2013 by the Headlines

                                    
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Transcript for file: focus131230a.mp3

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2013 the year the tornadoes ravage the Midwest including the champagne

pink anytime of the year that movie critic Roger Ebert die leaving behind

behind body of work Pulitzer Prize in the affection of many

putting those in Champaign Urbana ru up near the Illinois law makers passed bill

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bills same sex marriage Medical Marijuana Cary NC

concealed weapons and state pension reform pending expected court shot

MJ Meadows today on focus talk about some of the Neuse highlights

types of 2013 with reporters Ryan Mackey Shawn powers in Jefferson

program continues after the news

welcome to focus mg Meadows today is the next to last day of 2013

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2013 and the most important news events of the year could happen tomorrow

all I know but on this 364th day of the year

the top news stories of happened in Illinois in the region this year so far

this is not top 10 list don’t claim to be mentioning every big event during this program

program in fact if you have your own ideas about the big news stories in Illinois

Illinois Ann Arbor regent for 2013 send a mentor toll free number and focus is 18

1 800 222 9455 2800 222 w

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wyll email us and we’ll dance talk at illinois.edu

edu 1 welcome your input on Facebook and Twitter at focus 580

oh joy need to review the events of 2013 is Brian

Maxie from the State House Bureau of Illinois public radio welcome to focus

focus Bryan how you doing today okay and you should I use should be all warmed up

this because I just a few days ago you were on state Week in Review talking about some of the time

yeah that’s right now and later on Illinois public media staff possible join

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join us to talk about a couple of years events right now what say hello to Illinois

Illinois public media is Shawn powers hello Sean good morning gin and Ashanti

set alarm time in the last month or so covering the after affects of the November 17th

tornado outbreak now thats outbreaks in tornadoes out over Illinois

six states plus straight line straight line winds in for additional States

states that 7 people were killed cross Midwest at day in Illinois towns like wash

Washington County brookport in Madison County in southern Illinois they were the heart is

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the hardest hit another town suffering major damage was Gifford that’s a town

just under 1000 people in Northeast Champaign County tornado there destroyed more than

20 Homes and damage $200 on November 17th Shonda

Shonda tornado hit on a stand shortly before 1 p.m. That day when did you get

you get word of it I will I heard about it I got try try to get there as soon as

what is a member right within the hour Gifford was lucky massage

the sense that there were no deaths um but just being there

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the storm hit that monster es3 it really did the number on the town

complete devastation homes for topel trades on rooted how to breed is everywhere and New York

prepare yourself something like that now you just you tried to make

who makes sense if you try to blend in you try to observe you um you talk to people

how to people you get their initial reaction what’s interesting about a disaster

like that is the People many people not on a lease what I saw the first response work

wasn’t just to know she a way to help to help your neighbors 2

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is to pick up the pieces and that’s really what Gifford has been doing all long since

storm 1000 I got the right I just Ayala

all I did was just kept talking to people deal trying to get as many stories is many voices and

and I remember walking paths St Paul’s Lutheran Church

which was not damaged in storm and I saw a mother I just seeing eye

deferred about 2 months before the storm and Campbell

I die with the 2007 Raptor home at 6 kids at home at the time

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fortunately they walked out um pretty much

skate 3 cheat sheet Judith had a few scratches on her back um shoes obviously

the very upset when I met up with her but there was this all the results

something really fat in home make much worse and it wasn’t it wasn’t worth a lot

what are the three children injured I’m at with her daughter autumn

the church during a few boxes of clothing salvage from their home

Judith sobbing and told me to 2002 Tacoma

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everything away  the tornado came through a hospital Louisville Kentucky

completely 130 House literally went through the house we could see it

gotta gotta grab blanket in Spanish

where are you in the office

what happens in the hallway with my brothers and sisters first time cover

IMI to see your standing on here in the cold outside the church United Hospital

what do you have left what’s in front of you about 4 to close

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get out  boxes clothes water

get out of there nothing else phone in

US went down to the basement there’s no basement you know bass in an electronic

places to go for tornado with taking it worth it to get the trap mean

the house next door to go there but it wasn’t so fast

get them out I just got away and the next thing I got them on

treat her screaming I read back to the neighbors and

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she had gas for house and she was trapped Knotts where they want to tell

do you your in your talking to me for having conversation you’re not

critically injured you’re not dead is that was going to your mind right now

hum  where do I go from here

is replaceable

does the saying once you know everybody say for you start with

the question

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the community Alaskan um I feel to go back to Gifford about

how to 12 week at least superstorm and my my memories of Gifford Rd

are post tornado are you going to be home today devastated stroid

there is a mean dick like graveyards on taking out there’s a lot of clay

clean a lot better than before but distal long way to go

and end the phone number for dial sono this new that stole really coming together

example of what can you like that can do in terms of helping

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people get past it is it raining at 1 week after the storm

the gifer greatschool which wasn’t seriously damaged classes were back in session the day after

after an amazing I walked into the gymnasium the morning ride

SchoolSpring talking students about happened about your family jobs

the Junkman’s with a portable water stations and bottled water with water glass

classroom and means that the kids were there chatterboxes is a

nothing happened want to talk about playing a video game in the classroom later on

