Tuesday, December 31, 2013
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ILLINOIS
State’s past-due bills fall to $7.6 billion Next year doesn’t promise to bring state much relief SPRINGFIELD (AP) – Illinois will end 2013 with $7.6 billion in unpaid bills, a 15 percent reduction from a year earlier, officials said Monday. Comptroller Judy Baar Topinka had estimat-
ed the backlog would be closer to the $9 billion owed at the end of 2012. But an unexpected $1.3 billion infusion of tax receipts last spring helped, The Rockford Register-Star reported. The newspaper’s story is part of GateHouse newspapers’ series on Illinois’ backlog of unpaid bills. Still, 2014 doesn’t promise to bring much relief.
For years, not-for-profits and other state contractors have come to count on faster payment in the spring when tax revenues are strong, but they expect to wait longer in the winter months when revenues have slowed and money has been spent for other budget matters. “That’s been the discernible pattern now for
ILLINOIS
several years, and it’s not changing this year,� said Steven Langley, chief executive officer of Stepping Stones, a housing and treatment center for clients with severe behavior and mental health issues. Some might expect relief now that lawmakers finally adopted a plan for reforming the way government employees
are provided retirement pensions. The package approved this month would cut benefits and ensure government pays its fair share to save $160 million over 30 years. But it doesn’t take effect until next year, and any savings wouldn’t be realized for several years down the road. And before it can even take effect, retired teachers
and other educators have filed a lawsuit challenging the measure’s constitutionality. “There are simply too many unknowns right now,� Topinka spokesman Brad Hahn said. Organizations such as Stepping Stones in the meantime are preparing for a switch to managedcare programs for Medicaid clients.
DEKALB
ISP ready for concealed carry Officials urge importance of having
carbon monoxide detectors in home
Citizens may apply on website Sunday CHICAGO (AP) – Illinois State Police next week will begin taking applications from residents who want to carry concealed weapons, and as many as 400,000 are expected to be submitted in the first year, officials said Monday. Citizens may apply through the ISP website beginning Sunday, 6 months after Illinois became the last state in the nation to approve a law allowing the public possession of a concealed firearm. A federal judge ordered the state to enact the law, and state police had 180 days to begin accepting applications. Col. Marc Maton, who has overseen the process of building the system “from the ground up,� said he’s confident it will be ready to go Jan. 5 but expects the agency will find ways to improve it. State police have been testing the website by allowing certified firearm instructors to apply for concealed-carry permits, and have received 900 applications so far from among the 2,100 instructors. On Thursday, citizens who have completed the required 16-hour training and have submitted electronic fingerprints will be permitted to begin applying to help test the website’s capacity, Maton said. The application process will require some
BY ANDREA AZZO aazzo@shawmedia.com
AP
Illinois State Police Colonel Matt Maton speaks at a news conference Monday in Chicago. Maton said that State Police are ready to begin processing applications from residents who want to carry concealed weapons, and expect up to 400,000 applications in the first year. preparation. Applicants must obtain a digital “identification,� a unique password of sorts that will allow them to digitally sign their application. They also will be asked for a valid driver’s license or state identification number, a firearm owner’s identification card, a digital photo, addresses of every place they’ve lived for 10 years and proof they’ve undergone firearms training with a licensed instructor. They also must answer criminal history questions and undergo a background check that will include records relating to crimes and mental health. Fingerprints may be submitted electronically to expedite the process, though they’re not required. Officials said that 10,000 people have already
obtained digital IDs. Maton said state police expected to process 300,000 to 400,000 applications next year, based on the almost 330,000 applications the agency has received for firearm owner identification cards. Local law enforcement officials have been gearing up, too, with some offering electronic fingerprinting or technical help with the application process. They also will be able to object to individual applications. Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart has said he’s worried that his office does not have the resources to adequately investigate thousands of applications to prevent permits from being issued to people with arrests for crimes such as domestic abuse or to those with gang ties.
available online. In a statement, Topinka says there shouldn’t be a mystery when it comes to public dollars in the state. The tax return inserts will show what state agencies spend each year. It
also gives a picture of the state’s unpaid bills over time. Topinka says that Cook County Treasurer Maria 0APPAS STARTED A SIMILAR insert in the previous tax season.
DeKalb County officials are warning residents about the importance of carbon monoxide detectors after two members of a Sycamore family passed out from carbon monoxide exposure before help arrived. Four family members in the 1700 block of Brower Place, Sycamore, were transported to Kishwaukee Hospital for treatment of high carbon monoxide exposure this month, said Art Zern, assistant fire chief for the Sycamore Fire Department. The family’s furnace was not draining the exhaust properly, causing the exhaust to go back into the house. The family did not have a
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#()#!'/ !0 n 3TATE Comptroller Judy Baar Topinka says Illinois residents will get a breakdown of state spending in income tax returns received in 2014. Topinka announced the INITIATIVE -ONDAY 3HE says her office will also make the information
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O Everyone Loves Babies! Show the Sauk Valley area how proud you are of your “new bundle� by featuring him or her in our special keepsake edition. “O’ Baby� will showcase area babies born in 2013 and will feature the first born babies of 2014 inside!
This keepsake edition will be published on Friday, January 24, 2014 in the Daily Gazette and the Telegraph.
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DeKalb Fire Chief Eric Hicks said his department hasn’t had any major issues so far this year, but he still cautions residents to be mindful. “Make sure your vehicle isn’t running inside the garage,� Hicks said. “A large amount of calls we get are when it’s super cold out and people start [and run] their car, which will set the alarm off.� Both fire departments use equipment to find the source of what is causing carbon monoxide in the house. Illinois state law requires residents using fossil fuels, such as natural gas or propane, to install carbon monoxide detectors within 15 feet of all rooms used for sleeping.
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carbon monoxide detector, Zern said. “Luckily one member of the family woke up in the middle of the night very ill and passed out. He was up long enough to awaken other members of the family,� Zern said. “Two members passed out prior to our arrival.� Carbon monoxide, which is a colorless and odorless gas, is particularly a problem during the winter because furnaces are working nonstop, Zern said. Residents who feel ill should leave the house and call 911 if their carbon monoxide detector activates. “We had half a dozen calls recently with legitimate carbon monoxide issues,� Zern said. “We were there early enough, because they had detectors.�
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