Senator's poison control center bill clears hurdle
UNIVERSITY PARK, Ill. - A state senator's effort to keep the Illinois Poison Center open has cleared a key hurdle.
Oak Park Democrat Don Harmon's legislation passed from a state government committee Wednesday and now heads to the full chamber for consideration.
Harmon's office says the Chicago-based toxicology call center handles about 82,000 cases each year.
The center has seen a number of recent budget cuts. Harmon says it could close for good at the end of June without more funding.
Lawmakers face a tight budget year due in part to the expiration of the state's income tax increase next January.
Harmon's plan would direct a small portion of the fee charged by cellphone companies to pay for 911 services to pay for poison control.
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