DeNiro suing for binge-watching “Friends”, a runaway Juggalo golf cart attack and the Baby Shark copyright lawsuit.

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Courts,Shows,Region: Chicago,City: Chicago

via Legal Face-Off – WGN Radio – 720 AM https://wgnradio.com

September 3, 2019 at 08:02PM

0

SALMAGUNDI: Still too many barriers to quality mental health care

https://ift.tt/2LgVaNB

There are other ways to frame that question, but at last week’s gun rights seminar in Streator several attendees told state Rep. Lance Yednock, D-Ottawa, they think people refuse to discuss mental health with professionals for fear they’ll be forced to surrender their legally owned weapons.

The current relevant state law, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures, reads as follows: “A person commits the offense of unlawful possession of firearms or firearm ammunition when: He has been a patient in a mental institution within the past five years and has any firearms or firearm ammunition in his possession; or he is a person with an intellectual disability and has any firearms or firearm ammunition in his possession.”

(For the purposes of state law, intellectual disability is generally related to cognitive function and brain development and not to be confused with behavioral disorders or chemical dependencies.)

There’s a broad gap between talking to a counselor or psychologist and being committed to a mental institution, but that doesn’t mean these gun owners’ concerns are baseless. Politicians and advocates of all stripes routinely discuss mental illness while addressing gun regulation. While the color of the current law shouldn’t discourage the average person from seeking help, there’s clearly support for legislation empowering doctors to raise red flags that limit access to weapons.

This line of reasoning runs counter to research showing people suffering from mental illness are more likely to be victims of violence than to commit such acts. It also overlooks the danger a gun in the home might present to the person who owns it in favor of considering primarily the headline-grabbing mass shooting incidents.

The National Alliance on Mental Illness is ultimately in the same camp as those at Yednock’s seminar, saying the best way to reduce risks of people with mental illness committing violence is through treatment of those underlying conditions, not just by taking away guns from those brave enough to seek help.

Unfortunately, the NAMI also reports fewer than a third of all adults and half of children with a diagnosed mental illness get any such treatment in a given year. That’s despite research indicating certain factors “may increase risks of violence among a small number of individuals with mental illness. These factors include: co-occurring abuse of alcohol or illegal drugs; past history of violence; being young and male; (and) untreated psychosis.”

The NAMI argues reporting laws should focus on those traits and not apply broadly to anyone with a diagnosed mental illness. It insists the National Instant Criminal Background Check System should eliminate “highly offensive and outdate wording” —�specifically a clause referring to people “adjudicated as being mentally defective,” repeated verbatim in many state laws —�and establish privacy safeguards so names in gun reporting databases aren’t used for any other purposes.

"We don’t want anyone not to get the help they need because they fear their gun will be taken away," Yednock told the crowd in Streator. "On the other hand, we also need to be aware of the people who may have an episode. We should keep guns out of the hands of people with a genuine mental health issue."

His heart seems in the right place, but converting that sentiment to practical legislation is a tall order requiring copious input from mental health professionals. What doesn’t help is dehumanizing language that paints people as nothing more than their diagnosed condition or conflating common mental illnesses with whatever lurks in the mind of a mass murderer.

According to NAMI, 20 percent of adults encounter a mental health condition every year — clinical depression, anxiety, eating disorders, post-traumatic stress and more —�while one in 17 lives with something more serious like bipolar disorder or schizophrenia. We can and should talk about what prevents people from accessing or seeking care for these conditions, and we don’t need the specter of gun violence to have these conversations.

None would think twice about going to a doctor for a broken leg. Anyone with poor vision seeks out corrective lenses. Overwhelming tooth pain? Call your dentist. Yet far too many people with similarly debilitating mental conditions won’t or can’t (both are major problems) seek treatment. That has to change.

If you need help, start with your primary care physician for an appointment or referral. Contact NAMI at 800-950-6264 or info@nami.org. We’re all better when healthy —�mentally, physically or otherwise — and when we consider our neighbor’s condition as carefully as our own.

