A new law that seeks to make Illinois’ roadways safer for emergency personnel was signed into law on July 30.  I attended the signing ceremony in Rockford. As a retired law enforcement officer, I take the loss of every brother or sister in blue personally.
Senate Bill 2038 is the result of a series of distracted-driving accidents earlier this year – one in northwest Illinois – that resulted in the death of three ISP Troopers
Senate Bill 2038 mandates the Secretary of State to include at least one question on the written driving test in regards to Scott’s Law, the safety standard in place requiring drivers to move over, if possible, and slow down when approaching an emergency vehicle.
The new law also creates the Move Over Task Force to study the issue of violations of Scott’s Law with attention to the causes of the violations and ways to protect law enforcement and emergency responders.
Scott’s Law was named after Lieutenant Scott Gillen of the Chicago Fire Department, who was struck and killed by an intoxicated driver while assisting at a crash on the Dan Ryan Expressway.
Senate Bill 2038 received unanimous support when it came before the Senate in May.

Hunting educational opportunities
Legislation aimed at promoting hunting education and safety was signed into law on July 26.
House Bill 3462 gives school districts the option to include hunting safety classes as part of their curriculum.  The measure allows the Illinois State Board of Education to prepare and distribute instructional materials as guidelines for development of a unit of instruction on hunting education.
Schools will have final determination on what curriculum, if any, is taught in the classroom.
Having received the Governor’s signature, the new law takes effect immediately.
State fair
The 2019 Illinois State Fair gets under way Aug. 8 in Springfield.  The 11-day event brings hundreds of thousands of people through its gates in celebration of agriculture, the state’s number one employer and driver of the state’s economy.
For daily schedules check out the Illinois State Fair website.
Farm Progress Show set for August
The annual Farm Progress Show is scheduled to take place Aug. 27-29 in Decatur.
The nation’s largest outdoor farm event will feature more than 600 exhibitors, displaying innovative farm equipment, products, services and supplies.  The three-day agricultural showcase also promises field demonstrations of cattle-handling, new work techniques and equipment operations.
Show hours run from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Tuesday/Wednesday and 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Thursday.  More information on the Farm Progress Show can be found at https://www.farmprogressshow.com/en/home.html.