Rebuilding businesses hit by the November tornado just got a little easier. It's thanks to a new law. It says small business owners can catch a break on property taxes if they rebuild after a disaster.

It is protection similar to what homeowners already have. A few years ago, when a tornado hit Harrisburg, a law was signed. It makes sure homeowners rebuilding after a disaster aren't hit with higher property taxes right away. After disaster hit Gifford, a small business owner realized he needed that protection for himself. Read the rest of the story on Central Illinois Proud.

The Illinois General Assembly passed House Resolution 922 on Friday calling on Congress to update the federal disaster declaration process, following FEMA’s recent denial of assistance to local governments in communities hard hit by the November 17 tornadoes.  The legislation was sponsored by Rep. Mike Unes (R-East Peoria) and Rep. Keith Sommer (R-Morton).

The disaster declaration process relies on a population-based formula to calculate what a state’s threshold is for federal assistance. Because Illinois is the fifth-largest state in the nation, it has a much higher threshold than other states. But because the tornado outbreak affected primarily small, rural communities the damage did not reach the federal requirement, leaving devastated towns and villages to fend for themselves when it came to meeting the costs of the cleanup.

Chicago – Neighborhood Recovery Initiative
Lawmakers Urge Freeze of Chicago Anti-Violence State Funds; Call for Additional Investigation of Programs.  In the wake of the Illinois Auditor General’s scathing audit of Governor Quinn’s $54.55 million Neighborhood Recovery Initiative (NRI), State Reps. David Reis (R-Ste. Marie), John Cavaletto (R-Salem) and Dwight Kay (R-Glen Carbon) are demanding all state funds allocated to questionable Chicago anti-violence programs be frozen.  The lawmakers are also calling upon the Auditor General to further investigate state moneys allocated to these programs.

Budget – Medicaid
Big Medicaid changes could save money for Illinois taxpayers, but must be closely watched.  The State of Illinois is pursuing a comprehensive restructuring of the way services are delivered to the 2.8 million enrollees who receive medical coverage through the Illinois Medicaid program. This restructuring, which would be directed through the federal ‘1115 Waiver’ process, would allow the use of innovative service delivery models not currently standard under federal Medicaid guidelines. On Wednesday, the House Human Services and Appropriations – Human Services Committees held a joint hearing, the second in a series of such meetings, to receive testimony from administration officials and stake holders regarding the proposed waiver.

Concealed Carry
State Police report to General Assembly on concealed carry implementation.  As of Tuesday, January 14, an estimated 20,000 e-applications for concealed carry permits had proceeded to the payment stage.  State Police senior staff told the Joint Committee on Administrative Rules (JCAR), a key General Assembly oversight panel, that new applications were proceeding toward the approval stage at a rate of approximately 1,000 applications each working day.  This marked continued progress towards providing concealed carry permits for an estimated 400,000 Illinois residents who qualify for them. Applicants are required to submit identification information, and proof of firearms training, to move to the permit stage of the process.  The State Police told JCAR that they hope to start releasing the first wave of concealed carry permits in early March.

Hours after FEMA denied the state’s request for federal assistance to help local governments in nine counties recover expenses related to the deadly storms on Nov. 17, The governor announced the state will appeal the decision. While the federal government has approved millions of dollars to date of aid to help people and businesses recover, today’s decision denies aid to local governments in impacted communities throughout Illinois.

“While we appreciate FEMA’s partnership in helping individuals and businesses recover, I’m disappointed in this decision,” Governor Quinn said. “My Administration will immediately work to develop a strong appeal that demonstrates how much this assistance is needed. The state of Illinois will continue doing everything necessary to help our hardest hit communities rebuild and recover from these historic tornadoes.”

Illinois residents can assist with the state’s recovery from the Nov. 17 tornadoes while building their professional skills and drawing a paycheck. Temporary, full-time positions are available locally with the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
                                                               
FEMA has joined forces with the Illinois Department of Employment Security to recruit and screen individuals to work in positions including administration, writing and public information, television/radio broadcast production, planning, individual disaster assistance and logistics.

