Chandler Madden

Chandler Madden

Plans expanding protections for trafficking, sexual assault victims approved by House

Lawmakers seek to outlaw certain chemicals used in cosmetics.

By JADE AUBREY & BEN SZALINSKI
Capitol News Illinois
news@capitolnewsillinois.com

SPRINGFIELD — A bill that would eliminate the statute of limitations for cases of involuntary servitude or trafficking passed the Illinois House on Tuesday.

Current Illinois law only allows a victim of involuntary servitude, involuntary sexual servitude of a minor, or trafficking to pursue prosecution of their offender for up to 25 years after the victim reaches the age of 18. House Bill 2602 would allow victims to pursue prosecution at any time.

Bill sponsor Rep. Anne Stava-Murray, D-Naperville, said the bill, “isn't just about putting an end to sexual assault.” 

“It's about delivering justice to survivors and removing people who violate children and teens from the streets,” she said. “With this legislation, we'll be one step closer to delivering justice to childhood survivors of sex trafficking.”

Stava-Murray called the 25-year cap a protection for human traffickers who “really don’t deserve peace of mind.”

The bill passed out of the House unanimously.

House Bill 2805, sponsored by House Minority Leader Tony McCombie, R-Savanna, was also unanimously passed by the House.

This bill would prohibit insurance companies from charging deductibles, copays, or any other costs for any examinations or testing of victims of sexual assault, like rape-kits. McCombie said the bill closes a loophole as current state law prohibits insurance companies from charging for examinations and tests but does not prohibit a company from charging a co-pay.

“This makes sure that victims are not victimized on any level,” she said.


Safe cosmetic products

The House approved legislation that would prohibit businesses in Illinois from manufacturing or selling cosmetic products containing certain chemical ingredients including formaldehyde and mercury.

“We just want to make sure that our body products are safe here in the state of Illinois because some of these contain dangerous chemicals and toxic metals that cause severe health issues,” said bill sponsor Rep. Sonya Harper, D-Chicago.

House Bill 3409 passed on a 69-38 vote.

Several states and the European Union have already banned many of the dozen chemicals included in Harper’s bill. 

It’s not clear how such a ban would be enforced in Illinois. According to Rep. Steve Reick, R-Woodstock, that means the bill is “toothless” and shouldn’t move forward.


Dual language education

House Bill 3026, introduced by Rep. Abdelnasser Rashid, D-Bridgeview, would enable the Illinois State Board of Education to develop guidelines schools can use to implement or expand dual language educational programs.

Last year, Rashid passed a bill that mandated the Illinois Advisory Council for Bilingual Education to issue a report outlining potential strategies the state could implement to incentivize and expand dual language education in Illinois schools. The report, published last October, spans 72 pages.

“This report identified several low hanging fruit for us to improve dual language education in our state,” Rashid said. “What HB 3026 does is it implements some of those recommendations.”

The bill does not require schools to implement the guidelines, but instead it allows them to choose their participation status. It passed the House on a vote of 77-25.


Capitol News Illinois is a nonprofit, nonpartisan news service that distributes state government coverage to hundreds of news outlets statewide. It is funded primarily by the Illinois Press Foundation and the Robert R. McCormick Foundation.

Former Bank of O’Fallon executive indicted for $2 million fraud scheme

EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. – A federal grand jury in southern Illinois charged the former second-in-command of the Bank of O’Fallon for engaging in a fraud scheme to obtain more than $2 million.

Andrew P. Blassie, 69, of St. Louis, is facing one count of bank fraud and one count of interstate transportation of security or funds obtained by fraud.

“Senior bank officials must act as fiduciaries, not felons—they must serve the bank, not swindle it,” said U.S. Attorney Steven D. Weinhoeft. “The federal justice system leads the fight against corruption in all its forms, and the allegations in this case—a $2 million check kiting scheme and a $500,000 investor rip-off—are glaring examples of the type of financial betrayal that will not be tolerated. We commend the Bank of O’Fallon for their cooperation with the investigation, which has been vital to ensuring both that justice is served, and that the integrity of the financial system is preserved.”

