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*** UPDATED x1 *** IDPH: No new med-mar conditions

Thursday, Sep 10, 2015 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Press release…

Illinois Department of Public Health Director Nirav D. Shah, M.D., J.D. today announced that new medical conditions and diseases will not be added to the Illinois Compassionate Use of Medical Cannabis Pilot Program Act at this time. The pilot program will continue with the 39 conditions and diseases listed in the Act.

The pilot program runs through April 2018.

They blew past their deadline to rule on whether 11 conditions would be added, then announced… nothing?

Sheesh.

*** UPDATE *** And right on schedule…

Veto Message for SB 33
To the Honorable Members of
The Illinois Senate,
99th General Assembly:

Today I veto Senate Bill 33 from the 99th General Assembly, which would prematurely expand the Medical Cannabis Pilot Program by adding post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) to the list of “debilitating medical conditions” for which a patient may be treated with medical cannabis.

The pilot program is moving forward, but remains in its early stage. Cultivation centers are just beginning to grow their crops, and the first dispensary was licensed at the end of August. No patients have yet been served, and, consequently, the State has not had the opportunity to evaluate the benefits and costs of the pilot program or determine areas for improvement or even whether to extend the program beyond its pilot period.

It is therefore premature to expand the pilot program – before any patient has been served and before we have had the chance to evaluate it.

Therefore, pursuant to Section 9(b) of Article IV of the Illinois Constitution of 1970, I hereby return Senate Bill 33, entitled “AN ACT concerning health”, with the foregoing objections, vetoed in its entirety.

Sincerely,

Bruce Rauner
GOVERNOR

30 Comments

Um, it’s called “mathematics”

Thursday, Sep 10, 2015 - Posted by Rich Miller

* He says this like he’s some sort of innocent bystander…

Rauner says its "stunning" to him that IL even allows unpaid bills to pile up, let alone that the number is going up

— Tony Arnold (@tonyjarnold) September 10, 2015

…Adding… Raw audio…

Click to listen

…Adding More… Listening to the audio, the governor was actually talking about how he was stunned to learn that Illinois is one of the few states that allow late payment of bills.

73 Comments

*** UPDATED x1 *** Another Republican retires

Thursday, Sep 10, 2015 - Posted by Rich Miller

* From state Sen. Dan Duffy’s Facebook page…

In case you’re keeping count, that’s three House Republicans and two Senate Republicans who’ve announced they won’t be running next year.

By the way, there are two House Republicans in Duffy’s district. Rep. Ed Sullivan isn’t running again and Rep. Dave McSweeney just told me he is staying put in the House.

*** UPDATE *** Well, this solves a problem in that Sullivan district. Press release…

Hawthorn Woods resident and nonprofit executive Dan McConchie announced Thursday that he is seeking the Republican nomination in Illinois Senate District 26. The incumbent, conservative Republican Senator Dan Duffy, announced today that he is not running for re-election.

“Our conservative district deserves strong conservative leadership,” said Dan McConchie. “Like Senator Duffy, I will be a principled advocate for lower taxes, smarter government and will uphold the conservative values we hold dear.”

Before Duffy’s unexpected announcement, Dan McConchie was running for state representative in the 51st House District.

“My goal of running for office has always been to help bring my experience and success in legislative work around the country to the pressing needs we have in Springfield. There is an even greater need of strong conservative advocates in our Senate. Senator Duffy has been a role model in the principled stands he has taken. I look forward to representing the 26th Senate District as well as he has.”

Back on August 27, Duffy had endorsed Dan McConchie for state representative in House District 51.

Dan is a lifelong conservative with a proven track record of accomplishment in both the for-profit and non-profit sectors. Having been responsible both to manage an organizational budget and to meet a payroll, he understands exactly what Illinois families and small business owners face in every day under our dysfunctional state government. As a national expert on state legislation, he has committed to bringing his experience in legislative strategy, marketing, coalition building and grassroots advocacy to furthering Governor Rauner’s pro-growth agenda in Springfield.

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