Pensions – Illinois credit rating
Moody’s, Standard & Poor’s issue positive statements about Illinois pension progress.  After pension reform bill SB 1 was signed into law on Thursday, December 5, global credit-rating firm Moody’s labeled the move a “credit positive.”  Moody’s currently ranks Illinois’ general-obligation (G.O.) debt as A3 with a negative outlook, the lowest ranking among the 50 states, and this rating did not change this week.   The statement by the New York-based debt watchdog described itself as awaiting independent actuarial confirmation of the proclaimed $160 billion in savings “clawed back” from pledged future pension payments by the controversial measure.   The statement was issued on Friday, December 6.

Beyond destroying homes and killing two people, the Nov. 17 tornado that ripped through Washington scattered bits of family history across the state.

Papers and photos have been found 150 miles away in the Chicago suburbs.

Ground zero for the return of photos, documents and small mementos is a cramped room at the Morton Public Library. Volunteers there are numbering items, noting where they were found and preserving them in hopes they will be recovered.

More than 1,000 items have been cataloged, and there's an equal number awaiting review.
Military records, marriage licenses, birth certificates, photo albums, canceled checks, report cards, love letters, address books and baseball cards are among the items being cataloged at the library.

Photos of items that do not contain sensitive information are being posted on two Facebook pages.
Those pages, titled "Found Items from the Washington Illinois and Diamond Illinois Tornadoes" and "Photos found from Nov. 17, 2013 Illinois Storms/Tornadoes" have thousands of followers.

Volunteers and library staff members also are trying to connect items with owners by writing letters and doing Internet research. Items began coming into the library a few days after the tornado struck, and the flow has continued, especially after group searches have been done.

Read more By Steve Stein of the Journal Star.

Disaster SNAP applications available starting Wednesday, December 11

The Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS) will offer immediate food assistance to 15 counties beginning Wednesday, December 11. The USDA’s Food and Nutrition Services has authorized IDHS to offer special Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits to residents in those counties declared federal disaster areas as a result of severe storms last month.

Pensions 
General Assembly enacts, Governor signs landmark pension reform bill.  SB 1, as amended by conference committee, is expected to reduce future actuarial expenses to State taxpayers by $160 billion.  These savings are subject to many future events, including the outcome of litigation to determine the constitutionality of the new law.  In addition “Tier 1” public-sector employees affected by the policy changes enacted under this statute may change their retirement plans to increase or decrease the savings the State will enjoy under this bill.   The bipartisan House vote on Tuesday, December 3, was 62-53-1.  The Senate vote of 30-24-3 sent the measure to the Governor for his signature.  The Governor signed the bill on Thursday, December 5.

Pensions – General Assembly
General Assembly to meet in session on Tuesday, December 3.  The session is expected to deal with the ongoing Illinois pension crisis.  Many State lawmakers and statewide elected officials have called for action to deal with at least $97 billion in unfunded liabilities reported by four major pension systems managed by boards of directors appointed by the State of Illinois, and partly funded by taxpayers.

Residents impacted by recent tornadoes can immediately begin registration for grants and low-interest loans. Businesses can apply for low-interest loans.

President Obama has approved the state's request for federal assistance to help people and businesses in 15 Illinois counties recover from the November 17 deadly tornadoes. The announcement comes just one day after the Governor submitted his request for Champaign, Douglas, Fayette, Grundy, Jasper, LaSalle, Massac, Pope, Tazewell, Vermilion, Wabash, Washington, Wayne, Will and Woodford counties. Since November 17, Illinois’ emergency management officials have worked around-the-clock to expedite the federal request and direct aid into the communities as quickly as possible.”

The Governor today asked President Obama to declare 15 Illinois counties major disaster areas to help people and businesses recover from a violent outbreak of tornadoes across the state on Nov. 17.

The requested federal disaster declaration is for Champaign, Douglas, Fayette, Grundy, Jasper, LaSalle, Massac, Pope, Tazewell, Vermilion, Wabash, Washington, Wayne, Will and Woodford counties.

