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1
SENATE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, Recent media reports indicate that since 2008,
3nearly $10 million in State taxpayer funds has been awarded in
4workers' compensation payments to more than 230 employees at
5the Menard Correctional Center who contended they were injured
6through repetitive trauma caused by operating manual cell
7locking mechanisms; and
 
8    WHEREAS, Recent media reports also indicate that
9approximately 25% of the arbitrators employed by the Illinois
10Workers' Compensation Commission have received workers'
11compensation awards, including nearly $50,000 to the
12arbitrator who approved many of the workers' compensation
13settlements to the employees at the Menard Correctional Center;
14and
 
15    WHEREAS, According to the Illinois Workers' Compensation
16Commission, many of these payments were "uncontested
17settlements" and information regarding the payments or process
18of awarding the payments is not included in a database
19maintained by the Commission, therefore, the public did not
20have access to information regarding these awards; and
 
21    WHEREAS, Recent media reports indicate that due to a tragic
222007 crash involving then-State trooper Matt Mitchell, he is

 

 

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1seeking workers' compensation because of injuries suffered in
2the wreck; and
 
3    WHEREAS, Recent media reports also indicate that Illinois
4Workers' Compensation Commission arbitrator Jennifer Teague
5took steps to conceal a public hearing regarding the workers'
6compensation claim by Matt Mitchell from the public; therefore,
7be it
 
8    RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-SEVENTH GENERAL
9ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we call upon the U.S.
10Attorney or the Federal Bureau of Investigation, or both, to
11conduct an investigation of awards approved by the Illinois
12Workers' Compensation Commission for claims filed by employees
13of Menard Correctional Center and arbitrators employed by the
14Commission from 2008 to the present; and be it further
 
15    RESOLVED, That we call upon the U.S. Attorney or the
16Federal Bureau of Investigation, or both, to conduct an
17investigation of actions by Jennifer Teague regarding a hearing
18for a workers' compensation claim by former State trooper Matt
19Mitchell; and be it further
 
20    RESOLVED, That the Illinois Workers' Compensation
21Commission and any other State agency, entity, or person that
22may have information relevant to this investigation shall

 

 

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1cooperate fully and promptly with the process; and be it
2further
 
3    RESOLVED, That copies of this resolution be presented to
4the United States Attorney's Office for the Southern District
5of Illinois and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.