On making sausage and laws
To borrow from the old political saying, making laws may not be pretty, but that doesn't matter if they work. When they don't, the legislature does some fine tuning, as it did with SB 1840, a "cleanup bill" that amended the Alternate Fuels Act of 1995. Republican Sen. Steven Rauschenberger of Elgin, sponsor of the bill, says the intent of the original measure was to offer incentives for converting vehicles to cleaner burning fuels, which is becoming increasingly important to Chicago-area companies that own several vehicles.

To comply with the federal Clean Air Act amendments, Cook and collar county companies that buy new vehicles must begin a phase-in of vehicles designed to reduce emissions by 80 percent, beginning with model year 1999. By 2001, 70 percent of all new cars, minivans, vans and light trucks purchased in the Chicago area will have to meet the tighter federal standards. Companies buying heavy-duty vehicles — UPS trucks, school buses, utility and dump trucks — have to replace half of their fleets with low emission vehicles from now on.

The 1995 Illinois act offered incentives but was hampered by assigning collection of user fees to support the incentives to the EPA, an agency Rauschenberger says is unaccustomed to collecting fees. Gov. Jim Edgar amended the bill to place the fee collection with the secretary of state's office, which is well equipped to collect fees, but did not include any funding to administer it. This year's bill gives the secretary of state money and rule-making authority.

But there are other problems to address. "Compressed natural gas is a very clean fuel that is 30 percent cheaper than gasoline," says Rauschenberger. "The problem is there is not a fueling station on every block like for gasoline. But for fleet vehicles that leave and return to the same place every day it makes perfect sense."

One organization that is taking advantage of the legislation is the Brookfield Zoo in Cook County, which can count on about $36,000 in rebates from the state. The zoo is eligible to receive 80 percent of the cost of converting their nine visitor trams from gasoline engines to compressed natural gas, which not only will make the air cleaner for animals and people, but, according to officials, will save about $7,000 a year in fuel costs. The zoo plans to convert the entire fleet as it purchases new vehicles.

Beverley Scobell

Picturing the prairie

This aerial view of hay bales and ammunition storage bunkers divided by a meadow at the former Joliet Arsenal 40 miles south- west of Chicago tells a story —past, present and future — about the Illinois prairie. The 23,500-acre former ammunition production plant is being converted into the Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie and is one of the subjects of a photographic exhibition at the Art Institute of Chicago from September 12 through January 17. "In Place of Prairie" features more than 50 photos of prairies in Illinois and Kansas by photographer Terry Evans, who explores the modern Midwestern prairie from its native state to its use, abandonment and restoration. The exhibition is part of a 35th anniversary celebration of the Openlands Project, a nonprofit conservation group that helped convert the arsenal to a restored grassland and public preserve. The area was designated by Congress in 1996 as the first national tallgrass prairie in the United States.
Beverley Scobell

8 ¦ September 1998 Illinois Issues

Some animals in Illinois are gaining ground, in some cases quite literally. The state's protection policies have helped the double-crested cormorant, great egret and veery increase their nesting populations to the point that the staff report to the Illinois Endangered Species Protection Board recommended removing them from the threatened list. The bobcat, which has been seen in 90 counties, is also thought to have enough habitat to be secure.

"As always, the news is mixed," says Sue Lauzon, executive director of the board. Four of the six species recommended for removal from the endangered list are being struck because the animals no longer exist in Illinois. However, there are success stories.

One such story, the increasing numbers of river otters; is the result of human intervention. The Department of Natural Resources reintroduced otters into rivers and streams with sufficient habitat for the animals to establish themselves. Otters have succeeded enough to warrant an upgrade in classification from the endangered list to threatened. Also strengthening their numbers and moving to the threatened species list are the bald eagle, sandhill crane and least bittern.

But though changes in public attitudes and public policy have protected habitats, allowing some birds and mammals to make a comeback, some river and wetland dwelling animals are being added to the endangered and threatened lists. Seven species — two mollusks, a butterfly, a salamander, a tree frog, a turtle and a snake — have been added to the threatened list, largely because of loss of habitat due to pollution and siltation of the waterways or drainage of wetlands. The alligator snapping turtle, coachwhip (a snake), yellow-crowned night heron and king rail (wading birds) have been downgraded to endangered because their numbers are so limited. Four species — Each-man's sparrow, yellow rail, Tennessee riffleshell and clubshell — were removed from the endangered list because they are no longer found in Illinois.

