Morning meeting: Could Facio attack have been prevented?

Mornin'. Kerry followed up on her series from this summer about Angel Facio, the Elgin teenager that stabbed his teacher in 2008. Her story looks at whether laws could have been followed to prevent the attack.

Even in a post-Columbine era, some experts say vague state statutes in both the juvenile code and school code designed to facilitate communication actually work to impede information sharing.

Until the law is changed, they warn, troubled teens will continue to slip through the cracks.

A Daily Herald investigation finds that of 40 districts representing more than 350 schools around the state, all but five have what are known as “reciprocal reporting” agreements. They are meant to allow information about students to be shared between school and police officials.

Yet few of these agreements are functioning as they should, data show.

We might see something move about this in the coming weeks, so stay tuned.

In the meantime, we take a look at Quinn's criticism of the big gambling expansion package compared to his gambling past.

And District 300 parents, teachers, and yes, even students, are coming to Springfield today to rally at the Capitol. They're trying to prevent the extension of Sears' property tax break with Hoffman Estates.

It's hard to say who will hear them, though. Session doesn't start until tomorrow afternoon. Some lawmakers come down early, but many try to spend as little time in Springfield as possible and won't arrive until tomorrow.

We'll have a story about it later today, so watch out for it.