25-Working,26-Delivered,01-All No Sub,22-Talk,02-Pol,19-Legal,24-ILGA,010-Inoreader Saves

via | The Times

September 3, 2019 at 06:50AM

0

SALMAGUNDI: Still too many barriers to quality mental health care

https://ift.tt/2LgVaNB

There are other ways to frame that question, but at last week’s gun rights seminar in Streator several attendees told state Rep. Lance Yednock, D-Ottawa, they think people refuse to discuss mental health with professionals for fear they’ll be forced to surrender their legally owned weapons.

The current relevant state law, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures, reads as follows: “A person commits the offense of unlawful possession of firearms or firearm ammunition when: He has been a patient in a mental institution within the past five years and has any firearms or firearm ammunition in his possession; or he is a person with an intellectual disability and has any firearms or firearm ammunition in his possession.”

(For the purposes of state law, intellectual disability is generally related to cognitive function and brain development and not to be confused with behavioral disorders or chemical dependencies.)

There’s a broad gap between talking to a counselor or psychologist and being committed to a mental institution, but that doesn’t mean these gun owners’ concerns are baseless. Politicians and advocates of all stripes routinely discuss mental illness while addressing gun regulation. While the color of the current law shouldn’t discourage the average person from seeking help, there’s clearly support for legislation empowering doctors to raise red flags that limit access to weapons.

This line of reasoning runs counter to research showing people suffering from mental illness are more likely to be victims of violence than to commit such acts. It also overlooks the danger a gun in the home might present to the person who owns it in favor of considering primarily the headline-grabbing mass shooting incidents.

The National Alliance on Mental Illness is ultimately in the same camp as those at Yednock’s seminar, saying the best way to reduce risks of people with mental illness committing violence is through treatment of those underlying conditions, not just by taking away guns from those brave enough to seek help.

Unfortunately, the NAMI also reports fewer than a third of all adults and half of children with a diagnosed mental illness get any such treatment in a given year. That’s despite research indicating certain factors “may increase risks of violence among a small number of individuals with mental illness. These factors include: co-occurring abuse of alcohol or illegal drugs; past history of violence; being young and male; (and) untreated psychosis.”

The NAMI argues reporting laws should focus on those traits and not apply broadly to anyone with a diagnosed mental illness. It insists the National Instant Criminal Background Check System should eliminate “highly offensive and outdate wording” —�specifically a clause referring to people “adjudicated as being mentally defective,” repeated verbatim in many state laws —�and establish privacy safeguards so names in gun reporting databases aren’t used for any other purposes.

"We don’t want anyone not to get the help they need because they fear their gun will be taken away," Yednock told the crowd in Streator. "On the other hand, we also need to be aware of the people who may have an episode. We should keep guns out of the hands of people with a genuine mental health issue."

His heart seems in the right place, but converting that sentiment to practical legislation is a tall order requiring copious input from mental health professionals. What doesn’t help is dehumanizing language that paints people as nothing more than their diagnosed condition or conflating common mental illnesses with whatever lurks in the mind of a mass murderer.

According to NAMI, 20 percent of adults encounter a mental health condition every year — clinical depression, anxiety, eating disorders, post-traumatic stress and more —�while one in 17 lives with something more serious like bipolar disorder or schizophrenia. We can and should talk about what prevents people from accessing or seeking care for these conditions, and we don’t need the specter of gun violence to have these conversations.

None would think twice about going to a doctor for a broken leg. Anyone with poor vision seeks out corrective lenses. Overwhelming tooth pain? Call your dentist. Yet far too many people with similarly debilitating mental conditions won’t or can’t (both are major problems) seek treatment. That has to change.

If you need help, start with your primary care physician for an appointment or referral. Contact NAMI at 800-950-6264 or info@nami.org. We’re all better when healthy —�mentally, physically or otherwise — and when we consider our neighbor’s condition as carefully as our own.