The proposed list included 101 endangered and 45 threatened animal species. That compares with 108 endangered and 39 threatened animal species on the previous list. By law, the list of endangered and threatened species is reviewed and revised every five years. The board earlier updated its list of threatened and endangered plants. (See Illinois Issues, July/August, page 9)

Beverley Scobell

WEB SITE OF THE MONTH
WWW dot work
If you are one of the millions who punch a time clock, literally or figuratively, and pull down a paycheck signed by someone else, then Labor Day is your holiday. Between the parades, brats and beer, you may want to check out some web sites that link you to the world of organized labor.

The state's Department of Labor site at www.state.il.us/agency/idol/ doesn't have a lot of eye-catching graphics, but it does offer straightforward information to Illinois workers about laws the department enforces and programs it administers. It also provides a list of people to contact if you have a question or a problem.

For a broader perspective, find LaborNet at www.labornet.org/. It provides links to stories about ongoing labor struggles and conflicts in the United States and around the globe. A list of resources links to an international directory of labor unions reachable through the Internet, organizations that specialize in labor media, education and research and other union friendly groups. There's also a list of conferences and a clearinghouse of jobs available in organized labor.

Based in Great Britain and more international in scope, the Cyber Picket Line at www.cf.ac.uk/ccin/union/ was launched on International Workers Day a year ago. As its centerpiece, this site has the World Trade Union Directory with over 1,500 links to international and national unions and many of their locals on every continent. Its two pages of trade union resources offer access to the sort of information that used to be the preserve of union headquarters only. This site also includes a cartoon of the month for a little comic relief. That may be just the incentive you need to get up and go to work.

Beverley Scobell

Illinois Issues September 1998 ¦ 9

GOVERNOR'S ACTION
Seven yes, one no

Gov. Jim Edgar used the summer to wield his executive pen on proposals lawmakers approved last spring.

Campaign finance
The governor signed the campaign finance/ethics reform bill lawmakers stitched together in the last hours of the spring session. The new law, which takes effect January 1, prohibits personal use of campaign funds raised after June 30. (See Illinois Issues, July/August, page 6.) The measure also:
•bars state officials from accepting most gifts from lobbyists or those who do business with the state;
•bans legislators, statewide officers and candidates from holding fund-raisers in or near Springfield during the final 90 days of the legislative session;
•requires disclosure prior to an election of contributions over $500 received in the closing days of a campaign. No limits were put on campaign contributions or spending, and not everyone was completely satisfied with the results of this reform. But the bipartisan measure is the most significant change in campaign finance rules in 24 years.

KidCare
Worried that as many as 500,000 Illinois children may be uninsured, lawmakers approved a $117 million proposal to extend health coverage to more than 200,000 low-income kids. Edgar launched KidCare on a small scale last January. This law expands the Medicaid-like program. Minors would be eligible if their families' incomes are 33 percent to 85 percent above the federal poverty level. The program also will help pay the premiums of low-income parents who can't afford health insurance at work.

Caretaker wages
Community social service providers got a 3 percent cost-of-living increase. Edgar signed the measure that boosts pay beginning in January for care-givers who work for community agencies with state contracts.

Teacher pensions
Public school teachers won a boost in pension benefits. The governor signed a measure changing the formula for calculating benefits from a sliding scale to a flat 2.2 rate for each year of service. The average teacher's monthly pension will rise 17.2 percent, or $310. The plan covers about 185,000 downstate teachers and 30,000 Chicago teachers.

DUI
Edgar signed a trio of measures cracking down on drunk drivers. One takes away driving privileges for persons convicted of a fourth DUI offense and installs tougher penalties for multiple offenses. Another punishes those who drive under the influence of "intoxicating compounds," including paint or glue. A third makes permanent a pilot program that keeps drunk drivers from starting their cars.

Abortion
Edgar vetoed legislation restricting the use of state dollars for abortions. The measure would have required low-income women to report incidents of rape and incest to police before receiving public money for abortions and it would have banned using taxpayer dollars for abortions to protect the health of the mother.

In a printed statement, Edgar said, "It has consistently been my position that an adult woman's decision about whether or not to obtain an abortion is a highly personal one for her to make after consulting with her physician and her conscience."
Jennifer Davis

Nonprofits riding winds of change
Nonprofit organizations might be compared to the canary in the coal mine. When the winds of government policy blow in a new vein, nonprofits are among the first to feel the effects. A new statewide study, Illinois Nonprofits: Building Capacity for the Next Century, finds that sweeping changes in public policy — welfare reform, managed care, devolution — have reduced the level of public support. But those same changes have increased the demand for services.