According to the indictment, Blassie served as the Executive Vice President for the Bank of O’Fallon and is charged with defrauding the bank out of $1,972,887.67 in a check kite scheme from September 2023 through September 2024 during his employment.

Blassie is accused of falsely inflating the balance of his personal checking account at the Bank of O’Fallon by depositing checks he knew to be backed by non-sufficient funds. He allegedly deposited checks with non-sufficient funds from four personal accounts at three other banks and one credit union into the Bank of O’Fallon account.

“Bank fraud is a serious crime that has real victims. It’s worsened when someone in a position of trust violates that authority, as the defendant is alleged to have done in this case to a staggering degree,” Resident Agent in Charge Michael Kurzeja, of the U.S. Secret Service Springfield Resident Office said. “The U.S. Secret Service takes very seriously its duty to protect the nation’s financial infrastructure. I’m proud of our agents’ work to dismantle the scheme in this case. I am thankful for the work of our Federal, state, and local partners who helped in this case.”

The indictment alleges Blassie paid nearly $2.7 million for personal expenses from the falsely inflated account thus using funds belonging to the Bank of O’Fallon. As the former Executive Vice President, Blassie is accused of using his position to conceal his fraud from the Bank of O’Fallon by scrubbing his name and account number from the suspected kiting reports.

“This indictment charges a former bank executive for allegedly engaging in a check kiting scheme that fraudulently obtained funds from the Bank of O’Fallon,” said Special Agent in Charge Vincent R. Zehme, of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Office of Inspector General (FDIC OIG), Chicago Region. “The FDIC OIG remains committed to working with our law enforcement partners to investigate allegations of fraud by bank insiders, as we seek to preserve the integrity of our Nation’s banking system and to protect depositors and financial consumers.”

From August 2022 through September 2024, Blassie is also accused of persuading a couple from Lebanon, Illinois, to give him $429,000 of their retirement savings. In return for this investment, Blassie gave the couple two promissory notes. He agreed to pay the couple interest on the notes and used money he obtained through his check kite scheme to pay some of that interest. As security for his promissory notes, Blassie pledged 128 of his and his wife’s shares of the holding company which owns the Bank of O’Fallon.

“This indictment sends a clear message that bank executives who engage in fraud that impacts the safety and soundness of financial institutions will be held accountable for their actions,” said Jon Ellwanger, Special Agent in Charge, Western Region, Office of Inspector General for the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

According to the indictment, Blassie later sold most of these shares and did not use those funds to repay the Lebanon couple. This left the couple with no means of recourse when Blassie later defaulted on the promissory notes.

“The Federal Housing Finance Agency, Office of Inspector General (FHFA-OIG) is committed to investigating allegations of fraud involving financial institutions, particularly the Federal Home Loan Banks,” said Korey Brinkman, Special Agent in Charge of the FHFA-OIG’s Central Region. “We are proud to have partnered with the U.S. Secret Service, FDIC OIG, FRB OIG, and the O’Fallon (IL) Police Department on this case.”

Officials with the Bank of O’Fallon have fully cooperated with law enforcement during the investigation.

An indictment is merely a formal charge against a defendant. Under the law, a defendant is presumed to be innocent of a charge until proved guilty beyond a reasonable doubt to the satisfaction of a jury.

Blassie’s first appearance is scheduled for 10 a.m. on April 23 at the federal courthouse in East St. Louis.

Convictions for bank fraud are punishable by up to 30 years’ imprisonment and interstate transportation of security or funds obtained by fraud can earn up to 10 years in federal prison.

The O’Fallon Police Department, U.S. Secret Service, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Office of Inspector General, the Office of Inspector General for the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, and the Federal Housing Finance Agency, Office of Inspector General made contributions to the investigation.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott Verseman is prosecuting the case.

Bill banning dwarfism slur as mascot passes House

One school in St. Clair County would be affected

By BRIDGETTE FOX
Capitol News Illinois  
bfox@capitolnewsillinois.com  

SPRINGFIELD — The House passed a bill Tuesday that would ban public schools from using mascots that discriminate against people with disabilities.

The bill, if signed into law, currently would affect just one high school in St. Clair County.

Freeburg Community High School’s mascot, the “Midgets,” is considered a slur used against people with dwarfism.