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Iron and I was driving a teacher there and she was trying to percent of something

normal normal to be there and I’m just a truck

the children know what do you know it

basically asked the M the children were there before and wants you to survive a tornado in others

how to treat a not hit at night when he was in bad another sad eyes you thankful album

all the family and friends survived and I think of degrees in a triangle to turn off comments

school that weight will not broken just because they had to much support in the community in a rebel to help out

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how about in Wayne well now hey now there’s gonna be a lot of rebuilding an engine

indifferent how is set up a seated in the Indian in the past few weeks

understanding state and federal aid coming in but how have the people in Gifford Oregon

organize themselves to get this week Building done rite Warwick me remember back in a

2012 NHL hit the southern Illinois town of Harrisburg

distance there were concerned the Cimarron that we would see the same sort of

refusal b*** 1509 County to clean champagne we’re proof or federal disaster assistance

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assistance in female the Federal Emergency Management Agency along with other agencies insurance provider

providers have been working families in Queens and getting the money assistance

the local level Gifford State Bank has set up a fund

what contributions from all the countries committee of people in Guilford High School

officials nursing of nursing official the people in the village

every Monday meeting to look over applications on from residence we need assistance

and deciding how much to give and what to give and nerdy

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nothing more no more need separately

how do you know where we’re just seen again so much in a Rossi the community

community to really help people get back on their feet donating items what are the people that you brother

brought up with Christine again who’s been a part of the eye do in the or

organizing relief efforts out of I get St Paul’s Lutheran churches become a soda

headquarters world for a lot of work being done in Gifford right now hell yeah hell yeah she’s been

been notable person in in in indis

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recovery many people are but she’s been doing a lot of work I organize a large food pan

Food Pantry on the nations and for the next step in the process that recovery Israel

Israel was formed to mini to match the needs of people affected by the storm with available resources of abide

visions Cross Habitat for Humanity last week I went over to get for Dodge

the meeting at the church to get people more information about resources

we don’t know what does resources are going to look like yet but I know that after seeing my god

God is done for the last 6 weeks and Gifford I can only imagine what your plans for the next 6 months

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this is a process that we are just beginning but I wanted you to know

that we are actively working to get some things done around here

getting things done is not necessarily going to be something that we can physically see there still

there’s still a lot of activity that we’re going to be able to do over the next several months and yet drink

during that meeting of there a lot of really good questions you had of folks platanito Nelson

basically in a 2000 what do level need was me I have insurance and

and he zombie basically telling on January 10th to fill up at 4

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what format to a different state bank and that’s another example of something happening

local level 2 really helped out and I didn’t want to know did you go to the church say a lot of items

supplies toiletries toys of food that sitting there more

more than a month later I understand so much I donated that mean

Diamond turfs no shortage of credible butter soft core still a lot of work to be

to be done of final question Sean what’s a head for Gifford and how are people preparing

period for all that rebuild it still lies ahead what if you go to know you’re going to see a lot of

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lot of debris and I would say that we’re not going to see of real

the unhappy lifting the ReBuilding to the spring when I against the war

warm outside right now Vocus is the distance from insurance companies

Bistro government local level focus is to remind people that there

deferred is the home invasion and leave many people are living in Rantoul and

land Brickell football get for a family last week and then no intention of

leaving deferred the dead body

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what year were going to be back here this will be our home and we’re not moving in Activia husband

husband of the couple who lived in Ogden and not the witness 3 different majors

is there and he came joke that you know if you want to live anywhere live near me

near me because im I would make it through these things and Charmander Cena

now um I get the phone to find final exam pull off whatsapp

what’s a head unit is working does the University of Illinois to possibly of victims

victims of the Midwest a quick eco friendly Inn

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affordable way to rebuild our homes in 2009 architecture and engineering students from the Bible

investigation to how to rapidly build energy efficient housing

housing afternoon vaster enough that was connected to the 2011 Solar Decathlon

listen to the US Department of Energy and what they learn from an applied to

Two Hearted community new Mendon Gifford Washington and sew in how to

Primanti of Champaign County also I’m looking at way they can help rebuilding so this is really just

really just kinda next chapter on for this community Manor communities that are really stupid

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picking up the pieces and 90 the Solar Decathlon involves the building off of demonstration

Asian house is small ones which are super energy efficient Bianca resting but the house

how to play that to a India rebuilding a fridge in Gifford

also from our perspective is mentioned earlier I been trying to go out there once a week

the story doesn’t and 6 months from now doesn’t end the year from now this is something that we know remix

continue paying close attention to because of you know even when it physically looks

looks fine there are people who are blue now who are still in shock someone is there

