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Tuesday, December 30, 2014
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Politics plays into pot Medical marijuana program is behind schedule By Ken Schroeder Shaw Media Service
December 2014 has come and gone and already the state’s Compassionate Use of Medical Cannabis Pilot Program Act is behind schedule. The 22 centers — one for each State Police district — were to be announced during December, but so far, the 159 applicants are waiting and hoping their application will be picked with no word from the Illinois Department of Agriculture, which is charged with selecting the producers. It appears as if finger pointing has already begun ... Apparently, many of the cultivation center applicants have voiced fears of cronyism playing a part in the selection process and have wondered whether the closed process will favor those who are politically connected. The current laws for application selection protects the names of applicants from being shared or discussed in public medium. Governor-elect Bruce Rauner has also demanded transparency from Gov. Pat Quinn’s administration and the selection process. Rauner pointed to former Quinn Chief of Staff Jack Lavin, who is representing one of the medical marijuana appli-
cants, as having an unfair advantage. David Rosen, former finance officer for Hillary Clinton, is another key Democratic figure among those vying for a license. However, across the aisle are two individuals who represent financial institutions who are backing prospective medical marijuana facilities. Steve Denari and Tom Cronin are helping with the financing of two separate applicants. Denari and Cronin are also two of the top financial supporters of Rauner’s successful bid for office. While Rauner is blasting the Quinn administration for lack of transparency, he has also suggested the licenses be auctioned off to the highest bidder, with the selection process on hold until the auctioning can start. Illinois NORML (National Organization to Reform Marijuana Laws) believes any further delay in the selection procedure is unjust. Executive Director Dan Linn also said the idea of granting the permits to the highest bidder turns the process from helping others into a for-profit venture. During Rauner’s campaign, he said he opposes the use of medical marijuana and would have vetoed the cannabis pilot program.
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BCR photo/Joann Bowman
Free movie used to feed friends and neighbors Garrett Widmer and his mother, Kala, drop food donations into a box Saturday at Apollo Theater in Princeton. People who brought in donations for a food pantry drive were given free tickets to watch the family-friendly movie “Rise of the Guardians.”
Looking back on 2014 By Donna Barker news@bcrnews.com
Editor’s note: This is the second installment in a series highlighting the happenings of 2014.
April
Week 1: Bureau County Clerk Kami Hieronymus is calling the 2014 primary election results official. Following election night on March 18, about 35 absentee ballots — 21 Republican — still had the possibility to change
the outcome in the sheriff’s race. Hieronymus confirmed only 10 absentee ballots were received following the election, and the final results have widened the gap between Republican sheriff candidates Allan Beaber and Jim Shipp. Final vote totals show Beaber with 1,321 votes and Shipp with 1,301 votes. Week 2: The death of Kyle Zinser, 23, of Spring Valley is ruled a homicide by a Bureau County coroner’s jury. Zinser had received a gunshot to the
leg allegedly when he and Angel Moreno of Spring Valley were toying with a shotgun, and it went off, hitting Zinser in the leg, Moreno told authorities. Several hours passed before Moreno called 911. Week 3: Spring Valley Mayor Walt Marini announces Deb Baltkauski as his selection to fill the open Third Ward alderman seat on the city council. He felt the council — which is currently made up of seven men —
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New year ... more new laws By Goldie Currie gcurrie@bcrnews.com
effect in when we turn the calendar to 2015.
Editor’s note: This is another story in an ongoing series about new laws that will go into effect in 2015. On Jan. 1, more than 200 new laws will take effect in Illinois touching many areas of state government from education and public safety, to transportation and wild life. Following are a few notable measures taking
New technologies, like surveillance drones and online communication platforms, continue to develop, inspiring a number of new laws. One law taking effect, prohibits a law enforcement agency from using a drone owned by a third party to acquire informa-
New technologies inspire new laws
tion. Another new law will require a unit of local government or a school district that maintains a website (other than a social media or networking website), to post an email address that members of the public can use to communicate with elected officials of that unit of local government or school district. In recent years, social media platforms, like Facebook and Twitter,
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Year 168 No. 157 Two Sections - 36 Pages
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