The school’s administration did not reply to a request for comment.

Under House Bill 3527, the school could continue using “uniforms or other materials” it bought before the bill was passed until Sept. 1, 2028, as long as it already picked a new mascot, according to the bill’s language. The bill doesn’t clarify what repercussions, if any, the school would face if it didn’t change its mascot.

The bill passed through the House on Tuesday with a vote of 71-38.

The mascot was chosen during the 1930s when a reporter coined the term because the tallest member of the basketball team was just 5 feet, 10 inches tall, according to the school’s website. 

The bill’s main sponsor, Rep. Maurice West, D-Rockford, said the name was chosen during a time when freak shows, the exhibitions of human “abnormalities,” were popular. 

School alumni, members of the Freeburg community, along with activists and organizations, filed almost 1,000 “witness slips” to the General Assembly for and against the bill.

Opponents said the school’s mascot is a tradition, and there aren’t any students with dwarfism in the school who might be affected by the mascot.

However, Shelby Holloway, a woman with dwarfism and a national advocate and co-director of Mascots Matter, said students at Freeburg aren’t the only ones affected by its mascot.

“This is a statewide issue, and it deserves a statewide solution,” said Holloway during a March 20 committee meeting. “The Freeburg mascot does not just affect the students who attend that school. Every time a Freeburg sports team travels, its mascot's name is displayed in the schools across Illinois.”

Rep. Kevin Schmidt, R-Millstadt, represents Freeburg and argued against the bill Tuesday on the House floor.

“This is a local issue. The local school board should be voting on it, not the state overreaching and saying, ‘You're wrong,’” Schmidt said. “You don't understand the community, you don't understand the history. It's our culture.”

Schmidt and other opponents said the school board should be in charge of changing the mascot name, and the General Assembly is infringing on other governing bodies.

“I think this would certainly be obvious that it would be a slam down yes vote for everyone because it is important that we respect people with disabilities,” said Rep. Amy Elik, R-Godfrey, during the committee meeting. “But the fact that it is geared towards one community in Illinois from advocates outside of Illinois makes this really uncomfortable for all of us, I think.”

The bill still has to go through the Senate.

  

Capitol News Illinois is a nonprofit, nonpartisan news service that distributes state government coverage to hundreds of news outlets statewide. It is funded primarily by the Illinois Press Foundation and the Robert R. McCormick Foundation.  

A bill in the House would require Freeburg Community High School to change the name of its mascot, which is considered a slur for people with dwarfism. (Photo courtesy of the Belleville News Democrat)

Wabash County 1st Responders Busy With "Water Related Incidents"

Wabash County authorities are stressing the need for motorists not to drive through flooded roadways. Sheriff Derek Morgan reports that there were 5 water related incidents over the last week including 3 people that had to be rescued…

DEREK MORGAN WATER RESCUES 4 7 25

Wabash County EMA director Mark Seaton said the most serious rescue took place Sunday night when a young man was pulled to safety after he was able to cling to a tree…

MARK SEATON WATER RESCUE 4 7 25

County commissioners on Monday discussed the possibility of charging those who disregard road closed signs and then have to be rescued from high water. Commissioners said state’s attorney Kelli Storckman will research the legalities of seeking reimbursement in those situations before proceeding.

Owensville woman arrested for vehicle theft

On April 8, 2025, Gibson County Deputy Wyatt Hunt was dispatched to a UHaul dealer located at 990 N. US HWY 41 regarding a UHaul vehicle that had not been returned. Deputy Hunt opened an investigation into the incident, and during the investigation, he entered the vehicle in the Indiana Data And Communications System as stolen. 
 
Later in the day at approximately 3:23 p.m., Princeton Officer David Jones located the vehicle on Glendale Street in Princeton.  Deputy Wyatt Hunt arrived on scene and, with the assistance of Officer Jones, an investigation was conducted.  After the investigation 40-year-old Jennifer Wilkerson, the person on the UHaul Contract, was taken into custody and transported to the Gibson County Jail.  Upon arriving at the jail, Ms. Wilkerson was charged with Vehicle Theft and Possession of Paraphernalia.   
 
