State Reports                                                     

State Documents

• Historical and Cultural Agencies and Museums in Illinois, Associations of Illinois Museums and Historical Societies, 1 Old State Capitol Plaza, Springfield 62701-1507 (August 1993), 80pp.

Illinois has over 1,000 historical and cultural agencies and museums scattered throughout almost all of its 102 counties. In addition to a county index and a general index, this document offers individual listings by town. Each listing contains the organization's location, when it is open, what it specializes in, the name of a contact person, as well as a phone and a fax number.

• Recommendations for Change in Illinois, Governor's Human Resources Advisory Council, available from: Bureau of Personnel, Central Management Services, 503 Stratton Office Bldg., Springfield 62706 (September 1993), 61pp.

With nearly 61,000 employees, state government is larger than any single private employer in Illinois. The system supporting these workers has not been re-examined in 40 years. For the past two years a 23-member council of advisers from business, education, labor and government have been working on the design of a human resource system that will allow Illinois government to compete with the private sector for the work force of the future to deliver quality programs and services. This report describes the barriers that exist in the current system and offers a number of recommendations to help meet the challenges of the future. Two separate appendices to the final report are also available: The first gives detailed information on a pilot project conducted by the Department of Employment Security that focused on decentralization and automation; the second appendix gives summaries and other data on the surveys and focus groups conducted by the advisory council.

• Using Illinois' Drug Laws, Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority, 120 S. Riverside Plaza, Chicago 60606-3997 (July 1993), 16pp.

The purpose of this pamphlet is to help individuals and community groups work with law enforcement officials and prosecutors to drive illegal drugs out of their communities. It offers examples of how anti-drug laws have been used to create safe neighborhoods, safe streets, safe schools and safe workplaces.

• Pilot Project for Vehicle Scrapping in Illinois, Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, 2200 Churchill Rd., Springfield 62794-9276 (May 1993).

"Cash for Clunkers" was a pilot program carried out in Chicago and the southern suburbs in late fall and early winter 1992. In all, 207 vehicles were purchased and scrapped, with owners receiving varying amounts depending on the age of the car (for instance, a 1968 vehicle brought $647, cars made in 1975 brought $835). A follow-up survey showed that participants bought replacement cars that were on average eight years newer than the one purchased from them by the program. This fairly technical report may be of special interest to government officials in larger communities where a similar program might be feasible.

Other Reports

• Powering the Midwest: Renewable Electricity for the Economy and Environment, Union of Concerned Scientists, 26 Church Street, Cambridge, Mass. 02238; (617) 547-5552;(1993), 188pp.

While this report focuses on all 12 states in the north central census region - Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota and Wisconsin — it contains so much information on Illinois that it warrants inclusion in this column. In addition to frequent references throughout the volume, seven pages in the appendix are devoted entirely to graphs and tables about the state. The first chapter, an overview, deals with energy, the economy and the environment; the role of renewable energy; and The Midwest Renewable Electricity Project. The main body of the report covers five topics: wind energy, biomass energy, distributed generation and utility integration. The two final sections discuss the case for renewable energy and policies for a renewable future.

• School Help: 105 Resources for Chicago School Improvement, Designs for Change, 220 S. State, Suite 1900, Chicago 60604; (312) 922-0317; (1993), 31pp; $2 plus $1 handling.

Designs for Change, an education reform organization, has collected information on 105 organizations that can provide assistance to anyone involved in the effort to reform Chicago's schools. In addition to a paragraph describing each organization and its programs, the guide includes tables that offer information in five specific areas: major types of assistance, groups with major focus on teaching and curriculum, groups with major focus on school reorganization/restructuring, groups with major focus on parent/community involvement, and groups with major focus on specific neighborhoods.

Anna J. Merritt

November 1993/Illinois Issues/11