SPRINGFIELD- Local school boards make critical decisions concerning curriculum, negotiating teacher contracts and budgets.  However, only about 20 percent of registered voters show up to vote for these important positions.

Illinois residents may be given the opportunity to vote for their school board members alongside candidates for the White House and U.S. Senate under legislation Senator Tom Cullerton (D-Villa Park) passed in an effort to fight voter fatigue.

“Good schools translate to good businesses in our communities. Voting in local school board elections means voting for the success of our students and economy,” said Cullerton.

TINLEY PARK – As questions mount around the security of our digital data and identity information, State Senator Michael Hastings (D-Tinley Park) has stepped in to support a measure calling for increased security standards.

The legislation requires a company that experiences a data breach to report it to the Attorney General’s office so that the breach may be included on a website that lists data breaches in Illinois.

“Whether it be a senior citizen or young adult, every single person has a wealth of information associated with them,” Sen. Hastings said. “These people need to know when their data could be at risk, and we need to ensure that the authorities know when something happens so that they can work to combat any further damage.”

It’s a normal day. You wake up, get into your 2006 Chevy and drive to get your hair cut in the next town over. Then, after you enjoy a nice cut and shampoo and say goodbye to the barber as you walk outside, you find yourself suddenly in the midst of a living nightmare.

You no longer remember why you’re standing outside of a hair salon. You ask yourself, “Where am I? How do I get home? Where is home?”

Sadly, this can become an all-too-real experience for people suffering from Alzheimer’s and dementia, and the authorities fear it became reality for David Ruppert, 85, of Elmhurst, Illinois.

EDWARDSVILLE — The Illinois State Senate held a joint Appropriations I and II Committee hearing to collect testimony about the impact the governor’s proposed budget cuts would have on the Metro East economy. Representatives from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, local health care organizations, and the cities of Edwardsville, Belleville and Benld all attended.

Under the proposal, SIUE would face a $20 million funding decrease. University officials testified that the cuts could force them to raise tuition and cut vital programs.