Statement from Governor Pat Quinn on Senate Bill 1625

SPRINGFIELD - Governor Pat Quinn released the following statement on the House passage of Senate Bill 1625, one of his 2013 State of the State proposals to increase safety in Illinois' schools in response to recent school shooting incidents in other states.

Following the deadly school shooting in Newtown, Conn. in December of 2012, Governor Quinn convened top experts from across the state for a School Safety Summit to develop short and long-term actions that further safeguard schools. This legislation, proposed by the Governor, will require Illinois schools to hold active safety drills with local law enforcement to ensure they are as prepared as possible.

"I commend the members of the Illinois House of Representatives who today voted to implement new safety precautions throughout all Illinois schools as I proposed in my State of the State address.

"In the event of an emergency situation where a gun is involved, precious lives can be saved by knowing what to do, where to go and how to respond.

"Our schools can never be too prepared. By working with local law enforcement, these safety drills will ensure that every Illinois school is as prepared as possible if, perish the thought, the worst should occur.

"I thank the members of the General Assembly for passing this important measure that will improve school safety, and I look forward to signing it into law."