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Youth Government Day Moves to Springfield Photo by Ted Schurter Ted Photoby U.S

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Youth Government Day Moves to Springfield Photo by Ted Schurter Ted Photoby U.S Review PreviewThe newsletter of the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute & at Southern Illinois University Carbondale Youth Government Day Moves To Springfield Photo by Ted Schurter Ted Photo by U.S. Congressman Ray LaHood (R-Peoria) addresses high school students in the chamber of the Illinois House of Representatives during the institute’s sixth Youth Government Day and the first to be held in Springfield. ncreased attendance and a great deal of excitement LaHood, Edgar Jump Start Youth for future events resulted from the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute’s decision to move its annual Youth Government Day Endowment Government Day to Springfield, the seat of state gov- Two prominent long-time public officials made major con- ernment in Illinois and home to one of our nation’s greatest tributions to the institute’s Youth Government Day endow- Ipublic servants, Abraham Lincoln. ment. “Unfortunately, young people interested in making a U.S. Congressman Ray LaHood and former Illinois Gov- positive difference in society don’t always get the encour- ernor Jim Edgar each made donations of $25,000 to the newly agement they need. We are delighted to give students this established endowment to assure the annual event aimed at great opportunity to hear from accomplished leaders who motivating young people to enter the public service profession see Youth, Page 11 continues for years to come with a dedicated source of revenue. The gifts were acknowledged during a November 2005 insti- tute fundraiser in Springfield. ISSUE 13 / SPRING 2006 “I’m so proud to be able to support these important programs which do so much to help ensure we will have good public ser- Message from Mike Lawrence......................................................... 2 vants in the future,” LaHood said in a statement announcing Journalist joins institute..................................................................... 3 his gift. Paul Simon’s study abroad program update ..................................... 4 Paul Simon dedicated a major portion of his time and en- Internship program established......................................................... 5 ergy to working with young people and he established this an- Judicial independance panel ........................................................... 6 nual program to help students learn about becoming involved School-based health centers.............................................................. 7 in government. Honor Roll of Donors........................................................................ 8 The institute plans to raise at least $200,000 for the Youth Guest speakers & events .......................................................... 12-20 Government Day endowment. Thanks to the generosity of Legislative task force on rural health ................................................ 23 see Endowment, Page 11 2 Message from Mike Lawrence s you will note elsewhere In downtown St. Louis a couple in this newsletter, the insti- of months earlier, we drew nearly tute has gone on the road 100 people from the area’s legal com- – to Chicago, St. Louis and munity to a luncheon in which we Springfield. spotlighted threats to judicial inde- AThe enormous respect for Paul pendence posed by the growing as- Simon’s extraordinary public service, sertiveness and influence of interest as well as the institute’s work dur- groups in both the federal and state ing the nearly 10 years since he es- processes of selecting judges. The tablished it, have given us visibility gathering provided an excellent forum throughout the state and well beyond to highlight the institute’s partnership Illinois’ borders. But we want to build with the Illinois Campaign for Politi- on our success through an expanded cal Reform in pushing public funding physical presence that will help raise of state Supreme Court candidacies. awareness of how we address vital In Springfield, we joined the Illi- matters as a “do tank.” nois African-American Family Com- In Chicago we worked closely with mission in bringing policy makers and members of the Asian-American com- education experts together to exchange Mike Lawrence, Director ideas and begin mapping strategies to pus at Carbondale and the surrounding We will never neglect our roots narrow the significant achievement gap region. We had a full slate of speakers – Paul Simon’s roots. But I am between white and minority students in here in the spring, including Pulitzer- the state. We also brought our annual Prize winning columnist Clarence Page, convinced we must branch out Youth Government Day to the capital Illinois House Republican Leader Tom to reach our full potential and city for