Lisa In The News

Suit: Let disabled athletes go to IHSA state meet

Eric — Wed, 16 May 2012 12:41:54 -0400

Chicago Sun-Times, May 15, 2012

The Illinois High School Association girls state track and field meet will be held this weekend in Charleston, Ill., — and Fenwick’s Mary Kate Callahan won’t be taking part.

But a lawsuit to be filed Wednesday by Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan in federal court aims to make it possible for student-athletes with disabilities, like Callahan who is paralyzed from the waist down, to compete in future IHSA state meets.

The suit asks for an injunction ordering the IHSA “to cease unlawful discrimination against athletes with disabilities” and to create more opportunities for athletes with disabilities by setting state-qualifying standards for those athletes in individual sports including swimming and track and field.

Madigan said the suit would not require schools to allow paraplegics to play football and would not require significant new spending beyond that to train officials. “The Great Lakes Adaptive Sports Association (GLASA) has offered over the years to work with the IHSA to put these standards and times in place,” she said. “They have worked with a lot of other states; Wisconsin and Minnesota are way ahead of us.”

Callahan, a 16-year-old junior, is paralyzed because of a neurological condition called transverse myelitis. She was a member of Fenwick’s girls swimming team and she likes track but does not participate in Fenwick’s program because she cannot compete in state finals under IHSA rules. The suit seeks for accommodations for field events in track, including the shot put and discus.

“I have full function of my upper body,” said Callahan, who uses a wheelchair. “I can get in and out of the pool myself. I can’t kick; that’s the only limitation I have.

“I don’t feel like I’m confined to a wheelchair in a pool. ... I just want to compete as a high school athlete. I’m like anyone else so I want to have that option.”

According to the suit, Callahan and representatives from GLASA and Fenwick asked the IHSA to make accommodations for disabled athletes at state track and swimming meets, but the “IHSA did not respond to these requests.”

Instead, the suit says, the IHSA filed a lawsuit of its own in April in state court in McLean County.

“The reason we did that is we received a letter from the Attorney General’s office [saying] they felt we were violating state and federal law,” IHSA executive director Marty Hickman said. “We said, we don’t believe we’re in violation of any law with respect to these issues. Their response, almost to the word, was, ‘We won’t talk about the law.’ ...

“We weren’t looking to turn this into a fight. We filed for a declaratory judgment asking the court to tell us what our obligations are. We’re perplexed by this filing.”

In the meantime, the IHSA set up a committee to consider additional options for disabled athletes. The committee heard testimony from representatives from GLASA, parents and schools on April 30 and is to report its progress to the IHSA Board of Directors on June 11.

The IHSA currently conducts a wheelchair basketball competition in conjunction with the boys basketball state tournament. Bill Schalz, who has coached Rosary High School in Aurora to four girls swimming state titles, is open to the possibility of accommodating disabled athletes in his sport as well.

“I’m certainly all for finding ways to do it,” Schalz said, noting that USA Swimming — the sport’s national governing body — already does so for non-scholastic competition. “There’s ways of doing it without messing up the state meet, without making it longer or more cumbersome.”

$30K in illegal synthetic drugs confiscated in Illinois

Eric — Wed, 02 May 2012 13:09:40 -0400

Rockford Register Star, May 1, 2012

More than $30,200 in illegal synthetic drugs were confiscated Monday from retailers as part of Operation Smoked Out, Attorney General Lisa Madigan announced Tuesday.

Operation Smoked Out is a statewide initiative aimed at removing the dangerous substances from Illinois retail stores. In all, 1,941 packages of synthetic drugs were handed over to law enforcement officials.

Investigators from Madigan’s office joined DeKalb police and DeKalb County sheriff’s officers to check the inventory at several locations. Illegal products were located and relinquished at the following:

Roxxi’s, 143 S. Second St., 1,877 packages, street value $29,306;

Shadowlands, 1027 W. Hillcrest Drive, 64 packages, street value $960.

Madigan said three additional tobacco shops were visited Monday and all signed affidavits agreeing not to sell synthetic drug products.

DEKALB — More than $30,200 in illegal synthetic drugs were confiscated Monday from retailers as part of Operation Smoked Out, Attorney General Lisa Madigan announced Tuesday.

Operation Smoked Out is a statewide initiative aimed at removing the dangerous substances from Illinois retail stores. In all, 1,941 packages of synthetic drugs were handed over to law enforcement officials.

Investigators from Madigan’s office joined DeKalb police and DeKalb County sheriff’s officers to check the inventory at several locations. Illegal products were located and relinquished at the following:

Roxxi’s, 143 S. Second St., 1,877 packages, street value $29,306;

Shadowlands, 1027 W. Hillcrest Drive, 64 packages, street value $960.

