Tagged: Sheila Simon

Even if lawmakers may not always realize the consequences for rural areas if Emergency Medical Services troubles aren’t addressed, operations fold, and rural residents have to rely on help from bigger cities, State Rep. Don Moffitt appreciates how everyday people get it.

As state funding for colleges and universities declines in Illinois, the lieutenant governor said the schools need to find ways to remain accessible to a wide range of students.

The problem is multi-faceted. The state legislature has cut support for universities in recent years. Those schools then raise tuition. That means more students rely on financial aid, but the state has been cutting that too.

Sheila Simon said she doesn’t want to serve as Illinois Governor Pat Quinn’s lieutenant governor any more.

The Democrat said she will be seeking election to another public office, but during a news conference in Chicago she wouldn’t say which one.

“What I’m doing is really focused on how I can serve the people of the State of Illinois,” Simon said.  “I’ve, I think, been an effective servant as lieutenant governor. I think I can be an even more effective public servant in other elective office.”

Illinois has come up with a straightforward solution to its Asian carp problem: fishing.

“It’s simple but it’s exciting to see it work,” said Lieutenant Governor Sheila Simon, who chairs the state’s river coordinating councils.

The state is encouraging businesses to fish for the carp by promoting markets for them. The fish are being touted as a high protein meal for foreign and domestic markets. But don’t look for “Asian Carp” on a local menu – it’s been rebranded as “Silver Fin.”