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Hotel/Motel Safety Bill Could Soon Become Law
A bill inspired by a tragic Galesburg fire two years ago has made it's way through the Illinois House and Senate.

House Bill 1398, sponsored by local Representative Don Moffitt, is headed to the Governor's desk.

Moffitt tells WGIL the bill would force hotels and motels to face criminal penalties if smoke detectors are not in proper working order, unlike the 2009 fire that caused a death.

"When the state's attorney looked at what laws were broken or what charges could be filed, the law as it had been written only required that smoke detectors be installed and did not address the issues of having them maintained and making sure that they were functional. So it was really a loophole in the law that was identified by [Knox County] State's Attorney John Pepmeyer so he drafted language and we introduced the bill."

The 2009 fire at Econo-Inn on Henderson and Dayton Streets in Galesburg killed 47 year old Jeffrey Shaw.

It was later determined some of the Inn's smoke alarms were inoperable at the time.
06 04 11 by Newsroom
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