Madigan said three additional tobacco shops were visited Monday and all signed affidavits agreeing not to sell synthetic drug products.

Cops pull $9,600 of K2 from store

Eric — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 12:26:45 -0400

Galesburg Register Mail, April 26, 2012

Galesburg law enforcement seized more than 300 packages of synthetic drugs Thursday as part of “Operation Smoked Out.”

Investigators from the Galesburg Police Department and Illinois Attorney General’s office found 324 packages, totaling $9,600, at Main Street Tobacco and Games, 914 E. Main St. The illegal synthetic drugs included bath salts, which testified positive for methamphetamine.

“We take a proactive approach to drug enforcement in Galesburg,” said Sgt. Bob Schwartz. “Our success is helped by the interagency cooperation displayed by the Attorney General’s office.”

Local authorities had “keyed in on” the business and asked to inspect its inventory, said Scott Mulford, Illinois Attorney General deputy press secretary. Inside, they found the synthetic drugs, commonly referred to as K2, spice or fake weed.

“There’s two main things: get them off the shelves. They are almost like magnets to kids,” he said. “Number two, it’s education. These retailers have basically been warned to not put it on the shelf.”

Officials said they have seen an increase in calls nationwide to poison control centers rising from almost 3,000 in 2010 to almost 7,000 in 2011. Calls regarding bath salts jumped from more than 300 in 2010 to more than 6,000 in 2011.

The Illinois Attorney General’s office conducted a workshop in January explaining the dangers of synthetic drugs and how others are trying to sell it as potpourri or incense.

It is created when individuals purchase chemical additives and haphazardly spray it over a plant-like material, said Illinois Attorney General Public Access Counselor Cara Smith at the workshop. There is no a specific list of ingredients or recipe to determine how much to use.

The dangers of it have prompted state legislators to pass a structural derivative law, which became effective Jan. 1. The measure allows attorneys to prosecute those who use drugs that have a similar molecular structure as those on the controlled substance list.

However, it is still difficult to prosecute because officials can not always rely on drug tests. The chemical compound in the drug varies so much there might not be a similar one on the controlled substance list.

“We believe our efforts to rid the state of this problem didn’t end on January 1. Yes, it’s illegal but we aren’t just going to take your word for it,” Smith said at the workshop. “We still believe it’s out there.”

AG Madigan says $20M to assist homeowners, renters

Eric — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 11:27:48 -0400

State Journal-Register, April 19, 2012

Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan says the $20 million the state received from a national foreclosure settlement will be used to help homeowners and renters affected by the foreclosure crisis.

She says the money will be given to legal assistance programs that in turn will provide access to the justice system for homeowners and renters.

Madigan says helping families stay in their homes will "create a domino effect" for the state's economy.

Attorneys general from Illinois and other states reached a $25 billion national settlement in February with the nation's five largest bank mortgage servicers - Bank of America, JPMorgan Chase, Wells Fargo, Citibank and Ally Bank, formerly GMAC.

The settlement stemmed from a lawsuit over allegations of fraudulent practices by the lenders.

CHICAGO -- Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan says the $20 million the state received from a national foreclosure settlement will be used to help homeowners and renters affected by the foreclosure crisis.

She says the money will be given to legal assistance programs that in turn will provide access to the justice system for homeowners and renters.

Madigan says helping families stay in their homes will "create a domino effect" for the state's economy.

Attorneys general from Illinois and other states reached a $25 billion national settlement in February with the nation's five largest bank mortgage servicers - Bank of America, JPMorgan Chase, Wells Fargo, Citibank and Ally Bank, formerly GMAC.

The settlement stemmed from a lawsuit over allegations of fraudulent practices by the lenders.

Attorney General Madigan: Morgan County Man Faces Child Pornography Charges

Eric — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 11:30:20 -0400

Decatur Tribune, April 13, 2012

Attorney General Lisa Madigan has announced the arrest of a Morgan County man after a search of his residence during a joint police operation discovered two laptop computers allegedly containing child pornography.

Bobby Lawson, Jr., 35, was arrested today following the execution of a search warrant at a home in the 1800 block of South East Street in South Jacksonville. Lawson is being held in the Morgan County Jail on $500,000 bond. He will appear for a first appearance next week in Morgan County Circuit Court.

The arrest is the result of joint investigations by authorities in Illinois and South Dakota through partnerships among the states’ Internet Crimes Against Children Task Forces. Today’s events in Illinois involved investigators with Madigan’s office, the South Jacksonville Police Department and the Morgan County State’s Attorney’s Office.