All criminal defendants are to be presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

Illinois nursing homes seek Medicaid rate hike 

Outdated payment formula forcing facilities around the state to close, industry says

By PETER HANCOCK
Capitol News Illinois
phancock@capitolnewsillinois.com

SPRINGFIELD — Nursing home industry officials are urging Illinois lawmakers to increase the rates they receive from the state’s Medicaid system, arguing the current rates are outdated and are forcing many facilities around the state out of business.

“We've expressed our concerns that closures will happen. We've been saying that for years, and it's actually happening now, and it will continue to get worse,” Jonathan Aaron, co-president of the industry lobby group Health Care Council of Illinois, said during a recent interview.

The Illinois Medicaid program pays for the care of approximately 55,000 residents who live in 738 nursing homes, also known as skilled nursing facilities, according to the state Department of Healthcare and Family Services.

Nursing facilities are paid a flat rate per day for each Medicaid resident. The rate varies for each facility and is based on three components: nursing costs, capital costs and support costs.

In 2022, Gov. JB Pritzker signed legislation addressing the nursing cost component of the formula. That legislation was expected to provide an additional $700 million a year into nursing homes in the form of incentives for them to raise wages for nursing staff and increase their staffing levels.

The capital component of the formula is intended to reimburse facilities for costs like mortgage interest and asset depreciation.

The legislation now being considered in the General Assembly addresses the support component, which covers non-clinical, administrative costs such as food, laundry, housekeeping, utilities, maintenance, insurance, dietary and general office services.

“The challenge with this is, it is based on a snapshot in time, and the current support portion of the rate is based on 2017 costs,” Aaron said. “It’s no secret that costs have gone up exponentially over the past eight years. We simply can't keep up being that far behind in rightsizing what our reimbursement should be.”

Industry officials say the low reimbursement rates have led to at least 31 facilities in Illinois going out of business in recent years while one of the nation’s largest nursing home operators, Peoria-based Petersen Health Care, which operated facilities in Illinois, Iowa and Missouri, filed for bankruptcy last year.

The proposed legislation would give each facility nine years’ worth of inflation adjustment to the support services component of their rate structure, reflecting the increase in the consumer price index from September 2016 through September 2025.

That language is contained in Senate Bill 1606, sponsored by Sen. Dave Koehler, D-Peoria, and House Bill 2858, sponsored by Rep. Bob Rita, D-Blue Island. Both bills have attracted bipartisan support.

“It's basically a matter of trying to keep up with the costs,” Koehler said in an interview. “The current rates right now are all based on 2017 pre-pandemic costs. A lot has changed in terms of inflation today. So we're just trying to keep up with that and make sure that the nursing homes are getting what they need so we don't have any more closures.”

Although lawmakers are struggling with tight revenues this year, Koehler said the reimbursement increase can be accomplished without straining state resources. The increase would be paid for, he said, through the state’s nursing home bed tax — a tax levied on each Medicaid-funded resident day in Illinois nursing homes. The money generated by that tax is then used to draw down federal matching funds, which would then be used to fund the higher reimbursement rates.

“So in a sense, it is not really costing the state or DHFS any additional money,” Koehler said.

One question that will be on many lawmakers’ minds, however, is how long those federal matching funds will be available. Last week, the U.S. Senate gave its endorsement to a House-passed budget resolution that calls for potentially hundreds of billions of dollars in Medicaid cuts over the next 10 years.

Koehler, however, said he doesn’t believe the state should base its decision around concerns about what the federal government might do in the future.

“You know, the federal government under Trump has been so back-and-forth that who knows where it's going to land,” he said. “So I think we have to go forth with our best strategy and say, ‘This is what we think needs to happen.’ And if it doesn't happen, well then, we'll scramble after that. But I don't think we should stand by and just not do anything.”

Lawmakers are working this week to meet a Friday deadline for each chamber to pass most non-budget-related bills and send them to the other chamber.


Capitol News Illinois is a nonprofit, nonpartisan news service that distributes state government coverage to hundreds of news outlets statewide. It is funded primarily by the Illinois Press Foundation and the Robert R. McCormick Foundation. 