25-Working,26-Delivered,01-All No Sub,22-Talk,02-Pol,19-Legal,24-ILGA,010-Inoreader Saves

via | The Times

September 3, 2019 at 06:50AM

0

SALMAGUNDI: Still too many barriers to quality mental health care

https://ift.tt/2LgVaNB

There are other ways to frame that question, but at last week’s gun rights seminar in Streator several attendees told state Rep. Lance Yednock, D-Ottawa, they think people refuse to discuss mental health with professionals for fear they’ll be forced to surrender their legally owned weapons.

The current relevant state law, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures, reads as follows: “A person commits the offense of unlawful possession of firearms or firearm ammunition when: He has been a patient in a mental institution within the past five years and has any firearms or firearm ammunition in his possession; or he is a person with an intellectual disability and has any firearms or firearm ammunition in his possession.”

(For the purposes of state law, intellectual disability is generally related to cognitive function and brain development and not to be confused with behavioral disorders or chemical dependencies.)

There’s a broad gap between talking to a counselor or psychologist and being committed to a mental institution, but that doesn’t mean these gun owners’ concerns are baseless. Politicians and advocates of all stripes routinely discuss mental illness while addressing gun regulation. While the color of the current law shouldn’t discourage the average person from seeking help, there’s clearly support for legislation empowering doctors to raise red flags that limit access to weapons.

This line of reasoning runs counter to research showing people suffering from mental illness are more likely to be victims of violence than to commit such acts. It also overlooks the danger a gun in the home might present to the person who owns it in favor of considering primarily the headline-grabbing mass shooting incidents.

The National Alliance on Mental Illness is ultimately in the same camp as those at Yednock’s seminar, saying the best way to reduce risks of people with mental illness committing violence is through treatment of those underlying conditions, not just by taking away guns from those brave enough to seek help.

Unfortunately, the NAMI also reports fewer than a third of all adults and half of children with a diagnosed mental illness get any such treatment in a given year. That’s despite research indicating certain factors “may increase risks of violence among a small number of individuals with mental illness. These factors include: co-occurring abuse of alcohol or illegal drugs; past history of violence; being young and male; (and) untreated psychosis.”

The NAMI argues reporting laws should focus on those traits and not apply broadly to anyone with a diagnosed mental illness. It insists the National Instant Criminal Background Check System should eliminate “highly offensive and outdate wording” —�specifically a clause referring to people “adjudicated as being mentally defective,” repeated verbatim in many state laws —�and establish privacy safeguards so names in gun reporting databases aren’t used for any other purposes.

"We don’t want anyone not to get the help they need because they fear their gun will be taken away," Yednock told the crowd in Streator. "On the other hand, we also need to be aware of the people who may have an episode. We should keep guns out of the hands of people with a genuine mental health issue."

His heart seems in the right place, but converting that sentiment to practical legislation is a tall order requiring copious input from mental health professionals. What doesn’t help is dehumanizing language that paints people as nothing more than their diagnosed condition or conflating common mental illnesses with whatever lurks in the mind of a mass murderer.

According to NAMI, 20 percent of adults encounter a mental health condition every year — clinical depression, anxiety, eating disorders, post-traumatic stress and more —�while one in 17 lives with something more serious like bipolar disorder or schizophrenia. We can and should talk about what prevents people from accessing or seeking care for these conditions, and we don’t need the specter of gun violence to have these conversations.

None would think twice about going to a doctor for a broken leg. Anyone with poor vision seeks out corrective lenses. Overwhelming tooth pain? Call your dentist. Yet far too many people with similarly debilitating mental conditions won’t or can’t (both are major problems) seek treatment. That has to change.

If you need help, start with your primary care physician for an appointment or referral. Contact NAMI at 800-950-6264 or info@nami.org. We’re all better when healthy —�mentally, physically or otherwise — and when we consider our neighbor’s condition as carefully as our own.

010-Inoreader Saves,01-All No Sub,02-Pol,19-Legal,24-ILGA,25-Working,26-Delivered,22-Talk

via | The Times

September 3, 2019 at 06:50AM

0

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