“Our ability to work closely with law enforcement agencies throughout Illinois and across state lines is critical to investigating and apprehending offenders who target children,” Attorney General Madigan said. “Today’s arrest demonstrates our commitment to investigating crimes against children and putting these offenders behind bars.”

Morgan County State’s Attorney Chris Reif is prosecuting the case.

“When this situation presented itself, we reached out to the Attorney General’s office for their assistance,” said South Jacksonville Chief of Police Richard Evans. “Because of that assistance, the matter was handled quickly.”

Attorney General Madigan oversees the Illinois Internet Crimes against Children (ICAC) Task Force with a grant from the U.S. Department of Justice, working with 164 partnering law enforcement agencies in Illinois. It is one of 62 similar task forces nationwide that investigate child exploitation crimes and provide Internet safety education and training programs. Since 2006, the Illinois ICAC Task Force has been involved in 419 arrests of child predators and provided Internet safety training and education to more than 228,900 parents and students and 14,000 law enforcement officers and prosecutors.

The public is reminded that the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty by a court of law.

U.S. sues Apple, publishers over e-book price-fixing

Eric — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 15:30:31 -0400

Chicago Sun-Times, April 11, 2012

The Justice Department and 16 states, including Illinois, have sued Apple Inc. and major book publishers, alleging a conspiracy to raise the price of electronic books that Attorney General Eric Holder says cost consumers millions of dollars.

The government also has reached a settlement with three publishers, Hachette, HarperCollins and Simon & Shuster. But it will proceed with its lawsuit in federal court in New York City against Apple and Holtzbrinck Publishers, doing business as Macmillan, and The Penguin Publishing Co. Ltd., doing business as Penguin Group.

Holder told Justice Department news conference on Wednesday that “we believe that consumers paid millions of dollars more for some of the most popular titles” as a result of the alleged conspiracy. Justice’s antitrust chief Sharon Pozen said the scheme added $2 to $3 to the prices of individual books.

“By colluding to fix the price of e-books, publishers and Apple essentially forced consumers to pay millions more for e-books than they otherwise would have paid,” Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan said in a statement. “Enforcing the state’s antitrust laws will ensure that consumers receive the full benefit of competitive pricing and choice in the marketplace.”

Connecticut Attorney General George Jepsen said the total cost to consumers was more than $100 million.

Madigan, AMC to announce help for disabled movie fans

Eric — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 11:20:52 -0400

Chicago Sun-Times, April 3, 2012

Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan will make a joint announcement Wednesday with officials of AMC Theatres that the chain is installing captioning and audio-description technology in all of its theaters in Illinois to help movie-watchers with hearing and vision disabilities.

The settlement involves personal devices that will be equipped with captioning and audio-description services for vision-impaired and hearing-impaired viewers. Other movie-watchers won’t even notice, said Madigan spokeswoman Maura Possley.

Madigan’s office approached AMC two years ago after Equip for Equality complained that only a small fraction of movie theaters offered the technology for only a limited number of movies and usually at showings set at off-hours.

No lawsuit was ever filed. Madigan’s office just negotiated with the Kansas City, Mo.,-based company.

“This technology will allow people with disabilities to enjoy a movie right alongside their friends and families unlike ever before,” Madigan said in a news release.

“For the past several years we’ve worked with suppliers to develop digital assistive technologies that can be implemented on a broad scale. We’re excited that this technology allows everyone to join us at an AMC theatre,” Noel MacDonald, vice president of Operations at AMC Theatres, said in the release.

Only 21 out of 246 movie theaters in Illinois offered closed-captioning services and only 10 offered audio-description services two years ago when Equip for Equality approached Madigan’s office.

By 2014, all of AMC’s Illinois theaters — which are home to 460 movie screens — will have the technology. About half of them will have it by the end of this year.

Attorney General Madigan: Senate Unanimously Passes Bill Cracking Down on Tax Refund Loans

Eric — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 16:30:08 -0400

ENews Park Forest, March 29, 2012

Attorney General Lisa Madigan today commended Senate lawmakers for unanimously passing a bill to better protect consumers from the exceedingly high costs of tax refund anticipation loans and refund anticipation checks.

These products are billed as a faster way to receive a refund around tax time, but they’re anything but that. They’re simply a way to siphon excessive fees from what taxpayers are actually owed per their annual tax filings.

“The only thing taxpayers should anticipate with these so-called ‘refund’ products are costly fees and smaller tax returns,” Madigan said. “This legislation will limit a refund anticipation loan’s excessive costs and better protect consumers in communities where these products are heavily marketed.”

Senate Bill 3523 would crack down on the costs and fees of tax refund anticipation products – called refund anticipation loans and refund anticipation checks. It would also strengthen disclosure of fees and other costs and provide for additional protections for consumers who obtain refund anticipation loans from non-bank lenders, including payday lenders.