the first time – taking advantage Cross and Iraqi War correspondent of Springfield’s central location, the Jackie Spinner of the Washington Post. accomplish all that Paul would State House venue and the presence of We hosted a debate on the No Child want us to achieve. the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Li- Left Behind Act between former U.S. brary and Museum to entice the largest Senate Democratic Leader Tom Das- crowd of attendees in several years. chle and former Secretary of Education munity to organize a conference that We plan to make Springfield the Rodney Paige. In cooperation with focused on two of their concerns: dis- permanent site for Youth Government the Chicago-based Center for Tax and crimination-abetting ignorance of the Day. In partnership with Chicago Me- Budget Accountability, we brought na- contributions made by Asian-Ameri- tropolis 2020 and the Buffalo Bill His- tional and Illinois experts on state fiscal cans throughout our nation’s history torical Center in Cody, Wyo., we will policies to Carbondale for a conference and special challenges confronting co-host a Chicago conference on ef- on Illinois’ monumental budgetary Asian-Americans in the corporate fective responses to dwindling supplies challenges. Meanwhile, our agenda em- world. We are pursuing recommenda- of drinkable water – a neglected but braces issues vital to our region, such as tions from the conference, which drew ominous situation that Paul targeted in how to improve access to health care in more than 100 people to the Union his book “Tapped Out: The Coming rural areas. League Club, and we fully expect to World Crisis in Water and What We We will never neglect our roots – hold similar sessions on Asian-Ameri- Can Do About It.” Paul Simon’s roots. But I am convinced can issues at least every other year All this outreach by no means di- we must branch out to reach our full through an ongoing relationship with minishes our commitment to enriching potential and accomplish all that Paul community leaders. the Southern Illinois University cam- would want us to achieve. Review and Preview is published for contributors to and friends of the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute. All photos pro- vided by SIU Media and Communication Resources unless otherwise noted. Editor: Matt Baughman. Contributors: Pete Rosenberry. Design: Russell Danielson. Phone: (618) 453-4009. Fax: (618) 453-7800. Email: [email protected]. Address: 1231 Lincoln Dr., Mail Code 4429, Carbondale, IL 62901 Paul Simon Public Policy Institute 3 Award-Winning Journalist from the St. Louis Post-Dispatch Joins Institute illiam Freivogel, nalists to discuss and debate the an award-winning implications, requirements and journalist who has ramifications of Illinois’ Open covered the U.S. Meetings Law. Supreme Court and served as dep- “Bringing Bill here is an excel- Wuty editorial page editor for the St. lent way to use endowment funds Louis Post-Dispatch, is lecturing the institute has been raising since and spearheading major projects at it was launched,” Lawrence said. the institute. “We are keeping faith with donors “Bill has had an outstanding who liked the idea of enriching the journalism career, and we are de- university and the institute’s agenda lighted to have someone of his cali- by attracting accomplished profes- ber take a lead role as the institute sionals to the campus.” tackles significant public policy and Freivogel, 56, began his journal- media issues in 2006,” institute di- ism career with the Post-Dispatch rector Mike Lawrence said. in 1971. He was a member of the Freivogel, who has a bachelor’s newspaper’s Washington bureau for degree from Stanford University 12 years, where he served as assistant and a law degree from Washington bureau chief, focused on the Su- University in St. Louis, is spend- preme Court and reported on such shared the Sidney Hillman award ing the year on campus as a univer- historic events as the assassination for a series on civil rights policy sity professor based at the institute attempt on President Reagan. changes during the Reagan admin- where he will organize and lead He returned to St. Louis to be- istration. Freivogel was the main an initiative to examine possible come the deputy editorial page edi- contributor to a 1987 project that means of addressing conflicts that tor in 1997. won the Benjamin Franklin award arise when prosecutors and other Freivogel’s editorials on former as the best newspaper series on the key players in the legal system want Attorney General John Ashcroft bicentennial of the Constitution. journalists to reveal confidential and the Constitution made him a He and wife Margaret, who also sources and seek other materials finalist in the 2002 Pulitzer Prize served in the Post-Dispatch’s Wash- that reporters regard as private. competition. He also won Sigma ington bureau and has served as He also will bring together
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