A Child Leads Us To A Civic Lesson

by Dessa Rodeffer
Quill Editor/Publisher

10 March 1999

Last week I received an early morning phone call from a mother asking if I knew the number of representatives and senators we had in Illinois.

Her third grade son, Jordan, had a civic lesson where he was to find the information including their names.

Needless to say, I could not answer all of her questions and it made me realize how quickly we become inefficient in government matters if we don't keep up with our homework.

After several phone calls, I gained some of the answers to her son's question. I called Charlie McChesney and talked to his son, Curt, who gave me several names including the name and number of State Senator Laura Kent Donahue (R) and her number in Springfield.

In Springfield, Senator Donahue's secretary pulled a book from her drawer with everyone listed, and was able to give me more information. Finally, I found the entire listing of U.S. senators and congressmen, and state senators and representatives on the internet at three different web sites.

I thought about how it took an 8-year-old boy throwing me a "Pop Quiz" to get me motivated enough to do my Civic lesson.

The importance of who is representing us in our great state of Illinois is being taught to elementary children while we adults sit on our thumbs.

We have better knowledge of who won the Iowa-Illinois game than we do of who's making the laws.

Many us us do not even know our local officals, but I would say that most know our Governor, George Ryan.

Many know our Secretary of State because of license plate and drivers license renewals, but most of us fail to keep up on our legislatures who are taking care of the important issues of the day.

It's time to get out a piece of paper and pencil and take that pop quiz in Illinois Civics which Jordan gave to me. You say it's not fair because you haven't studied? My Civic's teacher always told me that's what a pop quiz is for, to teach us that we should always be prepared.

ILLINOIS CIVIC'S  POP QUIZ  (see answers below)

NAME THE FOLLOWING:

Illinois Governor________________
Illinois Lieutenant Governor________________
Illinois Comptroller________________
Illinois Treasurer________________
Illinois Secretary of State________________
Illinois Attorney General ________________
U.S. Senator (2) name both ________________ and ________________
U.S. Congressman (20) name the one from your district ________________
Illinois Senator (59) name the one from your district ________________
Illinois Representative (118) name the one from your district________________

For Extra Points:

Name the Head of Your County Board ________________
Name as many County Board Members as you can ________________________
Name your Mayor or Village President ________________
Name as many Village Board Members as possible________________________
Name your School Board President________________
Name as many of your School Board Members as possible ________________________

STUDY MATERIAL FOR POP QUIZ

Here is information for you to study.

Cut out this information, study it, then keep it in a folder in your file cabinet marked "Illinois Officals" or "Political Leaders."

Look up the following web site on the internet.

If you do not have internet at your home, you can go to your local library and use their computer and internet access. Someone there will assist you.

The site is:Governor George Ryan and State of Illinois's web site at http://www.state.il.us.

The United States Senate web site is: http://www.senate.gov.

You will find that U.S. Senator Richard Durbin (D) from Springfield has a wonderful web site for adults, and for kids as well. You can get to it from the Senate's web site or you can go direct to:http://www.senate.gov/~durbin/.

(I noticed Senator Grassley R-Iowa has a nice web site which includes his voting record, weekly columns, legislative issues, etc.)

The U.S. Congress has a web site, too, at: http://www.house.gov/

These web sites can keep you current on what is going on in new legislation, plus much more.

In Illinois, representing us at the U.S. level in Washington D.C., are 2 Senators and 20 Congressmen. Representatives are determined in each state according to its population.

For instance, Colorado has 6 Congressmen, Iowa has 5, Indiana has 10, California has 52, Arkansa has 7, while we in Illinois have 20.

U.S. Senators from Illinois are:

U.S. Senator Peter Fitzgerald (R) of Palatine, Ph. 847-963-1998. Contact at B40-5 Dirksen Senate Office Building, United States Senate, Washington, DC 20510, Ph. 202-224-2854.

U.S. Senator Richard Durbin (D) 364 Russell Senate Office Bldg. Washington, DC 20510, Ph. (202) 224-2152 or in Chicago (312) 353-4952.

