Governor signs veteran-friendly bills into law

Posted on August 16, 2021
The main program on the fairgrounds’ Lincoln Stage included Desert Storm veteran Jerry Costello II, the state’s director of agriculture. (Dave Dahl/WJBC)

By Dave Dahl

SPRINGFIELD – The first Sunday of the Illinois State Fair’s run is the day to honor veterans.

Gov. JB Pritzker signed seven veteran-friendly bills, from the creation of “Folds of Honor” license plates to expedition of professional certification for military spouses.

Gold Star mother Theresa Palmer of Harristown, near Decatur, said her son, Logan Palmer, died when another ship collided with the U.S.S. John S. McCain almost four years ago. When asked by a reporter her opinion of the U.S. exiting Afghanistan, she said leaving so much of our equipment behind is no way to discourage the Taliban.

The main program on the fairgrounds’ Lincoln Stage included Desert Storm veteran Jerry Costello II, the state’s director of agriculture, describing the death of his best friend in 2006 – “he voluntarily jumped into a Humvee to be a part of a quick reaction force to save a squad of Special Forces soldiers that was pinned down by Taliban gunmen.”

Costello is a former Army paratrooper.

Dave Dahl can be reached at [email protected]

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