New Law will Help Small Cemeteries Stay Open

Springfield, IL –In 2009, scandal rocked the Chicago-area African American community when authorities learned that Burr Oak Cemetery had been reusing human graves and callously discarding human remains.  In response, the Illinois General Assembly passed sweeping cemetery regulation reforms.  However, soon after the reforms became law, it became clear that they were so strict that small, private cemeteries would be forced to close their doors.  State Senator Emil Jones, III (D-Chicago), a proponent of the original bill quickly began working with cemetery owners to find a reasonable solution.  His compromise became law Monday.

Jones Legislation Reduces Overbearing Provision on Cemeteries
Senate Bill 1830 reshapes the Cemetery Oversight Act to help Smaller Cemeteries

Springfield, IL – Today, Senator Emil Jones III (D-Chicago) passed historic cemetery legislation that rescinds caustic measures that cornered the cemetery industry. Senate Bill 1830 increases the types of cemeteries that are eligible for either full or partial exemption from the cemetery oversight legislation passed in 2009.

“I’m pleased that our efforts to undue overreaching provisions has been accomplished,” Senator Emil Jones III said. “The Illinois cemetery industry has consistently voiced the need for legislation that protects the industry and citizens. We have finally found a reasonable solution.”

The contemptuous regulations in the original cemetery oversight legislation was in response to the events that occurred in 2009 at Burr Oak Cemetery when at least 300 bodies were illegally dug up and discarded so that their gravesites could be resold. Burr Oak is a historic cemetery that houses the remains of several celebrated African American’s that made large contributions to society including Emmitt Till.

Greetings,

Honorable Members of the Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability, thank you for allotting me an opportunity to speak about the potential closing of Tinley Park Mental Facility. Tinley Park has seemed to be a target of state government for years, and images of the facility in the media and amongst bureaucracies have been appalling at best. Have we forgotten what public policies that displace our most at-risk Illinoisans can do to the reputation of our State? This closing would be insensitive to the lives of the patients who use the facility and destructive to the employees survival.

Closing this facility will result in hundreds of lost jobs and hundreds of displaced patients. Illinois’ unemployment is a staggering 10 percent and continues to ascend to historic levels. By closing this facility, we are contradicting exactly what we are fighting to do, save jobs. During the first week of veto session we passed historic legislation to improve our energy infrastructure and also created over 2,000 jobs in the process. This closing would shirk our responsibility to provide a reasonable means for survival. Why would we do the exact opposite of what people need?