TOPINKA: TORNADO VICTIMS, RESPONDERS TO TAKE PRIORITY

</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[ Illinois Comptroller Judy Baar Topinka on Thursday announced that her office will prioritize state payments for victims of the recent tornados in Southern Illinois, and for businesses working on the recovery effort:

"My heart breaks when I see the devastation caused by recent storms in Harrisburg and other Southern Illinois communities. Beyond the lives already lost, those early-morning tornados destroyed the businesses, homes and livelihoods of thousands of residents throughout the region. Those residents have been hit with the unthinkable and are in need of any assistance possible. That hardship provides an opportunity for our state and its residents to step up and help Southern Illinois rebuild and recover.

"To that end, the Comptroller's Office stands ready to work with any business that was impacted by this week's natural disaster to prioritize payments from the state. Likewise, the office will prioritize payments for businesses committed to the clean-up and recovery efforts underway in Saline County, and in other parts of Southern Illinois. To address payments, businesses are encouraged to contact the Comptroller's Consumer Affairs Hotline at 855-452-7587.