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Constituent Corner

· Grant Awarded to Provide Miner Safety Training
I am pleased to announce a grant from the United States Department of Labor has been awarded to the Illinois Department of Natural Resources to provide safety training to miners throughout the state. As we work to try and bring the mining industry back to Illinois, it is important that we make sure we have the best training to ensure workers’ safety. This grant, issued through the Department of Labor’s Mine Safety and Health Administration, is for $211,381. It will be used to train 8,577 miners working in 398 mines throughout the state.

· Funding Awarded for Head Start Programs
I am happy to announce that additional funding has been awarded to CEFS Economic Opportunity Corporation for Head Start Services provided in the region. CEFS, based in Effingham, will receive $1,660,693 for Head Start programs. As a parent and former teacher, I know that children need to begin developing their learning skills at an early age. Head Start is a program that provides a boost to pre-school age children in order to ensure a bright future for our youth. CEFS offers Head Start programming for three, four, and five year olds in Christian, Clay, Effingham, Fayette, Montgomery, Moultrie and Shelby counties. This funding will cover full year programs for part-day students, handicapped students, and also for training and technical assistance.

· State Police Get Help to Fight Methamphetamine Problem
As I travel throughout the 19th district of Illinois, I hear time and time again about the disastrous problems that Methamphetamine use, commonly known as ‘meth’, has caused many families in our district. This is why I am happy to announce that the Illinois State Police has received a grant from the United States Department of Justice to aid in the fight against this increasing problem in our state. This grant, through the Office of Justice Programs, is for $295,196. It will be used to help fund a program that provides health and fitness assessments, safety equipment, laptops with Global Positioning Satellite capabilities, and overtime pay for officers. We need to get a handle on this problem, and this is one step forward to doing just that.

· U.S. Chamber of Commerce Presents Award
I was honored to be presented with the 2004 “Spirit of Enterprise” award for my support of the Chamber during the first session of the 108th Congress. I believe we are getting the economy back on track and a big reason for that is what the Chamber of Commerce stands for, primarily jobs, growth, tax relief, expanding fair trade, and reforming Medicare. The Chamber presented me with the award based on my voting record during the first session of the 108th Congress. I fully intend to keep my promises to the constituents of the 19th district and will continue my efforts to improve our economy.

· EnergySmart Schools Program
It is pleasure to announce a new initiative in energy conservation within our school systems. Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham has recently announced that the Board of Directors of the National School Boards Association has unanimously endorsed the Department of Energy’s EnergySmart Schools Program. This program will provide resources to improve the energy efficiency of school buildings while contributing education materials that will help teach our young people about the benefits of conserving energy. For more information on this program please visit www.energysmartschools.gov <http://www.energysmartschools.gov>.

· USDA Unveils New E-Statement for Farmers
Secretary of Agriculture, Ann Veneman, announced on Wednesday the availability of an electronic Customer Statement, as part of USDA’s electronic government (eGovernment) initiative. Secretary Veneman said the Customer Statement allows USDA customers to view participation and application status in various conservation programs, payments associated with commodity and conservation programs, information on farm loans, and conservation plan and land unit information.
The Customer Statement will be a focal point for providing agricultural producers access to their USDA information and facilitating online business with USDA. Secretary Veneman said that in the future farmers and ranchers will be able to cross-reference that data with interactive maps of their operations using geographic information systems, or GIS, technology with overlays for roads, soil types, water and other geographic features. New features will be added to the Customer Statement as they are developed.

To view a Customer Statement, users can visit www.usda.gov <http://www.usda.gov> and click on the Customer Statement button.

· School Visits
I was fortunate enough to have the chance to visit three different schools in the 19th district this past week. On March 2nd, I visited with North Junior High School 7th graders to talk about the federal government. Then I was able to read aloud to preschoolers, including my son Daniel, at Holy Cross Lutheran in honor of the 100th birthday of Dr. Seuss. I then made my final stop at Zion Lutheran School in Staunton to speak in honor of National Lutheran Schools Week. As a former teacher it is always a pleasure for me to get back into a classroom and speak to students. If you would like to have me come and visit a school in your area please contact Deb Detmers in my Collinsville office at deb.detmers@mail.house.gov <mailto:deb.detmers@mail.house.gov> or call 618-344-3065.

· Vandalia Prison Closure
As many of you have heard, Governor Blagojevich's has introduced a shocking plan to close the Vandalia prison. Like many of you that I have spoken to over the past weeks, I am adamantly opposed to this proposal by the Governor. It is clearly among the more shortsighted decisions that we have seen from Springfield in some time. I am working with Senate Minority Leader Frank Watson, State Representative Ron Stephens, Mayor Rick Gottman and County Board Chairman Dean Black to do whatever we can to protect the prison from Governor Blagojevich's closure plan.

