Selected State Reports WHEN the new Illinois Constitution went into effect in 1971, many local governments gained increased powers under the provisions for home rule. Although seven years later home rule is well established in Illinois, it continues to receive attention from many different points of view. Two recent publications: • "Home Rule in Illinois," circular 1146, Cooperative Extension Service, College of Agriculture, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (November 1977), 16pp. This circular covers the history of Illinois home rule, governments eligible to receive it, and types and extent of home rule powers. • "Home Rule and Local Control: 'And the Walls Came Tumbling Up,'" by Richard L. Wexler, Land Use Management Paper no. 2, Northeastern Illinois Planning Commission, 400 West Madison St..Chicago, Ill., 60606 (December 1976), 37pp. Among the questions addressed in this paper are (1) How does Illinois case law set aside local self-interest and home rule grants of power to address land use problems of regional interest?, (2) How have courts leaned in deciding cases arising from conflicting state/local interest in managing natural resources? and (3) What do other states with more history of home rule have to teach Illinois? State Documents • "Program Operator Administrative Manual for Rural Home Rehabilitation," Illinois Department of Local Government Affairs (January 1978), variably paged. This manual was prepared as part of the State of Illinois Rural Areawide Housing and Community Development Demonstration Project, intended to provide comprehensive housing rehabilitation and community development assistance to low-income families and individuals in isolated rural areas. The project is also intended to illustrate the benefits of intergovernmental cooperation between government sponsors of rehabilitation programs and private developers and banking institutions. Among the cooperating state and federal agencies are the Illinois Department of Local Government Affairs, the Farmers Home Administration and the Governor's Office of Manpower and Human Development. • "Report," Governor's Commission for Revision of the Mental Health Code of Illinois (1977), 55pp. This final report of the commission presents draft legislation and comments reflecting commission recommendations on two issues: community services and disposition of defendants found not guilty because of insanity. For community services, the commission proposes "to establish, support, and regulate a system of mental health, developmental disabilities, and substance abuse services," with the emphasis on local planning and service delivery but primarily state fiscal responsibility and regulation. With amendments, the commission's proposal on defendants found not guilty because of insanity was enacted recently by the General Assembly. It provides for more post-trial follow up on these defendants than previously while protecting their civil liberties. • "Feasability of a Systematic Approach to Water Quality Management in Illinois," by Institute for Environmental Studies, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, for Illinois Institute for Environmental Quality (October 1977), 133pp. The five sections in this report summarize current research on developing a more systematic water quality management scheme in Illinois than exists at present. Among the functions of such a scheme would be to determine actual and potential stream uses; assess the amount of water quality improvement necessary; and determine the upgrading methods to be applied, their effectiveness and their costs. • "Directory of Organizations Involved in Education in the Chicago Metropolitan Area," State Board of Education/Illinois Office of Education (September 1977), 39pp. This directory includes many of the agencies, organizations and institutions — mostly private — involved in education in Chicago and surrounding suburbs. The name, address, telephone number and director of each agency is accompanied by a short description of the focus of its educational program. Agencies are listed alphabetically within Chicago and by suburb outside the city, with a geographic index for Chicago also provided. • "A State Plan for Educational Television in Illinois," Illinois Board of Higher Education Educational Television Commission (September 1977), 19pp. Intended as the initial phase in a comprehensive statewide program for educational television, this plan deals with organizational matters and some basic policy issues. A state-level organization, responsible to the Board of Higher Education, would form a working relationship with existing and planned broadcast operations. • "Plan for the Developmentally Disabled," Governor's Planning Council on Developmental Disabilities (December 1977), 131pp. Among the goals and objectives of the Illinois Governor's Planning Council are to bring about closer coordination among state agencies serving the develop mentally disabled; develop a state system for the protection and advocacy of individual rights; and make recommendations on prevention of developmental disabilities. • "Financial Regulation in Illinois," Illinois Department of Insurance (December 1977), 51pp. Illinois leads the nation in the number of licensed domestic property and casualty insurance companies and is third in the total number of insurers licensed. This report explains how the Department of Insurance carries out its regulatory function. Sections cover auditing, financial analysis, collection of taxes and fees, and consumer complaints. Other Reports • Mental Health Issues in Illinois, ed. by Merlin Taber and John Poertner, Center for Advanced Study and School of Social Work, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (April 1977), 75pp. A report of the proceedings of the Illinois Social Service Policy Forum on Mental Health Issues, this volume examines public policies for organizing and financing mental health services. Included are three papers prepared for the forum, responses to these papers and a summary of participants' discussions on such topics as local mental health financing and transferring aged mental patients from state hospitals to nursing homes. Items listed under State Documents have been received by the Documents Unit, Illinois State Library, Springfield, and are usually available from public libraries in the state through interlibrary loan./S.L.K. 26 /July 19781 Illinois Issues
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