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THURSDAY, JANUARY 30, 2014
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Songwriters share work at Woodstock venue Planit Play, 10 STATE OF THE STATE ADDRESS
Quinn makes his case
McHenry Shores to see water rate hike? System upgrades could come soon By EMILY K. COLEMAN ecoleman@shawmedia.com
AP photo
Gov. Pat Quinn delivers the State of the State Address on Wednesday to a joint session of the General Assembly in the House chambers at the Illinois State Capitol in Springfield.
What’s next
Local reps critical of governor’s address
Gov. Pat Quinn will transmit the state’s 2015 budget to the General Assembly on Feb. 19. The fiscal year for Illinois government runs from July 1 to June 30.
By KEVIN P. CRAVER kcraver@shawmedia.com Gov. Pat Quinn painted a rosy picture Wednesday of a state “making a comeback” and laid out proposals to increase the minimum wage and help the state’s most vulnerable, but he conspicuously steered clear of mentioning the state income tax increase set to start expiring at year’s end. In a 40-minute State of the State address clearly drafted to make his case to
voters for his re-election, Quinn asked lawmakers to raise the minimum wage from $8.25 to $10 an hour, double the earned income credit for needy families and implement a “birth to five” program expanding prenatal care and early childhood education. Quinn promoted those and other proposals as part of a five-year blueprint for jobs and economic growth, which despite Quinn’s optimistic speech continues to sputter according to numerous indicators.
Local lawmakers reacted to Quinn’s annual address in similar fashion to his previous four since taking office – that he is divorced from Illinois’ disappointing economic reality. At least until the General Assembly reconvenes jointly in three weeks to receive Quinn’s proposed 2015 budget. “Today, I was hoping to hear a speech about how we would address unemployment and the unfriendly business
McHENRY – McHenry Shores residents could see their water rates go up if the state approves the pending sale of their water system. The McHenry Shores Water Company has been plagued by financially instability, consistently running a deficit and failing to pay its property taxes for several years. In June 2011, its owner, T.P. Mathews, and his wife, Lois Mathews, filed for bankruptcy, according to documents submitted to the Illinois Commerce Commission. Aqua Illinois – a water utility with 56,000 customers in Illinois, including Cook, Kane, Lake and Boone counties – agreed to buy McHenry Shores Water Company’s assets for $427,000 plus closing costs. None of the other private utilities in the area placed a bid for the company, and the city of McHenry offered $75,000, according to court documents. The terms of the sale were approved by the bankruptcy court in October 2013 over the objections of Mathews who argued that the McHenry Shores Water Company isn’t a part of their bankruptcy estate and that the price was too low. The Illinois Commerce Commission is responsible for approving the terms of the sale and has also been asked to approve a rate increase to, in part, fund improvements to the water system, including water main replacements, water meter replacement and other maintenance and repairs. The process could take 11 months, but spokeswoman Beth Bosch said
See QUINN, page A4 See SHORES, page A4
Farm bill passes House after years of disagreement By MARY CLARE JALONICK The Associated Press WASHINGTON – After years of setbacks, a nearly $100 billion-a-year compromise farm bill cleared the House on Wednesday despite strong opposition from conservatives who sought a bigger cut in food stamps. The five-year bill, which preserves generous crop subsidies, heads to the Senate, where approval seems certain. The White House said President Barack Obama would sign it.
Read more Breakdown of what’s in the farm bill. PAGE A4
The measure, which the House approved 251-166, had backing from the Republican leadership team, even though it makes smaller cuts to food stamps than they would have liked. After wavering for several years, the GOP leaders were seeking to put the
LOCALLY SPEAKING
Huntley’s Zach Gorney (left) Sarah Nader – snader@shawmedia.com
long-stalled bill behind them and build on the success of a bipartisan budget passed earlier this month. Leaders in both parties also were hoping to bolster rural candidates in this year’s midterm elections. House Speaker John Boehner did not cast a vote on the bill, a commonplace practice for a speaker, but he had issued a statement Monday saying it was “worthy of the House’s support.” Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., voted for the bill despite concerns from some in her caucus that the bill cut too
much from the food stamp program. The bill ultimately would cut about $800 million a year from the $80 billiona-year food stamp program, or around 1 percent. The House had sought a 5 percent cut. The legislation also would continue to heavily subsidize major crops for the nation’s farmers while eliminating some subsidies and shifting them toward more politically defensible insurance programs.
See FARM BILL, page A4
McHENRY COUNTY
RICHMOND
SCHOOLS USING UP SNOW DAYS
SEX TOY INCIDENT POSTPONES DANCE
The arctic temperatures in McHenry County this month have kept kids out of the classroom. Area school districts are used to one or two snow days a year, but because of the subzero temperatures most schools have canceled four days of classes, which will push the school calendar further into the summer.
Parents are questioning the decision by Richmond-Burton High School administrators to cancel the school’s winter dance after a student displayed a sex toy during an assembly. A YouTube video of the incident was posted Friday and had more than 60,000 views as of Wednesday morning. For more, see
For more, see page B1.
page B1.
CRYSTAL LAKE: Huntley was able to overcome a slow start to beat CL South, 58-48. Sports, C1
How they voted The Farm Bill passed in the House on Wednesday by 85 votes. Here is how area U.S. representatives voted.
Peter Roskam, R-6th District, voted “yes.”
Randy Hultgren, R-14th District, voted “yes.”
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