People across Cook and DuPage County have been dealing with the effects of the recent flooding. While many of our communities have already started to clean up and return to normal, much of the region is still under water or are about to see more flooding.

I would like to take this opportunity to pass along some helpful information and resources.

Resources

Below are links for up-to-date information on the ongoing flooding issues:

•     Road Closures
•     River Closures
•     Volunteer Opportunities
•     General Information
  

IEMA

The Illinois Emergency Management Agency is one of the best resources for weather and flood updates. Click here for IEMA's site and contact information or call 217-782-0922

National Weather Service/NOAA

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association provides up-to-date information on flooding and forecasting for future floods.

The American Red Cross

Below is the hotline for the Red Cross, they can provide additional emergency support and disaster relief resources.

1-800-Red-Cross (1-800-733-2767)

For power outages or electrical issues, contact ComEd at 1-800-EDISON1.

For advice about filing an insurance claim, visit floodsmart.gov.

For additional flood updates and safety information, visit Illinois.gov/ready.

If you’d like to help with the flood relief efforts, visit Illinois.gov/ready for volunteer information.

Likewise, please contact my office if you have additional concerns or issues

UPDATE: Governor Quinn signed Senate Bill 724 on Sunday, May 5 in Oak Park. The legislation takes effect immediately. Click on the links below to read more about the signing of this legislation or read further for the original press release relating to this bill.

Read more:

Quinn signs liquor law at Maya del Sol (OakPark.com)
New law will allow incoming Oak Park Mayor to keep liquor-serving restaurant (CBS Chicago)

Original Release, April 22, 2013:
SPRINGFIELD – Senator Don Harmon (D-Oak Park) is sponsoring legislation that would clear away a state hurdle preventing Oak Park Village President-elect Anan Abu-Taleb from also holding a liquor license. The measure, Senate Bill 724, passed the Illinois Senate 47-3 on April 18 and is expected to be taken up by the House when it returns to the Capitol in two weeks.

The 1934 Liquor Control Act established that suburban mayors or village presidents would also serve as local liquor control commissioner, but to avoid conflicts of interest, could not hold liquor licenses in the communities that elected them.

The General Assembly amended the law last year to exempt communities of 50,000 or less and provide for delegation of liquor commissioner duties to another official in such cases.

SPRINGFIELD – In 1998, Senator Don Harmon’s hometown of Oak Park was first in the nation to establish a domestic partner registry by ballot referendum. Today, Senator Harmon joined the local gay and lesbian community in celebrating the Illinois Senate’s historic passage of legislation legalizing same-sex marriage in the state.

Harmon, the lead co-sponsor of 2009 legislation authorizing civil unions in Illinois, said that while the unions have been a step in the right direction, they don’t provide the full legal protection, social recognition or religious blessings of marriage.

“Couples in loving, committed relationships should be able to declare, with pride and dignity, that they are married. They should be able to enjoy both the celebration and the commitment that accompany marriage. If we’re serious about extending equal rights to same-sex couples, we must approve gay marriage in Illinois.

SPRINGFIELD – State Don Harmon (D-Oak Park) issued the following statement on the Illinois Senate’s vote to expand Medicaid coverage to more than 300,000 people, an expansion that will be 100 percent paid for by the federal government in its first three years and at least 90 percent covered after that.

“Today, the Illinois Senate said that hundreds of thousands of uninsured people deserve access to health care. We’ve told them that we value them as human beings and that they shouldn’t have to rely on emergency rooms for routine care. I firmly believe that we are doing the right thing, and I urge the House and the governor to take action on this plan as soon as possible.

“Not only are we doing the right thing by providing coverage for low-income people who currently don’t have it, we’re doing the smart thing. Providing access to primary and preventive care in physicians’ offices and community health centers is a far more rational approach to health care than relying on high-cost emergency room visits for more routine matters. We’re helping people live healthier lives and avoid hospital stays that can impose heavy costs on them and on all taxpayers.”