"Ironically enough, government policy changes have a double-edged effect for nonprofits. Human service agencies will operate under reduced levels of public support while simultaneously stepping up to meet overwhelming needs," says Trinita Logue, president and CEO of the Illinois Facilities Fund.

The fund, along with the Donors Forum of Chicago, released the report, which gives a first-of-its-kind look at the financial health of nonprofits in the state.

Illinois' nonprofit sector is large. More than 4,000 agencies that provide direct community services — such as child care centers, food pantries, homeless shelters, community arts and recreation centers — represent an $l1 billion industry. The report, based on a survey of nearly 500 of these charitable organizations, indicates that government grants and contracts are the single largest source of income for social service nonprofits (accounting for 50.3 percent of all sources).

In addition to the problems related to a heavy reliance on government support, the report points to other reasons for nonprofits' financial vulnerability: shrinking financial margins; short-term financial practices; declines in traditional sources of support; insufficient resources for facilities; and a lack of technical assistance.

The good news is that most of the nonprofits recognize the changes they need to make.

More than half of the survey respondents are already shifting their priorities, financial practices or management structures to respond to the double bind of doing more with less. "The changing environment, especially on the policy level, has really forced the non-profit sector to begin to think critically and strategically about how it does business," says Valerie Lies, president of the Donors Forum. "The study also challenges the public and private sectors to provide the resources and skills to ensure the financial viability of nonprofit organizations."

Beverley Scobell

10 ¦ September 1998 Illinois Issues

The State Journal-Register of Springfield reports at least three Illinois legislators found a loophole in the new law limiting personal use of campaign funds. Reporter Doug Finke discovered the three loaned their campaigns money, effectively boosting the bottom line in those accounts just before the restrictions kicked in. None of the three faces a challenger in November.

Under current state law, officials can convert campaign funds to personal use — including buying themselves houses and cars — as long as they pay income taxes on money they withdraw. Under the law signed by Gov. Jim Edgar last month, officials can still convert to personal use the amount of cash they had in their campaign accounts as of June 30.

Citing official records, Finke reports that Chicago Democratic Rep. Monique Davis loaned her campaign fund $33,000 on June 25. After expenses, she was left with $41,399 in the fund on June 30. Finke reports she could not be reached for comment. Milan Democratic Rep. Joel Brunsvold loaned his campaign $7,500 on June 30. After expenses, he was left with $150,000, according to Finke. Brunsvold told Finke the cash came from the sale of a car he used personally and in the campaign. Finally, Finke reports Sen. George Shadid got a $50,000 loan from the Brimfield Bank. That left the Edwards Democrat with more than $153,000 on June 30.

Shadid chose to respond to the report by sending a letter to his constituents through the Opinion page of the Peoria Journal Star. He disputed the notion he would pocket the money for personal use and apologized for "any questions that this situation raised as to my integrity and honesty." The loan was based on bad advice, he wrote.

George magazine announces "The Boss is Back" in John Kennedy Jr.'s glowing August interview with former Illinois Congressman Dan Rostenkowski. "We met in a Chicago eatery near his old neighborhood," Kennedy writes, reminding readers, if they need it, that his family and the families of Chicago pols have a long history. "How does it feel to be back?" John John asks Rosty, who has only recently returned from a stint in the federal pen for defrauding taxpayers. The former Democratic chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee is now a consultant. He "still has something to contribute," he tells Kennedy. As for prison, Rostenkowski says, "What can I say? Been there, done that. Not something I'd recommend, even for my enemies.... All things considered, I'd rather have been in Congress."

American Journalism Review reports that newspapers throughout the country are taking the knife to statehouse coverage. Charles Layton and Mary Walton report in that magazine's August issue that the shrinking statehouse press corps across the country is due to efforts to cut costs and a growing disenchantment with state government news in particular.

"Coverage of state government is in steep decline," they write. "In capital press rooms around the country, there are more and more empty desks and silent phones. Bureaus are shrinking, reporters are younger and less experienced, stories get less space and poorer play, and all too frequently editors just don't care." At the same time, they warn, "state governments have more power and more money than ever before. Their tentacles reach into every household and business. Everyone — political parties, academics, trade organizations, labor unions, corporations — has discovered this. Everyone, that is, except the press."

Peggy Boyer Long

QUOTABLE
"All things considered, I'd rather have been in Congress. "

Dan Rostenkowski, referring to his recent incarceration, to John Kennedy Jr. in the August issue of George magazine.

Illinois Issues September 1998 ¦ 11