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Lawmakers Talk Smoke Detectors
Keeping travelers safe when they decide to spend a night at a hotel or motel is the idea behind a statute in the Illinois House of Representatives.

Under the Smoke Detector Act that is already in place, there is no provision to prosecute those lodging businesses that do not have proper working smoke detectors.

Illinois Representative Don Moffitt tells WGIL he has introduced a bill to remedy that, based on the 2009 Econolodge fire in Galesburg.

"This legislation is a recommendation of Knox County State's Attorney John Pepmeyer, and he and Fire Inspector Mike Whitson from the Galesburg Fire Department came down [Tuesday] and testified for House Bill 1398, passed out of committee unanimously, it will now go to the House floor. It will give state's attorneys more tools to work with in making sure the smoke detectors in hotels and motels are functioning."

A person was killed in the 2009 Econolodge fire because the smoke detector was not working properly.
02 24 11 by Newsroom
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