HARRISBURG – Lawmakers returned to Springfield this week, coming together for a joint session of the General Assembly to hear the annual State of the State Address. State Senator Dale Fowler (R-Harrisburg) joined his fellow lawmakers on January 31, listening as Governor Bruce Rauner delivered his annual review of the state.

For this year’s address, the major themes included creating more jobs, spending within the state’s means, ending the practice of borrowing to cover the state’s deficits, addressing the state’s pension crisis, and lowering the tax burden on families and businesses.

Sen. Fowler says considering some of the major challenges facing Illinois, including a tremendous bill backlog, mounting debt obligations and property taxes that drive out residents, lawmakers need to work together to help Illinois move forward. After hearing the address, Sen. Fowler is hopeful that this coming session will not be a repeat of last year. Instead, he hopes that lawmakers can come together, leave behind the divisive actions of the past that have prevented progress for far too long and pass the structural reforms needed to turn things around for the state.

In the midst of State of the State activities, Sen. Fowler had the chance to welcome visitors from his District, including our very own Southeastern Illinois College (SIC) Social Science Division Chair, Matt Lees, his District staff and their families and Grant Loudy, a general education student from SIC. They joined the Senator for the day, spending time in the Capitol and witnessing the General Assembly in action.

After session activities concluded, Sen. Fowler returned to the District, joining Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner to tour one of Southern Illinois’ well-known manufacturers, Com-Pac. The Carbondale-based business opened their doors, inviting lawmakers into the facility to learn more about the business and the products produced in the facility, including plastic bags and zippers. Sen. Fowler was excited to see a local business receive attention, noting the importance that businesses, such as Com-Pac, play in Southern Illinois’ economy and the need to push for more pro-business reforms when lawmakers return to the Capitol for session.

Earlier this week, Sen. Fowler also had the opportunity to attend the Hospice of Southern Illinois Red Carpet Gala. The Hospice of Southern Illinois has played a big role in the community for almost 40 years, offering support and care to individuals and their families as a not-for-profit hospice provider.

In other news, Sen. Fowler is sharing information about a new program being offered by the State Fire Marshal and Illinois Safety Alliance. “Be Alarmed!” is a new program that will provide free smoke alarms, education about fire safety, and proper smoke alarm installation to people throughout the state through their local fire departments.

Finally, with tax season fully underway, both the state and federal governments are now accepting 2017 income tax returns. For more information on state returns, go to tax.illinois.gov and to check the status of your refund, go to revenue.state.il.us/Individuals/Refunds.htm.

February 7 is 206th anniversary of major quake in New Madrid Seismic Zone

SPRINGFIELD – Some of the largest earthquakes ever recorded in North America rocked the mostly rural central U.S. between December 1811 and February 1812, including parts of Southern Illinois. The strongest earthquakes in this series were estimated to be around magnitude 8.0, and were felt as far away as the East Coast.

Today, this multi-state region is heavily populated and highly developed. A similar earthquake now would cause widespread devastation to buildings, utilities, roads, bridges and other infrastructure, as well as result in many injuries and deaths. While damage would be less severe in other parts of Illinois, utility outages, road closures and disruptions to deliveries of essential supplies would significantly impact the lives of most Illinoisans.

Atlantic Magazine graphic

Recognizing the earthquake risk in Illinois, the Illinois Emergency Management Agency (IEMA) and local emergency management agencies will promote earthquake preparedness throughout February.

“In addition to the New Madrid Seismic Zone, where the 1811-12 quakes occurred, southern Illinois is also adjacent to the Wabash Valley Seismic Zone,” said IEMA Interim Director Jennifer Ricker. “We can’t predict when the next devastating earthquake in this region will happen, but we can help people learn how to protect themselves and reduce damage to their homes.”

Ricker said people need to remember to “Drop, Cover and Hold On” when they feel the ground shaking: “Drop” down to the floor, take “Cover” under a sturdy desk, table or other furniture, and “Hold On” to the furniture item and be prepared to move with it until the shaking ends.

There are several steps people can take to help prevent injuries and property damage at home, such as strapping water heaters and large appliances to wall studs, anchoring overhead fans and light fixtures, and securing cabinet doors with latches. IEMA offers several short videos on do-it-yourself earthquake home mitigation projects at https://www.illinois.gov/iema/Mitigation/Pages/EarthquakeMitigationVideos.aspx.

For additional earthquake preparedness information, visit www.Ready.Illinois.gov or follow IEMA on Facebook (www.facebook.com/ReadyIllinois) and Twitter (twitter.com/ReadyIllinois).