Rock Island Today

SPRINGFIELD – Lauryn Russell, a homeschool senior from Mercer County, and ROWVA High School junior Lucy Kuelper testified about legislation pending before committees in the Illinois House of Representatives today. The two students were guests of State Representative Dan Swanson (R-Alpha).

Russell spoke to the House Elementary and Secondary Education: School Curriculum and Policies Committee about House Bill 4274, legislation sponsored by Swanson concerning guidelines to be developed for schools if a nurse or other school personnel remove a tick from a student. She had previously spoken several times before House and Senate committees advocating for Lyme disease medical care, awareness, and better treatment.

In response to their testimonies, Swanson expressed, "I enjoyed having Lauryn and Lucy in Springfield today. There is no substitute for a first-hand perspective when it comes to making the case for the merits of a bill. They both did an excellent job and really helped us to make progress on enacting these pieces of legislation."

Later in the morning, Kuelper addressed the House Transportation Vehicles and Safety Committee about House Bill 4711, which Swanson is sponsoring to better educate motorists about Scott’s Law, the Illinois statute which requires drivers to move over or slow down when they see emergency vehicles with flashing lights on the roadside. Kuelper founded the Move Over Project five years ago to spread awareness of the importance of slowing down and moving over to keep first responders safe on roadsides. Today was her first appearance before an Illinois House committee.

Both bills had successful outcomes in the committees, with HB 4274 passing 14-0 and HB 4711 passing 10-0. The bills are now on their way to the full House for further consideration.

71st District residents can find more news about the General Assembly and information about upcoming events on Rep. Swanson’s legislative website at repswanson.com.