Stadelman passes measure combatting student credit card debt
Key stakeholders will seek solutions for skyrocketing credit card debt faced by college students under legislation passed by State Senator Steve Stadelman to create the College Student Credit Card Marketing and Debt Task Force. House Bill 1581 calls for formation of a panel composed of representatives from credit unions, banks and state universities to study how credit cards are marketed to students, students’ payment history and several other related issues.
“Credit cards can be a useful way for students to build a credit history if they are responsible,” Stadelman said. “Unfortunately, too many students are unaware of the interest rates they have signed up to pay and find themselves clawing their way out of debt.”
According to the U.S. Department of Education’s National Center for Education Statistics, 41 percent of students graduated with credit card debt averaging $3,000 in 2016. Stadelman's proposal, having passed the Illinois Senate unanimously, now awaits the governor’s approval.
Illegal logging bill sponsored by Stadelman heads to governor’s desk
State Senator Steve Stadelman has won approval in both chambers of the General Assembly for legislation that would increase penalties for illegal logging on land dedicated for conservation purposes in Illinois. Stadelman sponsored the bill with State Rep. Mary Edly-Allen, D-Libertyville, to resolves shortcomings in current law that restrict conservation and preservation property owners from being adequately compensated for extensive damages incurred when someone illegally logs natural areas.
“Our preservation areas need to be protected so that generations to come can enjoy them," Stadelman said. "This legislation will make sure that when people take what isn’t theirs, they can be held responsible.”
Cutting trees improperly can lead to soil erosion, the spread of invasive species and damage to other flora and fauna - including endangered species - among other adverse effects. The state's current law falls short of adequately compensating wronged landowners for the damages sustained from instances of illegal logging because it only considers the per-stump tree value -- not cleanup, loss of ecosystem integrity or the time required for vegetation to re-establish in the damaged area.
Stadelman's legislation closes the gap toward properly compensating the land trusts, conservation easement owners, forest preserves, park districts and others who oversee natural areas by ensuring compensation for the cost of the full damage incurred.
"We have an obligation to our donors and the general public to protect the habitats we say we are going to protect,” said Kerry Leigh, executive director of the Natural Land Institute, a Rockford-based nonprofit group that has suffered damages from illegal logging. “We are hopeful that this revision to the Wrongful Tree Cutting Act will serve as a real deterrent to illegal logging activities occurring across the state, as the true costs of remediation will be prescribed through this legislation.”
Stadelman remembers political columnist Chuck Sweeny as Rockford institution
State Senator Steve Stadelman issued the following statement regarding Monday's passing of veteran Rockford Register Star political columnist Chuck Sweeny:
"Having worked with Chuck for many years as a fellow journalist and more recently as an elected official, I saw from more than one perspective that his reporting and commentary were insightful, fair and incredibly well sourced. As a reader, I always appreciated his ability to inject humor into the often tense public discourse," said Stadelman, a former TV news anchor who co-moderated the Illinois gubernatorial debate with Sweeny at the Coronado Theater in 2002.
"Like any good newsman, Chuck would not use the word 'institution' lightly. But through decades of helping the public understand government, local history and the civic issues of our times, he was just that -- a Rockford institution."
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Steve Stadelman
Cheap Trick's Rick Nielsen was at the Capitol helping to push for a casino in his hometown. I've never started a news conference quite like this...??
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Steve Stadelman
Congratulations to WTVO/WQRF and Bergstrom on the 5th Anniversary of the Stateline Quiz Bowl! I presented an Illinois Senate Proclamation recognizing the milestone during a "live" show of this year's final matchup between Auburn and Belvidere High Schools.
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