For those of you who do not know what a Gender Bender is, it is when boys are encouraged to dress up as girls and girls are encouraged to dress like boys.

This phenomenon in schools has been gradually making its way to lower and lower grades. The question I have is What educational purpose does a gender bender have in elementary to middle school? There is none. This is purely an indoctrination technique. It is NOT educational.

You can see the full schedule of events this screen shot was taken from here. The schedule for this week was changed to “Switch It Up Day!”

Despite state government’s one-party control, the Governor and his House and Senate allies have yet to move the ball forward on almost every major issue. To date, no state budget draft has been produced, fostering concerns that a spending plan will be dropped on legislators at the last minute.  Senate President John Cullerton has indicated we will get our first look on Monday or Tuesday. The state continues to accumulate pension debt while the Senate President, House Speaker and Governor all appear deadlocked over competing reform plans.

In the House, the Speaker has declared that his priority is to shift pension costs to local school districts and state universities and colleges. He continues to insist downstate and suburban schools get a “free lunch” even though that claim was thoroughly debunked by an extensive study prepared by Senate Republicans.  Some form of “cost shift” may make sense as it is good economic policy to have responsibility for costs as close as possible to where they are incurred.

Illinois faces a June 9 federal court deadline to adopt legislation giving Illinoisans the right-to-carry a concealed weapon in public. The House has made progress on a proposal, but it may face stiff resistance in the Senate, where anti-gun hardliners hold more power. Though it is certainly not a perfect bill, it does have a “shall carry” provision and would be uniform for the state. I will probably vote in favor of the bill unless it is further amended, which is certainly possible.

Although a major expansion of gambling, including a Chicago casino, cleared the Senate May 1, the House has not taken up the measure. Similarly, the Senate President muscled a same-sex marriage bill through his chamber on Valentine’s Day, only to have it sit idle in the House for more than three months.

In the meantime, as if to summarize the mismanagement that has characterized Illinois over the past decade, a national legislative research organization has issued their annual study of state economic outlooks, ranking Illinois 47th in the nation in Economic Performance and 48th in Economic Outlook.

The sixth edition of “Rich States, Poor States” is produced by the American Legislative Exchange Council and co-authored by respected economist Arthur Laffer.

To rank states by Economic Performance the study looked at three statistics: Gross Domestic Product, Absolute Domestic Migration and Non-Farm Payroll Employment. Illinois ranked 42nd for Gross Domestic Product, then fell to 48th in both Domestic Migration (which measures whether more people are leaving the state than are coming to the state) and Non-Farm Employment, which measures job growth.

The Economic Outlook ranking is based on 15 policy areas that state lawmakers can influence or control. These include tax rates and policies, the legal environment, workers’ compensation costs and minimum wage rates. Illinois was ranked at or near the bottom for imposing a 66% income tax increase and continuing to charge “death” taxes on estates. The state scored its best ranking (ninth in the nation) for its relatively low ratio of public employees – less than 5% of the population.

While most major issues remain unresolved, lawmakers have made progress on some important issues. Lawmakers of both parties strongly endorsed and sent to the Governor a measure I sponsored that will bring Illinois’ speed limits more closely into line with much of the nation.  Senate Bill 2356 increases the maximum speed limit to 70 mph on interstates and toll highways. Cook and the collar counties could opt out of the higher speed limit. Passed by the House of Representatives on May 22 with an 85-30 vote and by the Senate on April 23 with a 41-6 vote, the legislation now moves to the Governor’s desk and will become law with his signature.  The other sponsors and I worked very hard to get veto-proof majorities in both chambers houses and we did even better than we had hoped.

The progression of this legislation is a good example of what can be accomplished when lawmakers work together in a bipartisan manner for the good of our state. It was sponsored by lawmakers from both political parties who represent all regions of our state, and now it is up to the Governor to give this measure the serious consideration it deserves.  Senate Bill 2356 was also sponsored by State Sen. Martin Sandoval (D-Cicero), the Senate Transportation Committee Chairman, and 28 other Senators; and State Rep. Jerry Costello (D-Red Bud), State Rep. C.D. Davidsmeyer (R-Jacksonville) and 40 other House members.

Lawmakers have also approved a number of child protection measures, including allowing evidence of past offenses to be used in child abduction cases (SB 1814) and banning sex offenders from playgrounds or recreation areas within private buildings, such as a McDonald’s play land, a Chuck-E-Cheese or a video game arcade (HB 3023).