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it feels to happen to your going to happen we could go on it it just depends and

and I mean how do you try to put together does pieces of emotional pieces it

it’s going to be really long time and we’re going to try to be there for that multiply that by

bio of the damage the tornado outbreak did in in new Mendon Washington and brook

brookport throughout the Midwest Shawn powers thank you very much for for joining

InFocus today to talk about on just talked about that tornado outbreak on November 7

17th and what happened Gifford link you and this is focus aren’t urine

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review program where were looking back in some of the top stories of 2013

teen and if you have some ideas of what you think of the big story of the year are

the Wright Amendment email a Sat will dash talking Illinois .edu

you welcome your input also on Facebook and Twitter where you can find a side focus

focus 580 standing by patiently Brian Mackey at the State House bureau

Illinois public radio and Brian I wanted to ask you about some of the legislature

Slaterville of the measures I got passed this year and I’m thinking

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I know a lot of people upset things about Congress in Washington

beans beans relatively unproductive this year

but looks like in Springfield the General Assembly got a lot of stuff done

yeah thats right im in the people talk about Congress being on for doctor because of party polarization

polarization that you don’t have that in Springfield do you have party dominates and one way

Democrats control of the House and Senate they have super majority there and on

are there alot of contentious issues in Illinois that don’t fit neatly into those partisan

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listen lines people of the sort of bitterness in polarization is c**

come to mark Washington politics is not necessarily spread down to Springfield

what’s going to head and take a look at that sum of the measures and first of pension reform after you

after years of wrangling I love me Chris Pasadena Quinn signed a pension reform bill

bill early this month covers state employees in public school teachers outside Chicago

Chicago but its future is uncertain with a group of teachers in school

ministry does already filing a lawsuit against it just this past Friday

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Brian’s report on the bill is passed earlier this month show pictures

picture your favorite teacher ready to retire after 30 years of service for national pension start

$67,000 right now after 20 years retirement

that would ruin more than a hundred twenty thousand dollars to the new system only reach 90

91000 the difference of more than $280,000

dollars is only one way to describe that kind of blatant taking off one’s life savings

we call it the aft in Montgomery is president of the only Federation of Teachers

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section V Illinois Constitution that seemingly bands this sort of thing its membership

shipping a government pension system is a contractual relationship the benefits of witch show me

diminished for impaired and Brian Mackey I assume the den Montgomery Zara

is argument is exactly what was brought up in that lawsuit that was fun last Friday

that’s right at me know the basic the basic premise here’s that because the Illinois Constitution protect

protect pagent you can’t really do anything that reduces them and that’s that’s a this week

this was a group of non union retired teachers there certainly going to be

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I’m bigger fish coming into this some of the big powerful unions that represent state employee

employees that represent 10 tens of thousands of workers and state government are going to be fine

filing lawsuit in challenging this pension legislation on that very bad very Point

I was wondering if has the adjusters is considered this case

if ill look at what’s been going on in Detroit where of Courts

city declared bankruptcy and I believe I judge in and one of the quest

questions coming before they make a month before the bench

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least in that case that um pensions another contract

amtrax just because other held by a city or not specially

sacrosanct any more than any other contract law that comes up when

when a government just doesn’t have any money you know I know that it’s been a popular

popular analogy to make a comparison rate people sale in Oy is the new Detroit because we’re going down

the tubes but I don’t necessarily in elegance won Detroit was in bankruptcy

grapeseed was a federal bankruptcy judge who look at this instead this

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the bankruptcy of the city under federal bankruptcy what is your trucks this provision

vision of the Michigan Constitution I think in Illinois is the government is meeting it

its build a Lego how to build a British you but I mean that the state does

does have enough money to pay people inspections and has enough money to send a schools and everything

everything like that for a long time the issue here is that having to pay less

is having to spend less on other things like um prisons and education

occasion in and state police in Andrew Improvement 7 to spend less on that in order to find them

00:19:45

that money into pageants but I have a pretty hard time saying that the state is so

so broke that it’s going to become insolvent mean there have been other proposals out there

are there to remember ties the pageant at right now we’re on this track to have it

90 percent funded by 2045 the new life changes that for fun

funding eventually but never been arguments that you could just change the math and say what words can excess

set out another 20 years a little bit less as we go on in the crate yours and

and you know that we will still get to that target just going to be farther in the future I’m not sure that

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sure that the two situations are necessarily analogous to get on the other hand

the Illinois Supreme Court has looked at various provisions in the Illinois Constitution that a lot of people

are people who study sings f*** the understudy I want prominent example is a

is other another closet the Constitution that says the state of Illinois have the primary responsibility for fun

funding public education and people thought that mental state had to pay the majority of the

off the money to go to public schools in the Supreme Court ruled that was simply aspirational

a*** so um I’m not sure that this is necessarily analogous to Detroit case but on the other

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hand is really no telling what the courts going to do well in in the meanwhile this off

sub pension reform Sun supposed to take effect I believe in June but how

how long will the score to last before we know how much if any of the pension

engine reform law is allowable of the Illinois Constitution I

again that’s that’s a difficult question to answer but I think we can certainly say it’s going to be

to be longer than than the did the Jews certainly when this is slated to take effect

