Inside:
- TICK Act clears committee
- Standing up for homeschool freedom
- Work continues on bill to award four-year degrees at community colleges
- Around the 71st District
TICK Act clears committee
A bill I am sponsoring to help protect Illinoisans from tick-borne illnesses has passed a House committee and is now pending before the full House of Representatives.
House Bill 1754 creates the Tracking Infectious Cases Knowledgeably (TICK) Act. The act specifically focuses on a health condition known as alpha-gal syndrome, a serious and potentially life-threatening allergic condition that can occur after a tick bite. The condition is named for a molecule that is found in most mammals. Symptoms occur after people eat red meat or are exposed to other products made from mammals.
For this reason, alpha-gal syndrome is also known as the red meat allergy. The federal Centers for Disease Control has identified alpha-gal syndrome as a growing threat to clinical and public health and has identified Illinois as a state with one of the highest alpha-gal syndrome prevalence rates in the nation.
The bill directs the Department of Public Health to provide educational materials regarding alpha-gal syndrome data on its website and undertake an awareness and educational campaign for community members, local health departments and medical providers on the signs and symptoms of alpha-gal syndrome, including education on proper procedures by which to order a test for diagnosis of alpha-gal syndrome.
The bill passed the House Public Health committee 8-0 and is now pending before the full House of Representatives.
Standing up for homeschool freedom
House Democrats have introduced a bill to greatly restrict the freedom of homeschool parents to educate their kids in accordance with their values. The bill is loaded with intrusive mandates and burdensome requirements upon these parents. Recently hundreds of homeschool parents came to the Capitol to express their objections to this bad bill, and I have heard from countless residents of our district who are opposed as well. Tens of thousands of Illinoisans have filed witness slips opposing the bill.
On Wednesday this bill came before the Education Policy committee. I voted No, but I am sorry to report that the bill moved through. The legislation is House Bill 2827. We expect there to be another amendment to come before the Education Policy committee. After committee the bill will go to the House floor for further consideration sometime between now and the House bill passage deadline of April 11.
Work continues on bill to award four-year degrees at community colleges
Illinois community colleges would be able to establish and offer baccalaureate degree programs and confer bachelor’s degrees under legislation which is pending in the House Higher Education committee. The board of trustees of the community college could establish the program of their choice, so long as they meet specified conditions. The degree programs will most likely not conflict with course offerings at local four-year colleges. This week the bill’s sponsor introduced an amendment to the original bill, working to improve the legislation before it gets to the House floor.
This is a great opportunity for community colleges to collaborate with Western Illinois University as we build a program to benefit potential baccalaureate students in our district. Illinois has a first-class community college network, and a great system of universities. However, sometimes the time and travel commitments of attending a four-year college are too much for some students to overcome. This change will bring those schools’ four-year degree programs closer to home for many Illinois students seeking higher education.
The legislation is House Bill 3717.
Around the 71st district
Saturday morning we went to Walnut Grove United Methodist Church for a delicious pancake breakfast. From there we went to the Clover Fire Department Pancake Breakfast in Woodhull. We saw a lot of friends at both places.
We then went to the ribbon cutting for the first floor and gallery at the Buchanan Center for the Arts. Over a hundred paintings, drawings and other artwork created by local students. Very impressive local talent.
Tammy headed to Kewanee, where she attended the Henry County Pork Producers Banquet, while I went to Galesburg for the Knox County Cattleman’s! Divide and conquer!
Sunday started out with a delicious breakfast at the Alexis Fire Department. We then attended church at Coldbrook Christian Church in Cameron.
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