To help children receive the support to which they are legally entitled, House Bill 2843 would allow gambling winnings to be withheld to pay back child support. The bill is sponsored by State Sen. Darin LaHood (R-Peoria).

Illinois is finally taking the first steps to build the long-sought western access to O’Hare International Airport. With approval of House Joint Resolution 9, the Illinois State Toll Highway Authority is given the green light to undertake the Elgin-O’Hare Western Access, which would link the Elgin O’Hare Expressway to Interstate 90 and Interstate 294 to create an entrance to O’Hare Airport from the west. The project is expected to cost $3.4 billion.

Lawmakers also overrode the Governor’s veto of a measure that clarifies the “smart grid” legislation previously passed by the General Assembly, affecting electric utilities. Senate Bill 9 addresses the concerns of legislators that the Illinois Commerce Commission did not implement the “smart grid” law as the General Assembly intended.

The latest updates on legislation being considered and passed by the General Assembly can be found on the Senate Action page of the Senate Republican Web site.

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Barickman says Governor Quinn, Senate President John Cullerton, and House Speaker Mike Madigan have all promised transparent action on the state budget, pension reform, and many other critical issues facing the State of Illinois. In fact, a federal court ruling required legislative action on Right-to-Carry legislation before June 9th. So far, there has been no final action on any of those issues.

“All you have to do is look at the dramatic lack of leadership by the majority party in this state, and you can’t help but be frustrated,”said Senator Barickman. “The people of Illinois are sick and tired of the dysfunction and excuses coming from Springfield. It’s time to come together, reach agreement on these issues, and move the state forward.”

Senator Barickman is especially critical of the lack of progress on a state budget. The Governor proposed a budget this spring with massive cuts to K-12 and higher education while incorporating new and expanded programs that greatly increase state spending.

“There have been no public hearings on the state budget. There has been no action at any level, no transparency anywhere,” said Barickman. “It’s truly a shameful move to keep the public in the blind about a budget that will likely spend far more money than the state can afford.”

The legislature is scheduled to adjourn May 31.

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• $150 license fee
• $300 non-resident license fee
• 16 hour training requirement
• 3 hour renewal training requirement
• Allows any law enforcement agency to object to a license applicant based upon a reasonable suspicion that the applicant is a danger to himself or herself or others, or a threat to public safety.
• Allows the Department of State Police to object to a license applicant with gang-related arrests within the 7 years preceding the date of application.
• Objections are reviewed by a Concealed Carry Licensing Review Board composed of 7 members appointed by the Governor with the advice and consent of the Senate.
• Department of State Police
  • approve a 16 hour training course for new license applicants
  • approve 3 hour course for license renewal
  • approve certify course instructors.
  • Establishes training course requirements
• Creates a task force to develop a plan by March 1, 2014 to allow for a Firearm Owner’s Identification Card and concealed carry license designation to appear on a person’s Illinois driver’s license or Illinois identification card.
• Adds school reporting mandate – Creates the School Administrator Reporting of Mental Health Clear and Present Danger Determinations Law.

A few simple questions for the supporters that think this is a good bill:

1. What will the requirements be to setup instructors, training, and courses?
2. Why is the designation going on driver’s licences?
3. Why 16 hours of training when no other state requires that much time?
4. Isn’t $150 burdensome?
5. What is the purpose of 3 hours of training before renewal?
6. What is the criteria will be used for the objections of ANY law enforcement agency?  As we’ve seen in the past week, the government targeting conservatives as a threat.  Will that criteria be used here?

Overall this is a bad bill and should be stopped in the Senate.  We don’t need more onerous laws.  We need freedom to follow the Constitution and stop being harassed by a government who is hostile to those who want limited government.

Below are Press Releases form several State Representatives praising this bad bill.  When you pass a bill just to do something, it usually ends of being a bad bill.

From Rep. Mike Unes

Illinois House Passes Unes-backed Concealed Carry Bill

Springfield, IL…..Illinois’ Concealed Carry Bill, SB 2193, received important approval from the Illinois House on Friday, putting it one step closer to reality in Illinois.