Effect of the one of the real questions is the state does inputs budget together for next

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next year um that starts on July 1st and will

will they count these changes in the counting on saving a lot of money from this plan to be able to spend

other things in the question is will they be able to do that or will they will they start a credit

credit for these changes even though you don’t need their not necessarily approved by the court yet

and you know the final Santa comes to mind is the code clears the end

the entire pension bill just just seeing if they were to do that in all the Sun all the all the

proposed savings go into effect will it work that is doing

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do we know if these reforms which substantially improve the health of the state pension

pension system in the Illinois government financial picture overall is seroquel General

general agreement that it would it would not our what up to a point there’s agreement

among the sword of the power structure in the state people rent power now the governor the House speaker

speaker of the Senate President mean anything a lot of a liberal Democrat

should save a lot of Republicans who are in power now who do believe that this would make a

difficult difference down the line are there are some people outside of power like a

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makeup brush router who’s a billionaire billionaire businessman in the hood

who is running for governor who contend that this is not doing enough on but I think that

take that you know that that’s more I would say more than outside review if if these are the things you gif

if this is something to prove by the courts I think it would um you know definitely

save the state money down the line but there are other Budget shoes coming up name lyrics

the expiration of the tax increase the rolling back of the tax increase right now to the personal income

tax rate for people in Illinois is 5 percent in that schedule to roll back at the end

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at the end of the calendar year 2014 that’s going to be another multi billion dollar hole

hole in the budget going to have to make massive cuts or extend the car tax

increase or find something else to plug a hole and that’s going to be a big question that the lawmakers

makers in the governor will have to deal with this Kira head as a work on the

2015 budget and the 2014 elections don’t forget

that is its all going to be tied together and I would I would I get to Best Buy going to be the biggest

biggest issue coming out this will get to the elections part later in the show let me go to another piece of legislation

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which I was reminded of as I came to work this morning he rata Campbell Hall on the U

University of Illinois campus where are on the door on the Clark Street

entrance was a sticker with a um with a bar sinister over

over a smoke over a gun um no guns in Campbell Hall and that’s

that’s in the recognition of the concealed carry law was passed out

inside in the summer you know those debate on public radio can get pretty heated

heated socks probably a good idea that you guys are not going to be allowing firearms into the studios there

00:24:25

fun cheer yeah exactly we saw that on the

the capital is well they put up the signs that the bar sinister freeze the other the red circle with a line through it

threw it up over little handgun is our state regulated signs a concealed carry is

is becoming Lawn Illinois there’s actually I would your typing this the money

Monday morning going to be a news conference later today weather going to talk about the Progressive Era

that people will be getting the being able to apply online starting

starting next year and then eventually later in the early start accepting paper applications are some controversy

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mercy over that as a side dish you but yet concealed carry is coming to Illinois

this Allah is should be popular in much of Illinois les sew in

in Chicago in Sauk County WI support for gun control has been higher anime

understand Abra Abra and local law enforcement has some leeway

in deciding who gets to carry how to get to get a concealed carry permit

nba.com what does applications come out differently in the Chicago area

downstate we already heard Cook County Sheriff in Cook County forces Home Chicago

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Chicago in and many other urban areas there Withers weather densely packed people

people um we already heard the sheriff of their time dirty bit he intends to take a ferry

very close look scrutinize a lot of these applications think the idea behind

behind doing this year reminder to greatness American Life episode about a guy

the bully if a loan I think was the name of the town sex enjoy Western Illinois

Angelo no cramps TWLOHA maybe that’s it maybe it’s a diamond trainer charge my memory back

back there but does it was the guy who is sort of well known around the town maybe

00:26:10

baby never never really done enough to go to jail but he’s just a terrible bully and I think it’s the idea

the idea that law enforcement want to be able to say maybe we don’t have a

a perfect case against this guy we can send to prison for something but this is not the type of

type of person we want walking around with fire on the backers of this life are young

want that to be a very small minority ovarian exception

perception is is that you know you have a right under the Second Amendment of the US Constitution carrier

carry a firearm to protect yourself in public and if you were going to deprive

00:26:45

price of that right there has to be a hybird but like you said people in Chicago

Cook County certainly the governor is not a fan of this legislation they want they want to

I want to restrict that right as much as I can and we should know this law is now in place because it

does essentially a federal judge ordered the state of Illinois to come up with a long saying that I couldn’t have

have nothing he could have maybe a concealed carry law restrictive in other states

states and maybe this is war restrictive and some other states but they have to have something

it is more restrictive and some other states but its not is restrictive I think it might have been

00:27:20

I had a past this love before that court decision you buy the Court St Illinois

I have to do this but give leverage to the gun rights supporters

supporters in Illinois the National Rifle Association groups like that because I could say you

you are not going to have a New Yorker Maryland style system where you have to prove that you’re under threat

