The Illinois House unanimously passed a bill last week that would implement random drug testing for high school athletes across the state. If the State Senate OKs the bill and Gov. Quinn signs it – it’s law.

An Illinois plan last fall joined Illinois with Florida, New Jersey and Texas and is funded in part by the Illinois High School Association. florida has already dropped out of that plan because of a lack of funds.

The new Illinois bill would propose testing 1,000 more student-athletes per year from 25 percent of Illinois high schools. The IHSA-funded program that’s in place already tests between 750 and 1,000 athletes, but only during postseason.

The new tests cost about $100 each and would come from adding $50 to fines to Illinois drug convictions.

Even though most of the IHSA tests have come back negative, there evidently are those who feel more is needed. It’s sad they feel that way.

In these tough economic times, isn’t there a better way to spend our money?

Word on Wednesday that Vancouver will receive a Major League Soccer expansion franchise came as no surprise. But what is supposedly transpiring in Portland, Ore. is, at least to me.
According to reports, plans are under way there for a Friday announcement that Portland will receive the second of the two 2011 franchise – instead of St. Louis. Although the official “no comment” is the word of the day so far, it’s reported that the league has reserved several rooms at a Portland hotel for league officials who will be there for the announcement.
If all this pans out, it will leave Jeff Cooper’s St. Louis Soccer United group – which has worked feverishly for a team – out in the cold. Again.
There are plans for a sparkling soccer stadium near Collinsville and St. Louis-based Anheuser-Busch has flexed its muscle in the expansion process. But despite having had all its ducks in a row for a while now, SLSU may be told to wait – once more – for a possible team.
Bear in mind that nothing official has happened yet. But if Portland indeed gets the next expansion team, it brings up several questions – for Cooper’s group as well as questions about the league.
Does SLSU keep up the good fight and strive for a team in the next round? Or should St. Louis instead pull back a bit and go for a team in the second-tier United Soccer league with a somewhat smaller-scaled soccer stadium in Collinsville with the idea of moving “up” to the MLS later and adding on to the stadium?
But before we get ahead of ourselves, we need to see what happens. If St. louis gets a team, fantastic. But if it’s left out this round, the best thing the city and its supporters can do is work harder, support the St. Louis Athletica when the Women’s Professional Soccer team makes its debut next month, and show MLS that the city deserves a team.
Cooper’s still hard at work and I expect him to remain in that mode. The man deserves the praise and heartfelt gratitude of St. Louis soccer fans for all his efforts.

Hopes for an Major League Soccer franchise for St. Louis rise and fall like the tide. High tide, low tide, in-between tide. Jeff Cooper’s St. Louis United group is doing a great job selling the city, its soccer tradition, its stadium site and its investment group.
Well, at least they’re doing a great job selling the first three. As for the investment group, it seems the league brass want more billionaires. At least that’s their current song. But from here, it’s off-key.
It looks like just another hurdle thrown in SLSU’s path by MLS. The league seems bent on making life difficult for Cooper’s group.
Whatever the case, Cooper keeps plugging away. Once part of the SimmonsCooper law firm of East Alton, he’s devoting all his attention now to getting a men’s pro soccer team for St. Louis. Last time we checked, the decision on two expansion cities was going to be made in late March, but that may be set back again. Cooper’s got a stadium deal, he’s got a blue-ribbon group of investors (including Albert Pujols), but there’s no guarantee MLS won’t look the other way and give the two teams to Portland, Oregon, Vancouver or Ottawa.
When Anheuser-Busch transferred ownership of its 27-year-old soccer park to SLSU last week, some media types exclaimed A-B was getting into the expansion race and Collinsville has a rival for the stadium.
Not true. Of course, SLSU will look into the feasibility of placing its 18,000-seat stadium at the site in Fenton, Mo., but the real plus behind the brewery getting involved was just that – it’s involved. A major sponsor of MLS, A-B just flexed its muscle a little and that can’t hurt.
From here, it looks like Vancouver could be a lock for one of the teams – the league wants more exposure in Canada. So, it could boil down to St. Louis vs. – Portland?
If Portland gets a team instead of St. Louis, there will be a lot of head-shaking going on among the old-time soccer folks in town – and I’ll be leading the way.
Cooper refuses to get caught up in the “this town vs. that town” talk. Always a barrister, he’s quick to point out the strengths of the league, the efficiency of its management and its expansion process in general.
Here’s hoping it’s well-deserved praise.