“Finally Montana has a law that says bullying is not OK,” said Dudik, Democrat from Missoula. “It’s been a long time coming, and we’ve finally gotten it done.”

Today, Representative Barbara Wheeler (R-Crystal Lake) passed legislation with the full support of the Illinois House of Representatives to place harsher restrictions on repeat DUI offenders. The legislation, House Bill 3533, requires that repeat DUI offenders must have their vehicles equipped with Breath Alcohol Ignition Interlock Devices, better known as BAIID devices, for longer periods and also requires offenders to be disallowed from reapplying for a license with the Secretary of State’s office until first completing a period with a restricted driving permit.

When reached by phone on an early spring morning, state Sen. Katrina Shealy is typically upbeat, asking this reporter in her distinctive Southern drawl, “What’s on your mind?”