U.S. Congressmen from Illinois are:

Bobby L. Rush D-1st - Chicago, Jesse Jackson, Jr.D-2nd - Chicago, William O. Lipinski D-3rd - Chicago, Luis V. Gutierrez D-4th - Chicago, Rod R. Blagojevich D-5th - Chicago, Henry J. Hyde R-6th- Wood Dale, Danny K. Davis D-7th - Chicago, Philip M. Crane R-8th - Wauconda, Janice D. Schakowsky D-9th - Evanston, John Edward Porter R-10th- Wilmette, Jerry Weller R-11th- Morris, Jerry Costello D-12th- Belleville, Judy Biggert R-13th- Hinsdale, J. Denny Hastert R-14th - Yorkville, Thomas W. Ewing R-15th- Pontiac, Donald Manzullo R-16th- Egan, Lane Evans D-17th-Rock Island (202) 225-5905, Ray LaHood R-18th - Peoria, David D. Phelps D-19th - Eldorado, John Shimkus R-20th - Collinsville

In our district we have State Senator Laura Kent Donahue (R-48th Dis.) at 640 Maine Street, Quincy, IL 62301, Ph. (217)224-0644 or FAX (630)969-1007, or her office in Springfield, 323 Capitol Bldg., Springfield, IL 62706, Ph. (217) 782-2479

Nearby from Galesburg is State Carl Hawkinson (R-47 Dist.) at 4 Weinberg Arcade, Galesburg, IL 61401 - Ph. (309) 343-8176, FAX (309) 343-2683 and Springfield (217) 782-1942.

Our State Representative Rich Myers (R-Dis.95) of Colchester has an office at 331 North Lafayette, Macomb, IL 61455- phone is (309) 836-2707 or FAX (309) 836-2231. Or call him at the state capitol, H-2 Stratton, Springfield, Il 62706, ph. (217) 782-0416.

Nearby in the 94th District is State Representative Donald Moffitt (R) #5 Weingberg Arcade, Galesburg, IL 61401 - Ph. (309) 343-8000 or FAX (309) 343-2683, and Springfield (217) 782-8032.

Nearby from Quincy is State Representative Arthur Tenhouse (R-96 Dist.) at 640 Maine Street, Quincy, IL 62301, Ph. (217) 223-0833, FAX (217) 223-1565, or call him at Springfield (217) 782-8096.

Information is from Governor George Ryan and State of Illinois's web site at http://www.state.il.us.

Now in its 91st session, the Illinois General Assembly, composed of a 59-member Senate and a 118-member House of Representatives, is responsible for enacting, amending or repealing laws, passing resolutions, adopting appropriation bills and conducting inquiries on proposed legislation.

It also acts on amendments to the United States Constitution submitted by Congress, proposes amendments to the Illinois Constitution and takes responsibility for impeachment and conviction of executive and judicial officeholders in the state.

Illinois State Senators

Senate districts are divided into three groups, and one group is selected every two years, serving a four-year term. The current Senate President is James "Pate" Philip of Wood Dale, the first Republican to hold the position in 18 years. He was elected to the post during the 88th General Assembly and was re-elected this year.

Emil Jones, Jr. of Chicago is the present Senate Minority Leader.

Illinois State Representatives

Representatives serve two-year terms and are elected every two years. Speaker of the House Michael Madigan (D-Chicago) has served as Speaker since 1983, with a break from 1995-1997 when the Republicans held the majority. Minority Leader is Lee Daniels of Elmhurst. For further information visit the Illinois General Assembly's Web site.

Pop Quiz Answers

Governor:George Ryan (R)
Lieutenant Gov. Corinne Wood (R)
Comptroller: Daniel W. Hynes (D)
Treasurer: Judy Baar Topinka (R)
Secretary of State: Jesse White (D)

Attorney General: Jim Ryan (R)
U.S. Senator (2) name both: Peter Fitzgerald (R)and Richard Durbin (D)
U.S. Congressman (20) name one from your district: Lane Evans (D)
State Senator (59) -name one from your district: Laura Kent Donahue (R)
State Repre.(118) -name one from your district: Rich Myers (R)

For Extra Points:

Name the Head of Your County Board:
Henderson Co. -Marion Brown, Hancock County- Bob Mapes
Name as many County Board Members as you can:
Henderson-Marion Brown, Hugh Pence, Randy Keever, Daryl "Pete" Thompson, William E. Stevenson, Gail Russell, Barb Lumbeck, Jim Corzatt, Leanne Sargent, Curt Eisenmayer, and George Torrance.
Name your Mayor or Village President: Stronghurst- Ross Mesecher, Media- Randy Jarvis, Biggsville-Max Lant Oquawka- Steven Lumbeck Gladstone- Donald Olsen Gulfport- Edwin Ronner Lomax- Brenda Pulley, La Harpe- Kenny Brown
Name as many Village Board Members as possible: Stronghurst:David Vancil, Lawrence Neff, Bob Scott, LeRoy Waterman, Juanita Jarvis, Frank Avery.(for others: call your Mayor)
Name your School Board President: Southern- Stan Fisher, Union- Kevin Miller, LaHarpe- Lawrence Johnson
Name as many of your School Board Members as possible: