Thoughts about Guest Speaker Speech

Hue Le

Business and Society

Prof. John Spittell

Speaker: Don Moffitt.

Don Moffitt started with some introduction about his life and his career and then talked about several bills he has passed. The first bill he mentioned is the DNA genetic privacy act, one of his unforgettable memories. Carolyn Dean, the third Gene Ovarian cancer stopped by his office without an appointment one day because she wanted to know more about the privacy act that she did not have to turn in any information about her medical background. The fact that ovarian cancer can run in families and up to 10% of ovarian cancers result from an inherited tendency to develop the disease can lead to discrimination when Carolyn signs a contract with an insurance company. Obviously, insurance companies were not happy about this bill as they get more profit as the customers’ health risk is small.

The second bill Moffitt mentioned is about the safety arm in front of bus. For years, kids got accident because bus drivers could not see them walking in front of the bus when those kids got off for school. Don Moffitt also passed the bill approving interest free loan for fire fighters and ambulance staff, concerning their needs for finance support. The fourth bill Moffitt helped to pass is to give spouse the right to be a care giver. Now a spouse can be a paid care giver for the partner when the partner needs it.

Two major issues that the state is facing are budget deficit and same sex marriage. Don Moffitt also disclosed information about the railroad project. The government saves aside about 88.5 million dollars for Galesburg railroad system hoping to boost economic growth for the area. This project will be implemented for about 6 years with temporary and permanent job offers for the local people. The new railroad system is expected to save time for vehicles as they do not have to idly waiting for the train to pass by.