Senator Watson and Representative Stephens need our help in Springfield. I encourage you to participate in the rallies being held to protest the closure and to sign up for the website that has been developed to help save Vandalia. You can access the site at www.savevandaliacc.com <http://www.savevandaliacc.com>.
I have also spoke directly to the Governor on this issue on February 25th and will continue to make certain he knows how important it is to keep Vandalia open and operating. Unfortunately, prison towns have become an easy target for political retribution. This is an opportunity for us, however, to unite in an effort that shows once and for all the unity and fortitude of the people of Vandalia and the surrounding areas. I look forward to working with you in any way possible to defeat Governor Blagojevich's plan to close the Vandalia prison.

· U.S. House of Representatives Page Program
I would like to take this opportunity to remind everyone to let all interested students know that we are accepting applications for the United States House of Representatives Page Program in Washington, D.C. Right now we have begun taking applications from students interested in serving as a page for the summer session and we will being accepting applications for the academic year in a few months. The first summer session runs from June 6 through June 26 and the second summer session is from July 4 through July 24.

To be qualified to apply for the program, students must be at least 16 years of age at the time their appointment would begin and have a cumulative grade point average of a “B” (3.0 or 80/100). Those interested in applying for summer who do not meet the minimum GPA requirements may have their application reviewed by the Page Board for consideration. Also, applicants must reside in the 19th Congressional District of Illinois.

After my office reviews the applications, we are allowed submit two applicants for the summer sessions. The final decision to accept or reject the applicants is made by the Speaker of the House of Representatives.

Students interested in obtaining an application should contact Holly Linder in my Harrisburg office at (618)-252-8271 or via e-mail at Holly.Linder@mail.house.gov <mailto:Holly.Linder@mail.house.gov>. Completed applications should be returned to my office no later than March 29.

I am a strong believer in this program and am proud to serve as Chairman of the Page Board. It is a great experience for high school students and they are an invaluable resource to members of Congress. Please pass information about this program to any interested students. For more information you can visit: <http://www.house.gov/shimkus/pageprogram.htm>.

· New Website Translation
You can now view my website in nine different languages. There is now a box on the left hand side of the homepage that will allow you to choose from Spanish, German, Chinese, French, Italian, Japanese, Portuguese and Korean. You only have to click it once and the entire website, including links, will be translated for you! Visit www.house.gov/shimkus <http://www.house.gov/shimkus> to try it out!

· Traveling Help Desk Dates
On Tuesday, March 9, Rodney Davis of my Springfield district office will be available to help the residents of Nokomis and Pierron. In Nokomis, he will be at the Nokomis City Hall on 22 South Cedar Street from 10:00 a.m. until 11:30 a.m. In Pierron, he will be in the Pierron Village Hall from 1:30 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.

On Thursday, March 18, Doug Bugger of my Collinsville district office will be available to help the residents of Farina and Kinmundy. In Farina, he will be at the Farina Village Hall on 106 South Oak Street from 10:30 a.m. until 12:00 p.m. In Kinmundy, he will be in the Kinmundy City Hall on 220 West Mechanic Road from 1:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.

On Wednesday, March 24, Deb Detmers of my Collinsville district office will be available to help the residents of West Salem and Geff. In West Salem, she will be at the West Salem Village Hall on 106 East South Street from 11:00 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. In Geff, she will be in the Geff Village Hall on 115 West 3rd Street from 1:30 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.

For more information, please visit my web page at <http://www.house.gov/shimkus/helpdesk.htm>. I hope you stop by!

· Open Office Hours in Springfield and Vandalia
As part of my ongoing effort to make myself as accessible to my constituents as possible, I will be holding Open Office Hours next week. I encourage you to drop by and share your problems and concerns with me. Appointments are not required, though they are appreciated in order to give me time to adequately address your concerns; if you would like to make one, please call or (618) 344-3065.
Here is the location and time:
o Springfield, March 8 - Monday, March 8, I will be in my Springfield office on 3130 Chatham Road, Suite C, Springfield from 10:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
o Vandalia, March 19 - Monday, March 19 I will be in Oval Conference Room in Fayette County Courthouse, located at 221 South 7th Street in Vandalia from 4:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.
For more information on Open Office Hours, please visit my web page at <www.house.gov/shimkus/openoff.htm>. Hope you drop by and chat with me!

