ROCKFORD – Most people probably don't know that Illinois reimburses victims of violent crimes for medical bills, lost wages and other out-of-pocket expenses.

Learn about the many services available to crime victims and those who work with crime victims at a free seminar sponsored by State Senator Steve Stadelman.

Stadelman's guest speaker is Cynthia M. Hora, chief of the Crime Victim Services Division for the Illinois Attorney General's office. She will explain various state programs and answer questions at the seminar, which is free and open to the public.

"It is important that offenders receive the harshest punishment under the law," Stadelman said, "but it is also important that victims and their families receive the support they need to rebuild their lives and regain peace of mind."

Among the programs that Chief Hora will review are:

• Crime Victim Compensation Program provides direct financial assistance to innocent victims of violent crime to reimburse out-of-pocket expenses related to the crime.
• Automated Victim Notification System allows crime victims throughout Illinois to obtain timely and reliable information about criminal cases and the custody status of offenders 24 hours a day via telephone, Web or e-mail.
• Violent Crime Victim Assistance Program provides grants to public and privately funded nonprofit victim and witness assistance efforts throughout the state.
• Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner Program trains registered nurses and other professionals who treat and assist sexual assault patients to provide a higher level of care and reduce re-traumatization of victims.
• Illinois Victim Assistance Academy offers a 40-hour intensive course of study for crime victim service providers (including law enforcement) and a two-day advanced academy for experienced providers. IVAA is designed to improve the quality and consistency of victim services in Illinois.

SPRINGFIELD – The final leg of an initiative to boost tourism and preservation along the Rock River passed the Senate State Government and Veterans' Affairs Committee today. Steve Stadelman (D-Loves Park) co-sponsored House Joint Resolution 8, which creates the Rock River Trail Scenic Historic Route and requires the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency and the Illinois Office of Tourism to advertise the route on their websites, maps and related documents.

"The Rock River plays a key historic and economic role in Illinois, and this is an opportunity to highlight it as one of the many tourist attractions in our state," Stadelman said.

The Rock River Trail Scenic Historic Route is one of three projects involved in the development plan of the Rock River Trail Initiative. The plan utilizes roadways, hiking and bike paths along the Rock River causeways to increase the river's exposure and improve local recreation and tourism.

"The trail goes from the Mississippi River in Rock Island, Illinois, to Fond du Lac County in Wisconsin and is a great opportunity for a weekend trip," Stadelman continued. "There are recreational areas, antique shopping, local eateries and many other great opportunities to explore our state along the Rock River."

The 320-mile trail was opened in 2012 through private and local funding. Since its creation, the trail has been included in the registry of the National Park Service and National Water Trail System. It passes through 37 communities and 11 counties in two states. The resolution initiates the final steps of the Initiative's second project, leaving only the finalization of the bike path.

House Joint Resolution 8 now moves to the Senate for final approval.

Press_Release_Stadelman.pdf

Senator Steve Stadelman is one of 37 lawmakers from 15 states and Canadian provinces chosen for a leadership training program for promising leaders in the Midwest and Canada.

The Bowhay Institute for Legislative Leadership Development announced earlier this month the lawmakers chosen for the program, which begins Aug. 9 in Madison, Wis. BILLD provides professional development for leadership and public policy issues such as the economy, education and health care.

SPRINGFIELD – An effort to aid students in low-income communities in Illinois, including Rockford, through private funding passed the Senate today. State Sen. Steve Stadelman (D-Rockford) co-sponsored the measure creating the Lincoln Promise Zones Act giving local governments the authority to establish Promise Zones and raise the necessary funding.

"A Promise Zone will give incentive for families of all financial backgrounds to stay or relocate in Rockford," Stadelman continued. "Rockford Public School commissioned Northern Illinois University to determine the return of investment in promise zones and NIU found that for every dollar invested in the Rockford College-for-All program, an estimated $132 would be generated in supplemental lifetime earnings."

Rockford joins East St. Louis and Aurora in the pilot program for Promise Zones in Illinois over the next five years. Each of the three communities will create a board made up of local educators, business leaders and appointed officials to supervise funds for the Promise Zone gathered from private donors. Promise Zones allow certain low-income public school students to be awarded full tuition scholarships for an associate degree at Rock Valley Community College.

Illinois will join 12 states with similar "college for all" programs with the creation of Promise Zones.

"Education, and especially higher education, allows for a trained workforce that keeps Illinois competitive with the rest of the nation so we will see a boon in the Rockford economy with the help of a Promise Zone," Stadelman said.

The measure, House Bill 194, now moves to Gov. Pat Quinn for his signature.