State Reports

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. Issuing agencies may have copies available. For items listed under Other Reports, write to the publisher as noted.

State Reports

■  Chicago and Cook County Health Care Action Plan, Report of the Chicago and Cook County Health Care Summit (April 1990), available from the Department of Health. 50 W. Washington, Chicago 60602.

This report is the result of deliberations by two committees appointed by Gov. James R. Thompson. Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley and Cook County Board President George Dunne: a 39-member steering committee and an 11-member system design and management committee. The final report comprises four volumes: an executive summary, analyses and recommendations from the system design and management committee, supporting materials, and the public testiomy. The issues addressed in the system design volume are ambulatory care, inpatient care, the finance system and governance. The key findings and recommendations are divided into six categories: access, community-based care, financing issues, care of the medically needy by public and private health systems, fragmentation of services, and the expanding demands of the poor and medically needy. The summit also developed a financing package to support the proposed service restructuring and expansion.

■  Health Cure in Rural Illinois: Recommendations of the Rural Health Task Force (April 1990), 17 pp., available from Department of Public Health, 535 W. Jefferson, Springfield 62761.

The 22-member Rural Health Task Force, appointed by Lt. Gov. George H. Ryan, reviewed data and received a great deal of public comment in preparing its final report, which contains 36 recommendations. It selected four of these for special attention: a cap on non-economic damages in malpractice lawsuits, funding for rural health care delivery demonstration projects, promotion of the federal Rural Health Clinic Act and new scholarship programs.

■  Older Women in Illinois . . . A Test of Courage, Department on Aging. 421 E. Capitol, Springfield 62701 (August 1990), 20 pp. The bulk of this publication consists of a reprint of the 1986 report. "The Status of Older Women in Illinois Today." It addressed inequities in the areas of income, health and housing. In addition, the present report discusses the background of advocacy by and for women and what has happened in Illinois because of that advocacy.

■  Proposal Writing: A Basic Primer (June 1990), 40 pp., Department of Commerce and Community Affairs, 620 E. Adams, Springfield 62701.

This well-organized guide is designed to assist not-for-profit organizations in the extremely important process of writing proposals asking for financial support. It is divided into four sections: planning (assessing needs as well as devising a strategy), preparing for the process (getting advice, determining which agencies to approach), writing the proposal and preparing a budget. A bibliography of funding sources is also included.

■  Forest Resources in Illinois: An Atlas and Analysis of Spatial and Temporal Trends, Illinois Natural History Survey. 607 E. Peabody, Champaign 61820 (September 1989), 181 pp.

The data presented in this volume (in over 100 tables and figures) were collected in an effort to assess the state's forest resources for purposes of management, development and preservation. Among the dozen sections, topics included are forests of the early 19th century, satellite remote sensing of Illinois forest cover and productivity, ownership of forests in Illinois and the Shawnee Forest resources.

Other Reports

■  Gender Bias in the Courts (1990), 34 pp., available from Janet Paul (800) 252-8908 or (217) 525-1760.

This report by the 46-member Task Force on Gender Bias in the Courts focuses on domestic relations, criminal law, civil damage awards and courtroom dynamics. It deals with situations in which women are sometimes at a legal disadvantage (such as in domestic violence and sexual assault cases) as well as with instances (such as in determining child custody) in which men may be treated inequitably.

■  Atlas of Chicago Politics, Chicago Urban League and Northern Illinois University (September 1990), 68 pp., available from Social Science Research Institute, NIU, DeKalb 60115; $20 plus $3 for shipping and handling.

This extremely well-organized atlas presents data on the racial and ethnic characteristics of the voting age population, trends in the voting age population, registration and turnout rates by race and ethnic background, and the level of support given by various racial and ethnic groups to statewide and mayoral candiates in recent elections.

Anna J. Merritt

November 1990/Illinois Issues/35