Nursing homes in Illinois are pressing state lawmakers for an increase in their Medicaid reimbursement rates. (Credit: Shutterstock.com)

Jury convicts Marion County drug dealer

EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. – Following a two-day trial, a jury found a Centralia man guilty of federal charges for distributing cocaine and fentanyl in Marion County.

A federal jury convicted Broderick K. Currie, also known as Broderick K. Wooters, 36, of one count of distribution of a controlled substance: cocaine and one count of distribution of a controlled substance: fentanyl.

“As a career offender, this defendant has sold drugs in southern Illinois and caused irrevocable harm to families for many years,” said U.S. Attorney Steven D. Weinhoeft. “The lethality of fentanyl cannot be understated, and another dealer off the streets is a win for our region.”

The evidence presented at trial proved Broderick sold nearly 12 grams of cocaine and one gram of fentanyl to a confidential source in February 2024 in Marion County.

“The conviction of the defendant provides an opportunity to remind everyone that the mission of the Springfield Southern Illinois TOC-West Task Force is to relentlessly pursue and destroy drug trafficking organizations operating in the Southern Illinois region,” said FBI Springfield Special Agent in Charge Christopher Johnson. “If you are distributing controlled substances, especially deadly fentanyl, cocaine, and methamphetamine, we will find you and hold you accountable.”

Currie’s distribution charges are punishable by up to 30 years’ imprisonment per count. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for Aug. 12.

The FBI Springfield Field Office’s Southern Illinois TOC-West Task Force led the investigation, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Dan Carraway and Dan Kapsak prosecuted the case. The TOC-West Task Force has multiple members, this investigation was supported by Fayette County Sheriff’s Office, Carlyle Police Department, Mt. Vernon Police Department, and Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office.

The case was investigated under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces. OCDETF identifies, disrupts and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the U.S. using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach.

Vandalia man accused of attempting to commit a child sex offense

EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. – Monday in U.S. District Court within the Southern District of Illinois, a magistrate judge ordered a Vandalia man be held in custody without bail after he was charged with attempting to entice a minor to engage in illegal sexual activity.

Trevor W. Yokley, 32, is facing one count of attempting to entice a minor, which carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment, and a maximum sentence of up to life imprisonment.

“Individuals who prey on children perpetrate vile crimes, which is why identifying child predators is a top priority for the U.S. Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners,” said U.S. Attorney Steven D. Weinhoeft.

According to the complaint, an undercover FBI agent created an online social media profile for a purported 14-year-old girl. Yokley is accused of contacting the purported minor and trying to meet with her to engage in sexual activity between January and April 2025.

“Due to the tireless pursuit of criminals who would target children, a once faceless online predator has been unmasked and arrested,” said FBI Springfield Special Agent in Charge Christopher Johnson. “This arrest is one of many to come as FBI Springfield continues to work alongside our partners to identify and bring child predators to justice.”

FBI arrested Yokley in Effingham on April 1, 2025, when he traveled to meet the minor to engage in sexual activity.

A complaint is merely a formal charge against a defendant. Under the law, a defendant is presumed to be innocent of a charge until proved guilty beyond a reasonable doubt to the satisfaction of a jury.

The FBI Springfield Field Office is leading the investigation with assistance by the Carlyle Police Department, Mt. Vernon Police Department, and Effingham Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ali Burns is prosecuting the case.

Winslow man arrested for DUI

On April 7, 2025, at 7:02 P.M., Gibson County Deputy Wyatt Hunt conducted a traffic stop on a 2007 Silver Pontiac sedan after observing it speeding on State Road 64 near Francisco.  Upon approaching the vehicle, Deputy Hunt identified the driver as 34-year-old William Mitchell of Winslow.  While speaking with Mr. Mitchell, Deputy Hunt detected the odor of alcohol coming from the driver and began a roadside DUI investigation.  After his inquiry, Deputy Hunt placed Mr. Mitchell into custody and transported him to the Gibson County Jail.  Upon arriving at the jail, Mr. Mitchell was charged with Operating a Vehicle While Intoxicated. 
 
Deputies Shawn Holmes and Bart Wagner assisted Deputy Hunt in his investigation.
 
All criminal defendants are to be presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law