The Illinois Emergency Management Agency, in cooperation with other disaster relief agencies, is
opening Multi-Agency Recovery Centers (MARCs) in Gifford and Diamond. MARCs have already opened in Washington and Brookport. These centers are facilities where representatives of many different disaster relief agencies are available to assist residents of the affected areas - all under one roof.

The center at 2205 County Road 3000 in Gifford opens Tuesday morning at 10 a.m. and is open until 6 p.m.

In Diamond, the MARC is located at the Diamond Banquet Hall at 55 S. Daly Street, and is open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. next Monday, December 2.

Updated storm recovery information from across Illinois is available at www.ready.illinois.gov.

Governor Pat Quinn today announced the opening of a Multi-Agency Resource Center (MARC) in Washington, IL to make it easier for people affected by the Nov. 17 tornadoes to access disaster-related relief services and information. The MARC will bring together representatives from more than 20 local and state agencies in one location.

“The MARC will be a one-stop shop for people affected by the deadly tornadoes to connect with the services and information that are available to them,” Governor Quinn said. “While the recovery will be long and hard, we will continue to work around the clock to ensure that every community can rebuild.”

Anyone affected by the Nov. 17 tornadoes is encouraged to visit the MARC at Five Points Washington, 360 N. Wilmor Road in Washington from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. from Sat., Nov. 23 through Tues., Nov. 26. Proof of address is requested.

Gov. Quinn, Rep. Chad Hays and
others tour Gifford earlier this week

Last Sunday while watching the Bears game, the telecast was interrupted by a weather bulletin informing viewers of an outbreak of tornado activity in central Illinois and around the rest of the state as well.

The tornado warnings had already expired in my community of Chatham so I really wasn’t paying much attention until I heard the reporter mention that emergency vehicles had been sent to Gifford, a small community in Champaign County.  Gifford happens to be the home of Country Health Care and Rehab where my mother resides so I immediately started paying closer attention and wanted more details.

Illinois Tornadoes

• Tornadoes strike communities throughout Illinois.  While twelve states were affected, Illinois was especially hard-hit by the severe frontal system that moved eastward on Sunday, November 17.  Death and destruction followed cyclonic strikes, including at least two tornadoes measured at a severe EF-4 on the North American scale of intensity, on the central Illinois city of Washington, located east of Peoria; the central Illinois town of Gifford, north of Champaign-Urbana; the southern Illinois town of New Minden, east of St. Louis; the far southern Illinois town of Brookport, north of Paducah; and other communities in Illinois.  More than 1,500 Illinois homes were damaged or destroyed. 

The cleanup and recovery from the devastating tornadoes which struck Illinois on Sunday November 17 continues. Six people were killed in Illinois and hundreds of homes and businesses were damaged or destroyed in a line of storms which affected the entire state, from Brookport at the southern tip all the way to Chicago. We have compiled the latest information from state agencies, non-profits and media in the disaster areas to try and assist the victims and their families, and to provide an outlet for those who want to help.

People whose homes were heavily damaged or destroyed by recent storms are being urged to stay with friends, family, at a local shelter or in a hotel, and not in their vehicles. State officials have heard reports of people sleeping in their vehicles, which can result in serious health effects or death if carbon monoxide builds up in a running vehicle.

“You cannot see or smell carbon monoxide, but at high levels it can kill a person in minutes,” Illinois Department of Public Health Director Dr. LaMar Hasbrouck said. “We want to help people stay safe and healthy as we pick up and rebuild in communities around the state. Do not stay or sleep in your car if your home has been damaged. Instead, take advantage of the shelters and other resources available.”

Carbon monoxide is produced whenever any fuel such as gas, oil, kerosene, wood or charcoal is burned.  People who have lost power and are heating their homes using an appliance that burns fuel should make sure the appliances are working properly and are being used correctly.  Hundreds of people die accidentally every year from carbon monoxide poisoning caused by malfunctioning or improperly used fuel-burning appliances.

Symptoms of mild to moderate carbon monoxide poisoning may resemble winter flu and can include headaches, dizziness, nausea and lethargy. Higher levels of exposure can cause fainting, confusion and collapse. If exposure to carbon monoxide continues, death can result.

For more information about disaster recovery resources, visit Ready.Illinois.gov.