Raton NM very restrictive very hard to get a firearm yes they say Illinois elastic

what are some states were very difficult to be able to do this but on the other hand Illinois

Illinois not going to be like I just ate out west and south where

00:27:55

barely need to do anything if a presumptive right to carry firearms there is a

star training requirements you have to take a class you have to be certified you have to go to background check

shifter supply fingerprints are you have to carry license there restrictions on where you can take your firearms

arms like you said I need you the University of Illinois College campuses are what are 1

are one of those places Schools businesses in post at same sign on their door manual

not be able to take your firearm with a business owner chooses to do that so its its not

not a pitbull somewhere in the middle in terms of the most strict the least strict well let’s go

00:28:30

what’s going on over to another piece of legislation which came out of a generalist

General Assembly this year and that was a bill permitting a same sex marriage

marriages in the state of Illinois Governor Pat Quinn signed in November

the same month 1 final approval of the General Assembly in the Illinois House debate both

both supporters and opponents of the bill text on individual rights

we are family that is treated differently under the eyes of the law

we are family that does not have the same protections that your family house

00:29:05

iPad 3 judges in my district 11 say David there is not a facility

in your district is going to perform a ceremony going to call me

where’s my religious individual freedoms that’s open the gage Chicago area Democrat

Democrats Samyang Ling and on the Republican David Rice taking different sides of the same

same sex marriage debate in the house to Bay to the other house debate and voting

call came several months after a same sex marriage passed in the Senate

Senate House Speaker Michael Madigan um so many sticky

00:29:40

how to keep a delayed when trying to find a support for the measure where was the opposition Bryan

in particular I know that very few Republicans voted for it but how

how did but but what kept the Democratic majority in the House

waiting for several months before they voted before they brought the bill to a vote on approval

LSU said this was the Republicans were or almost unlock Stephanopoulos

opposition of this I think 3 or 4 in the end of the entire a generalist

assembly of a Republican voting in favor this the Democratic side your head up

00:30:15

opposition from two places you had a Down state Democrats and you have

you had African Americans in us in the Chicago area mostly

um and who had a lot of Ministers in very religious people in their districts in a p****

pushing back against this move to legalize same-sex marriage and I think that the reason

this is why the f*** did the Democrats have a supermajority Xin Illinois it can be a little misleading

misleading people think they can just do whatever they want a steamroller what is specially on the social issues

use the reason the Democrats have such large majority zendaya

00:30:50

permit ideological diversity within their party at that big tent that your finger that cliche

cliche about no they want if your if your a post abortion oppose the same sex marriage your favor

favorite gun rights but you still want to be a Democrat you vote for House Speaker Mike Madigan Senate President

John Cullerton wanted Winnetka comes up once every two years welcome to the party we want you

what you in the Democratic Party it’s because they permitted kind of ideological diversity a candy Moore

the more difficult to push these things through that you might think will Illinois a blue state

State Fair for it would be one of the first to do this so you had a is African American ministers

00:31:25

sisters making a big push against this the Catholic Church make her strong Porsche

in Illinois against same sex marriage right here in springfield,or Bishop has been very outspoken

spoken about this issue and that is why it took so long I don’t know that I would you mentioned

Mission Hospital Mike Madigan allow you to come for about I don’t know that I would put this all on speaker

did actually work very hard to pass legislation to get people

get people to vote for it was really I mean I think my account

the sponsors in a representative Greg Harris a Democrat from Chicago

00:32:00

go another openly gay legislature who I has been working this issue very

very hard and he came under a lot of Fire this year in May there was a

palpable vocal disappointment in the capital when he stood up on the very last night

last night a session to say that he was not going to call the bill people or were North cat calling

how tall is the right turn but that mean they were groaning in the galleries of the house about

the disappointment but he knew he knows the politics is a very hard worker

worker and he slowly methodically a work to the Bill Brown devote

00:32:35

boats and was able to finally get passed in November Brian are we going to see

the scene court cases in the year I had a pony

bill have argued the religious groups in people with religious beliefs a game against saints

same sex marriage will have the rights for tale by this law are we going to see League

the legal cases on those issues as is law goes into effect

certainly possible I think it’s interesting question I want to the examples I heard from

from my representative rice earlier there I believe it was Hutto talked about you know Florida

00:33:10

florastor a if you make wedding cakes or something like that and a gay couple c*** and want you to

want you to do what is in his cake or something like that I want you to bring flowers to their wedding

I’m not sure that it would be illegal to discriminate against the weather in

weather in there was same sex marriage right we have an anti discrimination law in Illinois certainly matters

matters of employment on in so yeah I suppose that you will have people who

because of the night short people to have people held religious beliefs

the Bible and certainly if your a Catholic for example did very clear where do you know where the