Under SB 2193, co-sponsored by Rep. Mike Unes, Illinois would join the other 49 states in the U.S. with Concealed Carry. If passed and signed into law, Illinois would come into compliance with a December court order from the 7^th Court of Appeals mandating that Illinois join the rest of the nation in recognizing an individual’s right to defend themselves outside the home.

“This is a historic day for the State of Illinois.  I sponsored a Concealed Carry bill on my first day in office and have been advocating for this issue ever since.  I committed to seeing this through and have not given up, even when the opponents said this day would never happen,” said Rep. Unes on Friday from Springfield.

Chief Sponsor of SB 2193, Rep. Brandon Phelps (D-Harrisburg), praised Unes’ advocacy on the issue, citing, “this is a goal many of us have been working toward to restore Illinoisans’ Constitutional Rights. I am glad this day has finally come! I’ve enjoyed working with Rep. Unes on this issue since the first day he’s been here; without the bi-partisan support from advocates like Mike, we wouldn’t be where we are today.”

“I supported this legislation because it was a statewide “shall-issue” law with the strongest mental health provisions in the nation; eradicated local gun regulations creating a statewide standardized law; and prohibited municipalities from establishing gun-free zones,” said Rep. Unes

The next step for SB 2193 is to go before the State Senate. Rep. Unes said he is encouraged that will happen soon, saying, “This bill now has support from legislators who have never before supported Concealed Carry in Illinois. They realize we must pass this well-written bill now to restore law-abiding Illinoisans their Second Amendment Rights.”

For more information, please contact Rep. Unes’ Pekin district office by calling (309) 620-8631.

From Rep. Joe Sosnowski

Sosnowski: “It’s About Time”

SPRINGFIELD – Today, the Illinois House of Representatives approved a carefully negotiated proposal that creates a clear path toward concealed carry for law-abiding Illinois residents. As a strong supporter of Second Amendment rights, State Representative Joe Sosnowski (R-Belvidere) issued the following statement.

“We are finally giving the good guys the ability to defend their families and their property from violent criminals,” said Sosnowski. “While today’s vote is a significant step forward, the fight is not over. Until the plan passes the Senate and is signed into law by the Governor, Illinois will remain the only state in the nation without any form of concealed carry for the law-abiding public. It’s about time we resolve this issue and provide full rights to upstanding gun owners.”

Senate Bill 2193 passed the House 85 – 30. For more information please visit www.joesosnowski.org, or contact State Rep. Joe Sosnowski at (815) 547-3436 or by email at repsosnowski@gmail.com.

From Rep. Dan Brady

Rep. Brady: House passes “balanced” concealed carry compromise

SPRINGFIELD – State Representative Dan Brady today joined a supermajority in the Illinois House of Representatives in voting to pass Senate Bill 2193, a balanced approach to allow the concealed carrying of firearms by law-abiding Illinoisans.

“Concealed-carry in Illinois has been a long time coming, but I’m pleased with the compromise that we have finally reached,” Representative Brady said. “This is a true balance that protects both our Constitutional second amendment rights and our communities. I’m especially pleased to say that this legislation includes the strongest mental health requirements in the nation.”

Senate Bill 2193, which passed on a vote of 85-30, came near the end of the six-month period which a federal court gave the state to pass a concealed carry law that was in compliance with the Second Amendment. Illinois’ existing ban on carrying concealed weapons, the only ban of its kind in the nation, was ruled unconstitutional by the court in December. If Illinois did not enact a law by June 9, the court ruling would go into effect and there would be no restrictions of any kind on carrying concealed weapons in the state.

Brady said Senate Bill 2193 puts in place common sense restrictions on where a concealed weapon can be carried including schools and child care facilities, requires a background check, and requires extensive firearms safety training. It also respects the concerns raised by law-abiding citizens about not being accidently in violation of the law by carrying their weapon too close to a prohibited site and designates automobiles as ‘safe harbors’ for permit holders.

Senate Bill 2193 now goes back to the Senate for consideration. Because the bill was amended in the House, the Senate must agree to the amended version before it can go to the Governor for his signature.

From Rep. Jeanne Ives

Ives Statement On SB 2193

Today in the House, we voted on Concealed Carry Bill SB 2139. The legislation passed with SB with 85 voting ‘Yes,’ 30 voting ‘No,’ 1 voting ‘Present’, and 2 Not Voting.

