SPRINGFIELD — Federal funding from the Violence Against Women Act is a critical part of combating domestic violence and rape at the local level, says Pat Davenport, executive director of A Safe Place, a Lake County-based domestic violence relief agency.

“Eighty percent of the clients we work with have been sexually assaulted,” Davenport said. “We like to say domestic violence is separate from sexual assault, but they go hand in hand.”

Under current Illinois law, survivors of rape may need to pay fees for their own rape investigations, something disallowed under the VAWA, and a fact Davenport called unethical. To remove financial responsibility for their own rape investigations and ensure federal funding for sexual assault investigations is not jeopardized, State Sen. Melinda Bush cooperated with Attorney General Lisa Madigan to pass legislation out of the Illinois Senate today.

“With this proposal, we’re simply saying that victims of sexual assault should not be the ones to pay for things like testing rape kits, or other administrative fees,” Bush said. “This legislation ensures we remain compliant with the federal Violence Against Women Act and I’m proud to work with Attorney General Madigan to sponsor it in the Senate.

The legislation is House Bill 3848. Having passed the Senate without opposition, the amended version returns to the House for concurrence.

SPRINGFIELD — Lake County will join an economic development group that provides low-interest loans to business owners and housing developers without any burden on taxpayers after legislative efforts by State Sen. Melinda Bush.

Following talks in the General Assembly, Bush, D-Grayslake, successfully pushed for Lake County’s inclusion in the Upper Illinois River Valley Development Authority (UIRVDA), one of the state’s regional development authorities. Such groups issue bonds to fund loans to businesses and housing developer projects. Local developers pay off the bonds directly to investors.

“Membership in the Upper Illinois River Valley Development Authority will open doors for small business owners and property developers in Lake County,” Bush said. “This is an economic development effort that encourages investment in local concerns and doesn’t put taxpayer money at risk.”

Regional development authorities like the UIRVDA operate on the fees they charge borrowers, with no state funding. It’s a mechanism that allows RDAs to help local businesses without any burden on taxpayers, said David Northern, executive director of the Lake County Housing Authority.

“They are operationally self-supporting,” Northern said. “In short, it doesn't cost anything to have access to UIRVDA's financing powers.”

The legislation is House Bill 417. Having passed the Senate today, it will return to the House for concurrence.

Senator Melinda Bush and several experts discuss Senate Bill 1466 — also known as Lali's Law — which would increase access to naloxone, a life-saving medication that reverses the effects of a heroin overdose.

Hoy - April 27, 2015 | Original article

By Marina Klauke

(This article originally appeared in Spanish.)

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS - The Illinois Senate approved a proposal Thursday that would permit the sale of Narcan, the antidote that saves the lives of those suffering overdoses of heroin or other opioids such as medication for chronic pain.

Illinois is one step away from the pharmacy sale of the antidote that reverses the effects of an overdose of these types of drug.

Senator Melinda Bush (D-31) was one of the forerunners of this proposal, and on Monday explained that the measure was approved unanimously in the Senate, and that approval in the House would allow the availability of the medicine naloxone, known commercially as Narcan, in pharmacies.

Bush made the announcement in front of the offices of Live4Lali, a group promoting access to the antidote, and that provides help to families of addicts and offers training in the use of Narcan.

As she explained, Narcan is an automatic device, injected subcutaneously in the person suffering overdose, and acts as an antidote that reverses the effects of the attack in order to buy time for the individual to be taken to a hospital for appropriate treatment.

"This proposal would allow anybody to go to a pharmacy, get training to use this medication and obtain a prescription at the pharmacy to have naloxone en their homes in case there's any member of the family, or a friend who might need it," Bush explained.

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