00:33:45

where the church hierarchy stance on issues you they are opposed the same sex marriage and other people

people have that people believe in perhaps if you do on a flower shop or something like that you’re asstr

participate Eryn able this um you do feel that is there something more lyrics

morally wrong about that you don’t want to be forced to do it but I know that the there have been

been other sorts of a discrimination of people try to do in the past maybe because of a ratio

racially mixed really just makes marriages and I think that the overtime those

does does it seem to be less acceptable forms of discrimination other head

00:34:20

sometimes I had to go to the courts to get there and it in my remains to be seen weather that will happen

what happened with same sex marriage is well what Brian I want to come back to you a little later on in the program

program right now we’re going to take a short break and when we come back we’ll talk with Illinois public

Republic medius Jeff Balser about the passing of film critique an abandoned native Roger Ebert

another time stories of 2013 im Jim Meadows this is focused on WI

the wild and we’re back on focus on Jim meadows

looking at some of the things that happened in Illinois in the region in 2013

00:34:55

teen with Ryan Mackey of Illinois public radio Sean powers and Jeff Foster of Illinois

Illinois public media if you have some ideas of what you think was the biggest state are

local story of the year I give us a an email it will dash

talk at illinois.edu and we’re on Facebook and Twitter at

at focus 580 Jeff Balser of Illinois public media

is with me up right now and we’re talking at this point about one of the big

the big news stories around the state uncertainly here in Champaign Urbana the passing of

00:35:30

of Roger Ebert he was perhaps the nations best known movie critic

especially known in Illinois was the long time credit for the Chicago Sun Times

any always come touch with his hometown of Urbana and Champaign ya grew up here

here and he went to school at the University of Illinois and he campus connect

is connection in later years by hosting an annual Film Festival in Champaign bearing his name

name Roger Ebert’s death last April at the age 70 came just week

week before the 15th edition of the Roger Ebert Film Festival was the beginning

00:36:05

Hotel Rogers wife Chancey birthday to do stuff Festival I am so high

so happy to be with you this evening  I was hoping

that was called Roger my boyfriend I was hoping that my boyfriend

friend would be here with me and he’s not so I work a scarf tonight

find just want to say thank you in 15 years

this film festival eben so meaningful to me down to Roger

you gave Roger so much joy coming here you after year

00:36:40

festival Arizona mother in his hometown

is made him so happy and he wanted to make sure the festival

continues and so we’ll see what we can do about that but tonight

this week for the next 5 days we’re going to celebrate Roger

and just by Serta beloved and film credits are not words

words that often go together but they seem to do sew in the case of Roger Ebert especially in Champaign

00:37:15

Champaign Urbana where he grew up what about Roger Ebert Madame special in this way

will think about Roger is he never forget where you came from you can

can you go back to archives if you church Ebert on the WL website

there it wasn’t just the stories about Ebert fast or

what is hosting a festival I’m eating made mineral spirits is on W Iowa radio and TV

hi and I host of the show ob gyn at same time April 18th

teen fingering the fast weird people schedule to join us we have people volunteer leak Alden

00:37:50

Alden about Roger returning a community not just free breakfast for class reunions

like I think we had classmates Colin from Urbana High School in the host

shoemaker who did the show at keeping the faith to faith was a classmate

Rogers in Urbana High School you made a point of coming back to the community Magistra Film Festival

status with people for a long long time how did the Ebert Film Festival developer

and you know I haven’t been the recently I went there last like maybe 7 or 8 years ago in

you know of Virginia theaters Big theater its always packed for this event the People

00:38:25

really up for for being there what is Madison been so popular well

started with a string of 2001 a Space Odyssey 1 Rogers Ulta

all time favorite films was part of the fiber fest in the late 1990s inside that was discussed during a

a program that does Steve to make a good with the birds sometime ago there was a sold out crowd

what cloud of bats training in the region yah and that prompted the the College of mitochondria

how to communications now College Media hostess Film Festival and even edition

the clients and you did was in the habit of asking studios for favors being accredited any real eyes

00:39:00

realize when we make the somethings overlooks movie the didn’t get a fair shake

weather looks looks at overlook to make exactly and odd and you know I think so

soy professional popular because of some of the film The showing he’s not only brought in little

little known films that also a big 70 millimeter print off something like 2001

Lawrence of Arabia Milanos lines but it’s also I think it becomes a communal experience

Korean swear people from not from the area will make a point of meeting every spring for this Film Festival

festival and then you have all these direct actors in directors other people of c**

00:39:35

cumin 3 part of the panel discussions after the films people like Australian filmmaker Paul Cox

come here for years of one of the favorite of a bird is a gas to the five people really look forward to hear

hearing from those Gaston just meeting up in Washington feel good movies over for a few days

who dies in the plan is to have that Festival continuum Roger Ebert is no longer there to choose films for

homes for rent A Center have a backlog of all of selection said he has made

hope to draw on and then I guess I’ll find a way to 1222 did you figure out what

what films the show on the road sir I’m in and I mention I think one thing

00:40:10

that would be a part of that is Justin Bieber have so many books out showing some of his great films

can you get easily open the festival with a great print off of someone off his face

favorite films from the US Fillmore Amenia many foreign films that he loved

loved something on goes lines on back of a long long time to get there

how to get through as well the deck house media Dean translator told me after you Bert passing it was never questions

question of ending Ebert Fastenal course this is helping Virginia survive for a long time is well

is well in and some of the rehabbing that that wonderful and Roger Ebert continue to be at