Legislative Week in Review

· Final Mark-Up for H.R. 3717 - Broadcast Decency Enforcement Act of 2004
On Wednesday we had the final mark-up in the Energy and Commerce Committee for H.R. 3717, a bill that would increase the penalties for violations by television and radio broadcasters of the prohibitions against transmission of obscene, indecent, and profane language. As the father of three young boys I am very concerned about this increasing problem and am proud to be a cosponsor of this important legislation.

On April 6, 2001, the Federal Communications Commission implemented new indecency guidelines for radio and television broadcasters. In 1994, the court ruled that the FCC needed to clarify its longtime standards of offensive content. According to Susan Ness, who was at that time an FCC commissioner, “The public is outraged by the increasingly coarse content aired on radio and television at all hours of the day, including times when our children are most likely to be listening or watching. The flood of letters and e-mails we received reflects a high degree of anger.” The FCC's original definition of indecency was "any programming that describes or depicts sexual or excretory organs or activities in a patently offensive manner." The new guidelines were engineered to make it simpler for stations to determine acceptability of broadcast content. The new guidelines include:

o The more explicit the language, the greater the likelihood of indecency.
o The extent to which the sexual innuendo is repeated. The more fleeting the statement, the less likely to be a cause for concern. For example, a one time instance of accidental swearing is not as serious as repeating a theme throughout an entire broadcast.
o The intent is very important. A news report including anatomical references are okay, but a graphic joke using the same reference is not.
o Context is also important. A radio talk show about teen sex or frontal nudity in concentration camps in Schindler's List is not considered to be offensive material.
o The ban on offensive content is active from 6 a.m. until 10 p.m.-- the hours when children are most likely to be listening or watching. If a broadcaster is cited for violating the new guidelines the FCC can issue a warning, impose a fine, or even revoke the station’s license.

· Final Mark-Up for H.R. 3658 - Stroke Treatment and Ongoing Prevention Act
The STOP Stroke Bill, H.R. 3658, was marked up in the Energy and Commerce Committee on Wednesday. I hope to see it sent to the floor for a vote in the next few weeks and on the President’s desk shortly thereafter. In Illinois alone, 7,429 individuals lost their lives to stroke in the year 2000. Over 60% of Illinois residents who suffered a stroke in 2000 lost their lives. These numbers are staggering considering that there is an incredible amount of information available on stroke that is not being fully utilized.

As an original cosponsor of this bill, I understand how urgent the need is to raise awareness and give states and medical professionals the best resources to combat this debilitating disease. The bill includes such provisions as to amend the Public Health Service Act to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to carry out a national education and information campaign to promote stroke prevention and increase the number of stroke patients who seek immediate treatment. This bill would also maintain the Paul Coverdell National Acute Stroke Registry and Clearinghouse by collecting specific data points and benchmarks for stroke care analysis, and compiling and disseminating information on State, local, and private care system achievements and problems.

The American Heart Association has had a lot to do with getting this important piece of legislation through committee quickly and I was proud to wear one of their “Red Dress” pins during this committee markup. This pin and the color red are symbols for women and heart disease. Heart disease is the number one killer of women, a fact most Americans don’t know. For more information on how heart disease can be prevented and how you can raise awareness in your community please visit www.americanheart.org <http://www.americanheart.org>.

Anticipated Action on the House Floor Next Week

· Congress will be in session from Tuesday through Thursday of next week. Some of the legislation which will be considered includes:
o H.R. 339 - Personal Responsibility in Food Consumption Act. This bill would shield the manufacturer, distributor, or seller of a food or non-alcoholic beverage product intended for human consumption from frivolous lawsuits, for example in relation to obesity.
o H.R. 3717 - Broadcast Decency Enforcement Act of 2004. As I mentioned before, this bill would increase the fines on those companies that choose to allow the use of profane language during their broadcasts.
· Want to know more? Keep an eye on the Committee Central web page at <http://www.gop.gov/committeecentral/docs/pubs/WeeklyFloorBriefing>. This site provides up-to-date information on House legislative schedules.

Did You Know?

· Great Source for Consumer Information
I am pleased to announce that due to the E-Government Act of 2002, which authorized 24 eGov initiatives, Americans have a new source for consumer information from the federal government, www.consumer.gov <http://www.consumer.gov>. This is a one-stop site for detailed information on thousands of consumer products and services, including such areas as children, food, health, product safety, money, technology, and transportation. This site is great for all kinds of information, so please take a few minutes to check it out.

Thank you for the interest in my newsletter! Remember to tell your friends about it as well--they can sign up on my web page at <http://www.house.gov/shimkus>.

Sincerely,

Congressman John Shimkus

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