Immigration Reform Calls for Employment Authorization

Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D - Chicago) progressive stance on immigration reform can be found on a recent bill he will introduce to the House in coming weeks.

In an obvious stance for immigration rights, Gutierrez worked closely with the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights Gutierrez developed the bill to say, "If you come here to hurt our communities, we will not support you, but if you are here to work hard -if you are here to make a better life for your family- you will have the opportunity to earn citizenship."

• The bill would likely enhance the troubles with E-Verify, used now by access the Social Security Adminstration and the Department of Homeland Security to ensure all workers in the US are authorized for employment. E-Verify has come under scrutiny for lag time in updating resources and the reporting of misinformation. In essence, E-Verify is an excellent program that targets employers and holds them responsible for employment decisions.

Among the demands to bill targets to meet are those of improving the verifications for a worker's legal status and a legalization program for unauthorized workers who've been in the US for more than 5 years and meet other criteria.

Not everyone agrees with these ideas. “Amnesty for illegal aliens is what this is all about,” said Dave Gorak, executive director of the Midwest Coalition to Reduce Immigration. “When you reward people for breaking law you only encourage other to do same,” he said.

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Rampant Abuse of the Elderly: The Tribune Investigates

A three part series published by the Chicago Tribune this month exposed the mistakes made by Illinois nursing homes when caring for the elderly.

Mixed with the older nursing home patients were mentally ill felons. A dangerous combination of incomplete background checks on the younger criminals, low staffing, and a breakdown in reporting of assaults and crimes committed in the facilities

Illinois nursing homes have a good safety record, said Sen. Dave Syverson, R-Rockford, but he added that "the issue has always been people with criminal records -- what screening and what protections do you put in place. That will be looked at."

State Senate committees are currently meeting to fully investigate the matter and raise the standards for processing mentally ill criminals.

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Bus Driver with Record of Drug Related Incidents

Who do you want driving your children to school? Brian Skoglund, 40 was hired by First Student Bus Co. in Northbrook in May. First Student apparently did not run a background check on Skoglund because if they had, they would have found that his employment records were not in good shape.

Seven months earlier, Skoglund was fired from another company for drug related incidents. Skoglund is scheduled to appear in court Oct. 27 on the child endangerment charges and driving under the influence of drugs. He was pulled over for erratic and dangerous driving on September 17 while driving a busload of 7th graders.

First Student Bus Co. claims that Skoglund offered them a letter of recommendation from his former employer, but Rigoni said that the village not only never sent a letter of recommendation, but also was never notified about Skoglund's employment with the bus company.

It is common sense to contact references and former employers for any position you are hiring for, but plain negligence when that position holds the lives of children at stake.

Even in light of Skoglund's background and last week's incident, Richmond said the bus company continues to have complete confidence in its hiring practices.

“First Student's pre-employment background checks are widely known as the most extensive in the industry and often exceed state requirements,” she stated. “The company requires each prospective driver to pass federal, state and local checks, which include criminal, employment and driving histories. In addition, prior to employment each First Student driver is subjected to a drug screening. Regular rechecks are conducted throughout an employee's tenure with the company.”

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Illinois Children are a Little Safer

It only seems natural that sex offenders would be banned from operating ice cream trucks, but until recently, in Illinois, they had every right. But a new law bars sex offenders from operating trucks or vehicles that sell food or beverage.

The law was signed into being on Tuesday by Governor Pat Quinn.

The move is good for the children. Many states around the nation already have protections in place. And they don't just stop at sex offenders either, they require background checks to obtain the license in the first place.

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Sex Offender Residing at Nursing Home Commits Crime

A male resident living at a nursing home in Illinois molested 10 female residents and was removed to a psychiatric facility off-site.

The man had a history of being a sex offender, and residents of nursing homes are now asking the questions, can sex offenders live in nursing homes?

The Illinois Department of Public Health said that administrators failed to protect the female residents from the man. And even though the man was removed from the nursing home, there are reports than another sex offenders is residing there.

In Illinois, the nursing home is required to tell the Illinois Department of Public Health about any resident who is a sex offender and must do a “risk analysis” of the offender to determine whether staff will be able to care for the offender and to prepare a care plan. The sex offender must be placed in a private room and the home is required to tell residents, prospective residents, and families they can ask whether an offender lives at the home.

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