00:40:45

beatiful with the Film Festival even even after a long battle with cancer

cancer of the ability to speak but still a presence at the festival in active

activities organization of the year he was he went to the feelings that he could

hood and the coping with his illness what people said he became even a better writer

was so active in Twitter and Facebook and it just a prolific writer

writer and this is a guy who just did not stop and think because he was

who was the boss does Boise also waiting on other issues like politics in the news

00:41:20

Susan and he was just a model in terms of social media for other credits to follow

and also one final of the quest from from the from the Ebert

Ebert I guess done before Roger Ebert passed away was up money for a new Film Studies

program at the U of I got this morning clude degrees

what they were horses of Sable start in a matter of time I think this semester summer

some of that is taking shape a lot of his archival writings can be looked up there will be seminars

where’s all based on on the writings of Roger Ebert and his ex

00:41:55

whats turn to another another of a story that a Jeffrey

reporting on I did to come to think of it and that’s in the in the world Sports maybe

maybe not the only big sports story in the state of this year after all the Chicago Blackhawks

did win the Stanley Cup blood out one of the highlights in sports in this area this year

your husband wheelchair athletics at the University of Illinois which is a school that a pint

pioneer in wheelchair athletics a disability sports um this

this year there wheelchair track athletes head for men to success with good showings

00:42:30

at the Paralympics and I major marathon events around the world in fact

U of I asked me to Tiana McFadden is a special stand up for her performance

Amazon sis year is she is talking about what she does

I love being an athlete that love will tear a thing as a noun

is it just me and my body to the limits answers

answer to no one has been able to do before

will Jeff out the fan was released

00:43:05

start this year in women’s wheelchair racing can you summarize hurt her marathon victory

yes there in New York City that was the most recent won the New York Boston London in Chicago

Chicago the grand slam off the ground on Grand Slam eyes off of

of a wheel in wheelchair racing on the one elses me that she and that was the Boston Marathon course with

horse with outside when was the bombing secured McFadden

phatmass not present at the site and the moment with the bombing of course I was a big Sean

Big Shot it was a shock with your whole some of the other athletes at that time

00:43:40

putting on Wilshire Eminem talking with McFadden what do you find your personality

brother this level of success Billy seems to be really committed

do ya ni ni think that does she’s always a positive

looking at it she is you set up there some sort of injuries for friends are from continuum

do with her career in Atlantic City image she’s a recent graduate you might be looking at it

future career development you might be coming back for grad school

in the semester but not she might be taking a position in a hospital provide an emotional support for families

00:44:15

children of the ghetto in Jesus 14 we have no storage firmer season

look at a different units did you see me as an elite athlete who runs track in Marathi

marathon and she loves Sharon the story so I’ll be your future immediately

mediately is the time in weather show me part of the the the Winter Olympics in Seoul

socio you find out the January made it to the cross country

country skiing this is a new sport for this is a new sport and she’s a little concerned about the Apple to altitude

the tune of course she’s been marathons and not be extremely cold weather but she’ll be part of

00:44:50

part of a different climate and I make the team should be going through Italy and Germany

training camps very soon so I have a pretty intense schedule weather in and she got a

got through all the last semester with finals and a training for the Olympics in Atlanta

the hills of Marathon Grand Slam and just wrapping up we should know this is just one

111 of the athletes in the U of I wheelchair sports

sports program and I notice just looking at the marathon results

off the races at text to make fat in one how many other U of I am

00:45:25

athletes have strong showing the mens and womens wheelchair division

just a lot of names of captains showing up more than once yes they’re there are you a Vita release

really terrific showing in and really bad thing put the the University on a map in terms of x

training of a wheel translate a me with the other names that come up on you if you do a Google search

likely to be a man in McCrory she she’s a 2012 graduate and a play

played wheelchair basketball shoes at at Champion in New York City Marathon 2011

1100 Josh Georgia tag 2012 2007 graduates

00:46:00

Hanuman several months too many to mention here 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing

2004 Summer Paralympics animal eating you in his head coach of the wheelchair Track Pro

program that he’s been there in 8 years after a accident

meeting in several vances well I talk to some of the other athletes on the program

that’s right it’s only been a strong program we found some of these other people are on the earth

the herbal teas programming and also also on of focus is well I remember talking to

Joshua Georgia right now let’s go ahead 2011

00:46:35

more story for this year and I’m going to bring back a Brian Mackey over the Statehouse Bureau

