3.09.2007

HB-2787 Update

By Shawn Healy

I received the following update on the progress of the bill I referenced two days ago, the Civic Education Advancement Act, from Peter Newell, the Director of Policy and Planning from Lt. Governor Pat Quinn's office:

Just wanted to update everyone that HB 2787 passed unanimously out of House Elementary and Secondary Education Committee yesterday. Special thanks go to Carolyn Pereira and Regional Supt. Marc Kiehna for taking the time to attend the hearing.

Committee Chairman Rep. Mike Smith and Rep. Sussi Bassi signed on as co-sponsors, and members cut our testimony short as there was widespread support for the measure, which now moves to the full House for a vote.

Technical amendments need to be made to address the deposit of $ received for the fund and the distribution of the $ among Regional Offices of Education, and we intend to tweak those issues in the coming days. Thank you to everyone for your continued support.

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SHAWN HEALY

Managing Director

McCormick Freedom Project

Shawn is responsible for overseeing and managing the operations associated with the McCormick Freedom Project. Additionally, he serves as the in house content expert and voice of museum through public speaking and original scholarship. Before joining the Freedom Project, he taught American Government, Economics, American History, and Chicago History at Community High School in West Chicago, IL and Sheboygan North High School in Wisconsin.

Shawn is a doctoral candidate within the Political Science Department at the University of Illinois at Chicago where he received his MA in Political Science. He is a 2001 James Madison Fellow from the State of Wisconsin and holds a bachelor's degree in Political Science, History, and Secondary Education from the University of Wisconsin at Madison.

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About Fanning the Flames and the McCormick Freedom Project

Fanning the Flames is a blog of the McCormick Freedom Project, which was started in 2006 by museum managing director Shawn Healy. The blog highlights the news of the day, in hopes of engaging readers in dialogue about freedom issues. Any views or opinions expressed on this blog represent those of the writers alone and do not represent an official opinion of the McCormick Freedom Project.

Founded in 2005, the McCormick Freedom Project is part of the McCormick Foundation. The Freedom Project’s mission is to enable informed and engaged participation in our democracy by demonstrating the relevance of the First Amendment and the role it plays in the ongoing struggle to define and defend freedom. The museum offers programs and resources for teachers, students, and the general public.

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The Freedom Project recently launched a new reporting initiative with professional journalists Tim McNulty and Jamie Loo. The goal is to expand and promote the benefits of lifelong civic engagement among citizens of all ages, through original reporting, commentary and news aggregation on First Amendment and freedom issues. Please visit the McCormick Freedom Project's news Web site, The Post-Exchange at

www.freedomproject.us/post-exchange