While this was not the bill I had hoped for, Rep. Phelps’ bill did receive my votes for the following reasons:

• This is a “Shall Issue” bill.  Must issue the permit unless preponderance of evidence shows individual does not qualify under other provisions of the bill
• There is no home rule exemption – it will set one statewide standard and invalidate inconsistent local regulations
• Licensees will require no special endorsement to carry within the City of Chicago

The alternative, Senator Kwame Raoul’s bill, contains none of these things … and it is clear that if we don’t pass this bill, we will get Senator Raoul’s bill.

Illinois is the only state without procedures in place for law-abiding citizens to apply for concealed carry licenses

In 2008′s Heller Decision, the US Supreme Court recognized gun ownership as an individual right.  In 2010, the Supreme Court overturned Chicago’s long-standing gun ban.

And last December, the U.S. Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals struck down Illinois’ ban on concealed carry.  The Court charged the Illinois General Assembly with the responsibility to pass a reasonable concealed carry law within 180 days.

The courts have repeatedly reaffirmed our Supreme Amendment rights.  If 49 other states can have responsible concealed carry laws, so can Illinois.

The legislation allows the Illinois State Police to issue concealed carry licenses to persons who are at least 21 years of age, have a valid FOID card or meet the requirements for a FOID card complete 16 hours of training (including live fire exercise), and pass criminal background checks, among other requirements.

The bill also includes provisions that prohibit the concealed carry of a firearm in certain locations including schools, courthouses, government buildings, libraries, parks, public transportation, bars, stadiums and gambling venues.

House Bill 1238 will create the H Foundation/Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center License Plate. Applicants for the plate will pay an additional fee that will be deposited into a “Committed to a Cure” fund, which will be paid as grants to fund research efforts at Northwestern’s Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center.

“Since its creation just 12 years ago, the H Foundation has raised more than $4.5 million for cancer research. Their fundraising efforts, in conjunction with the hard work and research of the physicians and scientists at the Lurie Cancer Center, have led to life-saving medical advancements in the ongoing fight to cure cancer,” said Dillard.

“As President and Founder of The H Foundation, I wholeheartedly support HB 1238,” said John Rot, President and Founder of the H Foundation in a written statement. “We seek to secure this special license plate to grow awareness for The H Foundation and our unique partnership with the Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Center of Northwestern University, as well as strengthen our ability to fundraise on a year-round basis.”

The money raised by The H Foundation is used to provide “seed money” to researchers allowing them to pursue research efforts that often lead to additional grants from government or private sources. As a result, The H Foundation grants have led to more than $35 million for cancer research.

Dr. Teresa K. Woodruff, the Thomas J. Watkins Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine noted, “More than thirty senior investigators and their laboratory teams including more than one hundred graduate and post-doctoral students have benefitted from seed money from the H Foundation, and thousands at Northwestern and elsewhere have been impacted through the leveraged dollars.”

Rot underscored that, “As a community-based foundation, it is important to us to keep our dollars local. Funding basic science cancer research at the Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University supports Chicago’s economy, creates and maintains jobs, and allows Chicagoand Illinois to compete nationally and globally in the area of cancer research.”

Having been approved by the General Assembly, House Bill 1238 moves to the Governor for consideration.

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pB711__d1e8

Full details and timeline can be found here.

Freight Shipments Decline in April
April freight shipment volumes were down by 3.3% from March of 2013, down 1.3% from April 2012 and down 1.2% from April 2011, according to the Cass Freight Index. Freight shipments are a measure of the economy, which in this case raises a question.

Auto Sales
In April, sales of light vehicles were up 9.0% year-to-date from 2012, according to WardsAuto InfoBank. However, April sales are down 10.7% from March of this year. The question is, was it the economy or tax month?

Institute of Supply Management (ISM)
Other indicators are giving even more mixed signals. According to indices from the ISM, economic growth is happening, but at varying rates.

*Number of months moving in current direction.

Commercial Lending Rates
This week, most rates held steady, with the 10-year Fannie Mae declining by 0.03% and the seven-year rising by 0.02%. SBA loans for May are at 3.93%.

Rates are subject to change without notice and are subject to property and credit qualifications. For details on any of these and other programs, contact Gary Meyers at 847-580-4260 or email: gmeyers@ccfdeals.com.

Learn more about Commercial Corp Finance or read past reports.