Bureau because this is a story which will be running in the 2014 and that’s the

that’s the election maybe in particular the gubernatorial race is up Brian

one thing that to me as we go into the last us 67 minutes we have here

happier is that um everybody was expecting at one point

the Governor Quinn of would be facing a challenge from another Democrat

attorney general Lisa Madigan and then she dropped out and the

00:47:10

what happened yeah she’s been dropping hits herself about Tupac

possibly challenging Governor Quinn in this is not the first time the Chiefs were play does Hamlet routine

will I want to be or not to be Shia dead this happened last election cycle is Welbeck

back in 2010 um what happened is that a weird Republic

expat with her father came out she said she was in her father’s house speaker

beaker Michael Madigan often referred to as powerful House Speaker Michael Madigan who sell bed position

physician on off button on Harley on for for more than 30 years now

00:47:45

did the TV s*** said it was always going to be there

forgot my father was going to be stepping down and she swore to express this is

this is the kind of surprises her father decided not to step down sushi can run for God

forgot her father in a this is where to get on usual because he usually placed

replacing very close to the best he said she knew what my plans were in that space

that’s basically all the presents had a feast on a diesel scraps Dave given out in NC

the cup statements that didn’t really surprised people because this is a powerful political family

00:48:20

family that got that way by play things very close in keeping very quiet man

methodical about their control of Illinois government and they

they Big Sur spirits building to the public but was the end result of this does

is it leaves a virtually ClearPath for Governor Pat Quinn to run for the

domination Wilson had a little flirtation there for my bill daily the brother of

of the former Chicago Mayor Bill Daley Tulsa Commerce Secretary of the Clinton administration

stration and he was the cheapest after President Barack Obama for a time and he was

00:48:55

how to clear that he was going to run for governor in Illinois ultimately decided that he

the T just didn’t have that burning desire to do the sort of horrible

Mobile work of campaigning in beating people in shaking hands and kissing babies and going to

Rotary Club something like that day after day after day and then actually being governor I think you just decide

decided that I may be he didn’t want to get to put in the effort that it took Monistat

basically what he said so what does weed is Governor Quinn has a relatively on nose

opponent a kind NPR men who use to run the ceasefire in Tybee Island Georgia

00:49:30

organization not a lot of people think that he’s going to be able to get attraction

the need to defeat Governor Quinn and that so that’s where the Democratic side stand

going to the next year what will the Republican side has four people hoping off

to be the nominee against Quin State Senator Bill Brady who was the nominee

4 years ago senator Kirk Dillard who came in second in the

in the primary race St treasured Andrew Sanford and businessman bruise

Bruce browner and they obviously of ink when is beatable even if

00:50:05

banana berry democratic state and one thing I hear I don’t know this is

this is really going just by polls is that a well that Governor Quinn is not the most

most popular governor in the history of state politics where do they

do they wear these Republicans think they can get up yeah I’m in the US

right about that Governor Quinn is not the most popular is not the least popular was a time I was supposed

bowling release popular governor in the United States that is no longer the case

what is still relatively unpopular but you have the strength Nationwide you do have

00:50:40

do have blue states that can electric publican chief executive suites in that new jerseys concert

is considered a blue state Chris Christie’s Republican governor there New York City certainly a blu cig

blue city but have both a mirror Rudolph Giuliani and Mayor Michael Bloomberg for a time

time this is this is not a president do to have a date or Democrats contaminated

Nate and I get they will choose a Republican chief executive and I think that their main message

messages physical discipline and competence in the old have different ways of doing about it

about it that Bruce runner is pouring a tremendous amount of his vast wealth

00:51:15

12th and I’m difficult a to overstate how wealthy this gentleman is his isn’t

is income for the kill deer 2012 releases tax return to come with 53 million

million dollars for the year is next closest rivals on the Republican side work

side were the multiple hundreds of thousands of dollars 200 to 300 like that

like that one dollar bill Brady’s real estate developer Kirk Dillard is a corporate lawyer

Denver the firt is the state treasurer office Liberty is a background is a corporate

executive on but they’re their basic messages we will be able to eat

00:51:50

take on House Speaker Mike Madigan in some cases or work with him in a way that

wave it get him to be a little more disciplined about spending their message anyway

so really the fiscal performance of the state is going to be an issue

what’s of strengths would know what what can Quinn bring up against that

why we suck Governor Quinn pushing so hard for both same sex marriage because that something

become very popular among his core voters Democrats

and world going to see him I think touting this pension deal this is his sister soldier mod

00:52:25

ammoman try to save people are without reference for Bill Clinton went into his Okoro

core audience of African Americans in Kona give muster lecture about the chorus in a culture

culture back in the 90’s this is Governor Quinn sticking it to the Union ckin saying of the Union

unions are are are instrumental instrumental in helping Quinn when are elections

back in 2010 and buy you don’t really doing the tough stuff for kids to do

do to fix the state pension system this is his message it shows that he is the responsible guy

guy he’s an adult can he is the man who can get things done so I think we’re going to see him running on

00:53:00

pensions and same sex marriage well that’s where we’re going to end it on

set on this show looking at the Year in Review for 2013 some of the tops

top stories around the state in the region Meadows this is focused on WILL