Saturday, May 4, 2013
Sen. Kirk and Sen. Durbin make first joint appearance in state at Great Lakes school along with Rep. Schneider.
Sen. Mark Kirk (R-Highland Park) and Sen. Richard Durbin (D-Springfield) made their first joint public appearance in Illinois since Kirk returned to full time duty in the Senate in January at a Great Lakes charter school they helped create which is now being hurt by the Sequester. Durbin, Kirk and Rep. Brad Schneider (D-Deerfield) met with students at the Learn Public Charter School, a North Chicago public school on the Great Lakes Naval Base, to see the new institution and listen to the students. “This is our first public appearance in Illinois since Sen. Kirk returned to the Senate (in January after suffering a stroke a year before),” Durbin said. “We wanted it to be here because it is something we worked on together.” Sequester Reduces …
Friday, April 26, 2013
Annual Israel Solidarity Day offers activities for families of all ages.
Thousands of members of Chicago’s Jewish community will gather for the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago’s (JUF) annual Israel Solidarity Day from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday at Ravinia Park in Highland Park. The day includes entertainment, food, a three-mile walk through Highland Park, a one-mile family walk and more to celebrate the modern State of Israel’s 65th birthday. “Each year Israel Solidarity Day brings together the Jewish community to celebrate Yom Ha’atzmaut (Israel Independence Day) and stand together in support of Israel,” JUF said in a flyer. “This year … we come together for one big event.” Israel Independence Day was April 16. In the past, Israel Solidarity Day was held at numerous locations in the city and suburbs, …
Sunday, April 21, 2013
Latest Patch poll results come in wake of U.S. Senate defeat of legislation expanding background checks. Sen. Kirk is critical of vote.
After a debate broke out among Patch readers in the wake of an armed robbery in Deerfield April 8 over whether an armed citizenry would increase or reduce crime. A few days later Patch conducted an unscientific poll among its readers to see which route people felt was best and a majority believe concealed carry will decrease crime in the area. Of the 66 people who responded, 41 are in favor and 25 opposed. Earlier: Will Concealed Carry Increase or Decrease Gun Violence The poll was conducted while the United Senate was debating and defeated legislation to expand background checks before purchasing a gun, 54-46, Wednesday drawing criticism from Sen. Mark Kirk (R-Highland Park). “I am disappointed that the Senate could not come together to …
Tuesday, April 2, 2013
Sen. Mark Kirk expressed his support of same-marriage in a statement on his personal blog Tuesday.
Senator Mark Kirk (R-Highland Park), is now the second Republican senator to announce his support of same-sex marriage, reports the Huffington Post. On his blog, Kirk wrote: When I climbed the Capitol steps in January, I promised myself that I would return to the Senate with an open mind and greater respect for others. Same-sex couples should have the right to civil marriage. Our time on this Earth is limited, I know that better than most. Life comes down to who you love and who loves you back-- government has no place in the middle. Kirk is the 50th senator to back gay marriage and only the second Republican senator to express his support after Ohio Sen. Rob Portman, who changed his position after his son revealed he was gay, according …
Thursday, March 21, 2013
North Shore representatives both vote against latest Ryan budget but disagree on Continuing Resolution to fund government through September.
Local members of the Congress voted differently today as the House of Representatives passed a continuing resolution to fund the government through September but stood up together to oppose a Republican drafted budget. Rep. Brad Schneider (D-Deerfield) and Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-Evanston) chose to reject the House Republican Budget authored by Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI) but took a different route on a Senate passed continuing resolution funding the federal government through September. Earlier: Schneider Joins Bipartisan Effort to Extend Debt Ceiling Schneider joined 114 other Democrats and 203 Republicans voting to avoid a government shutdown and fund the government through Sept. 30. He believes a shutdown is worse than some provisions in the …
Wednesday, February 13, 2013
Mark Kirk and the president shared a moment as Obama entered the House Floor for the State of the Union address.
Sen. Mark Kirk (R-Highland Park) had a close personal encounter with President Barack Obama as the President walked down the aisle of the House of Representatives on his way to the podium deliver the State of the Union, according to a report on UPI. Kirk, who returned to the Senate in January after spending nearly a year recovering from a stroke, fist bumped the President before the two embraced as seen on the You Tube video. After the speech, Kirk endorsed the President’s call for tougher gun control legislation, as reported earlier today on Patch. “We should work as a nation to reduce gun violence and save lives,” Kirk said on Patch. “I believe we can pass a universal background check bill this year to keep guns away from criminals and …
Freshman Brad Schneider and Veteran Jan Schakowsky come away with different impressions of the same message. Sen. Mark Kirk joins the chorus on gun control.
Rep. Brad Schneider (D-Deerfield) and Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-Evanston) saw President Barack Obama’s State of the Union through different eyes but came away with the same message Tuesday. Both north suburban lawmakers praised and ratified the President’s proposals to raise the minimum wage, stimulate job growth, implement gun control and more. They heard the same message but saw it differently. Earlier: Schneider, Schakowsky Give Back to Honor King Schakowsky, a seven-term veteran, was excited by the challenge the President laid at the feet of Congress while Schneider was awed by the full experience of his first State of the Union address on the floor of the House of Representatives. “It was a pretty incredible experience,” Schneider said…
Thursday, January 3, 2013
Highland Park senator comes back to work just under a year after suffering a stroke.
Sen. Mark Kirk (R-Highland Park) returned to work today as he climbed 237 steps to the entrance of the Senate side of the United States Capitol just under a year after suffering a major stroke. Assisted by Vice President Joe Biden and Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV), Kirk walked slowly using a cane completing the ascent 10 minutes before the Vice President was scheduled to gavel the Senate into session for the 113th Congress. Biden was not worried about the timing. “You’ve got all day, pal,” the vice president said to Kirk at the bottom of the stairs. Biden was the first person to greet Kirk when he appeared at the bottom of the steps, giving him a hug. Next to hug his returning colleague at the bottom of the stairs was Sen. Richard Durbin (D-…
Sunday, August 5, 2012
Senator walks on his own and talks regularly to staff.
Sen. Mark Kirk (R-Highland Park) released a video today showing himself walking without a cane or harness, working in his Highland Park home and giving an update on his health and progress since his stroke in January. When Kirk was first released from inpatient treatment at the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago in May, he stayed with family members. Now he is living and working in his own residence. Earlier: Kirk Gives Health Update Kirk stressed not only his recovery but the work he continues to do with his staff and colleagues. He emphasized his joint effort with Sen. Richard Durbin (D-Springfield) to find a replacement for former United States Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald. “We have formed a bipartisan committee of distinguished …
Saturday, July 7, 2012
A majority of Patch readers responding to an unscientific poll want to give the Affordable Care Act a chance to work.
Give the Affordable Care Act (ACA) a chance. That was the opinion of a majority of readers who responded to an unscientific Patch poll asking whether President Barack Obama’s health care legislation should be given time to season, be repealed or changed. Earlier: What Should Be Done With Obamacare? Of the 637 people who took the poll, 370 want to leave the new law recently upheld by the United States Supreme Court alone to see how it works, 198 want it repealed and 69 want to repeal objectionable parts and keep the rest. Rep. Robert Dold (R-Kenilworth), who voted just over a year ago for repeal, wants to change parts of the law keeping provisions like letting children under 26 remain on their parents’ coverage and prohibiting insurance …
Gene
5:52 am on Wednesday, May 8, 2013
We, the many 38,000 impacted families on this side of Touhy Ave agree. Durbin lifted the flight cap at O'Hare. Enjoy your nights! Put back the flight cap. Capacity discipline !! more ›