But despite this decrease, most people think gun crimes are increasing, largely because of what they hear from main stream media and anti-gun politicians. According to a Rasmussen poll released on Friday, May 10, while gun killings have plunged 39 percent since 1993, and non-fatal gun crimes have dropped 69 percent in the same period, those who want gun control think that gun crime is up. Rasmussen reports that only 7 percent of adults believe there are fewer gun owners in the country than there were 20 years ago — and more importantly, 64 percent of those who want more gun control think that gun crime has escalated.

How can this be?

Ever since the Justice Department released its study on Tuesday, May 7th showing that firearms-related homicides in the U.S. annually declined 19 percent from 18,253 in 1993 to 11,101 in 2011, anti-gun proponents have been silent. There has not been a peep out of New York Mayor Mike Bloomberg since the report was issued. The President has ignored it.

Continue reading at Illinois Review…

[FILE] Zach Fardon, left, outside the Federal Courthouse in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/John Russell)

He was nominated by President Barack Obama to be the U.S. Attorney of Northern District of Illinois on Thursday.

“Zachary Fardon will be an exceptional U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois,” Illinois Senator Dick Durbin said in a statement. “His range of experience will serve him well in a city and region as diverse and challenging as the Northern District. I spoke to him today and advised him that he’ll have to hit the ground running and immediately focus on daily gang and gun violence plaguing the streets of Chicago. I know he can do it and will lead the U.S. Attorney’s office with independence, integrity and distinction.”

“Fardon is an outstanding pick to continue Patrick Fitzgerald’s tradition of aggressively prosecuting criminal activity that threatens northern Illinois and lead our state in the fight against dangerous drug gangs and gun violence,” Illinois Senator Mark Kirk said through a statement.

Durbin and Kirk created a bipartisan screening panel to fill the vacancy.

Continue reading at ABC7…

I started a non-partisan group in March of 2012, For Our Children’s Future. It’s mission is as follows:

1. Recruit, train and help candidates who will bring fiscal sustainability and integrity to their elected office while maintaining a social safety net for those truly in need
2. Empower parents to ensure their children are not trapped in failing schools
3. Fight the efforts that limit taxpayer rights by forcing property owners to do their own tax appeals or hire a lawyer

In February 2013, I started a Political Action Committee to help fulfill our mission and opened a bank account. Our bank account was closed without notification at the end of April. I only found out it had been closed when a check I had donated to a candidate could not be cashed. You can view the timeline below for more detailed information on the closing.

Some of the additional information that was requested by my bank was the following:

• List our top 4 donors
• List the top 4 candidates/organization we donated to
• What was the purpose of our bank account
• What was our groups mission
• What is our mission/purpose
• What is our funding profile

At the time, I thought this was strange for a bank to be asking me for this information. Especially since I had provided them my D-1 Statement of Organization at account opening. Neither I, nor anyone else I have told about this has ever heard of a bank requesting this type of information. Specifically the Fed already has access to all checks in/out of a bank account. Also, the donations/expenditures are always on the State Board of Elections for all to see.

When the IRS targeting conservative scandals broke, I started questioning more about whether the government is using banks to now target conservatives as well. It appears they very well may be.

What a chilling thought for every citizen to know that the IRS is targeting individuals who utiliize the first amendment to disagree with the President or big government. Now the possibility is the government is also using banks as well to stifle our first amendment rights. This should send every American citizen and politicians who believe in freedom scrambling to put on end to these intimidation tactics. If these can be used against conservatives, it will eventually be used against anyone whose political views differ from those in power.

Timeline:

• February – Opened bank account
• End of March – Received notice from bank asking for information
• April 12th – Returned documentation requested to National and local offices
• April 30th – Account closed without notification
• May 3rd – Notified by a candidate the account was closed and his checked was not cashed
• May 3rd – Contacted local bank. Account was closed with note that I did not send back information
• May 4th – Contacted National Bank Offices.
  • Account was being researched, again stated I did not return document
  • Local branch manager called and the national office would not talk to him. He told me to call every hour until I got it resolved
  • Called national office again, account still being researched, but they received my documents on April 17.
  • National office called me back a few hours later, they claimed I had left a couple fields blank.
  • Refiled the paperwork by fax
  • Account reinstated 24 hours later
  • Was told this was due to the Patriot Act banking provisions although they could not or would not give me more specific details on the rule used to close my account without notification.