Concealed Carry: Illinois, as the last state without a concealed carry law, had a court ordered mandate to pass a law by early June. After receiving a deadline extension, the Governor issued an amendatory veto calling for common-sense amendments to the concealed carry bill that passed in spring session. Some of these changes included banning carrying weapons in any establishment that serves alcohol, limiting magazine capacities for concealed firearms, and requiring citizens to disclose their weapons to law-enforcement officials. While HB 183 does have some important public safety exceptions missing from previous bills, I voted against the measure to override the veto in a special session on July 9th. The Governor's proposed amendments would have strengthened the legislation and allowed home rule units to enact certain gun ordinances that HB 183 prohibits. I believe they were constructive recommendations.

The House voted 77-31 to override the Governor's objections, and the Senate voted 41-17. Even though concealed carry is now the law of the land, I fully expect to see trailer bills in future sessions that will amend the language in Illinois' concealed carry law as needed.

Pension Reform: During spring session, the House and Senate passed competing pension reform plans with two completely different goals - cost savings on the one hand and passing constitutional muster on the other. The General Assembly formed a conference committee earlier in the summer to create a workable pension agreement. For weeks, the bipartisan committee has been hearing testimony from stakeholders across the state to pound out an agreement that will pass in both chambers.

Many of my constituents have expressed great frustration with the lack of progress on pension reform. Please know that I share your frustration. The Governor expressed his own frustration by vetoing legislative pay, sending the message that further inaction is unacceptable. Message received, Governor.

CPS Budget Cuts: I am very concerned about the budget shortfalls at schools in the 12th District and across the rest of the city. With the CPS system facing a $600 billion budget gap, our local schools and students will feel the effects of the resulting cuts. My staff and I hear from alarmed teachers and families every day, and it's clear that we need to take a hard look at how we fund education across the city and the state. I urge the City of Chicago to help lighten the burden on educators by declaring a TIF surplus and redirecting those funds to schools, some of which face 10% cuts across the board. I will continue to send updates as this issue develops.

Early Intervention Services: SB 626 provides much needed relief for the families of children suffering from developmental disabilities. Beginning on June 28th, when the Governor signed the legislation into law, insurance providers are no longer allowed to deny coverage to families supporting their children with Early Intervention (EI) services. As the chief House sponsor of the measure, I am thrilled to see families across our state protected from this form of health care discrimination. I remain committed to supporting legislation that safeguards families, children, and patients in Illinois from unscrupulous insurance practices.

Fracking Regulations: On May 30th, the Hydraulic Fracturing Regulatory Act passed the Illinois House on a vote of 108-9. The Senate voted in concurrence on May 31st, and Governor Quinn signed SB 1715 into law on June 17th. I supported a two-year moratorium on high volume horizontal fracking, co-sponsoring the moratorium bill in the House. However, without any regulations to speak of and a lack of support for the moratorium, natural gas companies were already free to frack in Illinois without any oversight whatsoever. I voted in favor of SB 1715, which puts in place the strictest fracking regulations in the country to protect the environment and the people of Illinois.

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If you are uninsured or underinsured, you may be eligible to receive no-cost health insurance through a new Illinois Medicaid program called CountyCare. Once you are a CountyCare member, you do not pay for covered services, including routine doctor visits, hospital stays, prescription drugs, laboratory and x-ray services, mammograms, transportation and many more services. In addition, you can receive mental health and substance abuse services, which traditional Illinois Medicaid does not cover. To qualify, you must:

• Reside in Cook County
• Be 19-64 years old
• Make less than $15,282 for an individual and $20,628 for a couple
• Not be eligible for Medicaid, Medicare or CHIP
• Be a legal immigrant for five years or a U.S. Citizen
• Have a social security number or have applied for one