Refund anticipation loans have interest rates running as high as 150 percent that can reduce a taxpayer’s refund by as much as 20 percent before they receive it. Refund anticipation checks often are offered to taxpayers who do not qualify for a loan and simply allow the taxpayer to cash a refund – using a check or a pre-loaded debit card – after the IRS deposits it in a temporary bank account. These products are similarly riddled with high costs.

“Every year during tax season some tax preparers and lenders take advantage of low-income individuals by charging them exorbitant fees, on top of high interest rates, to get their refunds early,” said Sen. Jacqueline Collins, Senate bill sponsor. “This legislation will cap interest rates, prohibit fees charged in addition to interest and give borrowers a chance to use their tax refunds as intended – to pay for needs like food, housing, clothing and medicine. Last year we passed an increase in the state Earned Income Tax Credit and put money back in the pockets of the working poor. I want those eligible for the EITC to be able to keep and spend the full amount of their refunds in our communities, not have to give it to exploitative payday lenders or tax preparers.”

Madigan urged consumers to be aware of the high cost of refund anticipation products this tax season, particularly Illinoisans eligible for the Earned Income Tax Credit, a federal and state anti-poverty program for working families, to ensure they maximize their returns.

Rep. Michael Zalewski will sponsor the measure in the House.

Central IL synthetic drug distributor uncovered

Eric — Tue, 27 Mar 2012 12:39:34 -0400

Illinois Statehouse News, March 26, 2012

SPRINGFIELD — Investigators from the Illinois State's Attorney's Office and local law enforcement smoked out a synthetic drug manufacturer in central Illinois, seizing a cache of drugs worth nearly $100,000. Watch the VIDEO HERE.

Attorney General Lisa Madigan announced Monday that Jersey County was the latest target of Operation Smoke Out, an effort to stop the distribution and production of synthetic drugs, including synthetic marijuana and stimulants known as Mad Hatter, White Rabbit, K2 and spice.

Officers and investigators seized drugs — worth $32,000 on the street — from William F. Brockman Tobacco and Candy Wholesale in Jerseyville. They also found drugs valued at $65,000 at the home of a Brockman Wholesale employee.

This particular wholesaler is suspected of supplying synthetic drugs to retailers and communities as far south as Benton all the way over to the Decatur area.

Madigan’s office began the fight to stop synthetic drug abuse after calls to Poison Control Centers concerning the side effects of the drugs doubled from 2010 to 2011.

In the fall, Illinois banned specific formulas of synthetic drugs.

Madigan calls for debt reduction for Fannie, Freddie borrowers

Eric — Fri, 23 Mar 2012 15:59:28 -0400

The Rock River Times, March 23, 2013

Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan (D) called on the Federal Housing Finance Agency March 23 to immediately implement appropriate principal reductions to home loans held by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

In a letter to Edward J. DeMarco, the acting director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, which oversees Fannie and Freddie, Madigan demanded the agency reassess its blanket refusal to reduce any mortgage debts for Fannie and Freddie borrowers who are underwater.

Based on FHFA data, Madigan stressed that targeted principal reductions can avoid unnecessary harm to homeowners and communities and help the housing market recover.

“Principal reductions for borrowers can prevent the likelihood of defaulting and, in turn, prevent unnecessary foreclosures,” Madigan said. “This is a critical step to repair the widespread destruction caused by the housing market’s crash that has reverberated in communities across Illinois.”

In issuing her letter, Madigan noted emerging media reports early March 23 citing a new internal analysis conducted at FHFA that reportedly shows the benefits of principal mortgage reductions. The Attorney General stressed the urgent need for FHFA to address the reports and immediately begin taking steps to implement debt reductions.

Some of the country’s largest banks have begun offering debt forgiveness — so-called principal reductions — to home loans for underwater borrowers, who owe more on their homes than they are worth, in an effort to stabilize the housing market. Madigan said FHFA’s refusal to follow suit raises particular concerns because Fannie and Freddie hold a considerable share of all home mortgages nationwide.

Importantly, Madigan fought hard to include principal reductions during negotiations leading up to last month’s $25 billion settlement reached by her office, her counterparts and federal officials with the nation’s five largest mortgage servicers — Bank of America, JPMorgan Chase, Wells Fargo, Citibank and Ally Bank, formerly GMAC.

The settlement addressed allegations of widespread “robo-signing” of foreclosure documents and other fraudulent practices in the servicing of loans of struggling homeowners. It is the largest settlement ever obtained through joint action of state attorneys general and the federal government, and it is estimated to provide more than $1 billion in relief for Illinois borrowers.