Illinois Politics
SPRINGFIELD –Rushville and Pittsfield will receive $1.3 million and $1.6 million, respectively, in state funding to be used for local road improvement projects in their communities. The Illinois Department of Transportation announced May 21 that the two cities were included in 66 different transportation projects statewide to be funded through the Illinois Transportation Enhancement Program…
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PETERSBURG, Ill. — Approximately 300 people attended a campaign kickoff event for Judge Gabe Grosboll on Friday, May 2, at Wankel’s in Petersburg. All eight of the Republican county chairpersons in the Eighth Judicial Circuit, along with area state senators and representatives, were the hosts of the event. Grosboll was previously appointed by Illinois Supreme…
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Illinois lawmakers are weighing a familiar question with a new twist: can digital gaming help balance the books? As the state stares down a projected $3.2 billion shortfall for the fiscal year 2026, online poker is gaining attention in Springfield as one potential revenue source. Supporters argue that a regulated iGaming market could generate over…
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House Speaker Chris Welch took the extraordinary actions last week of permanently kicking Rep. Fred Crespo (D- Hoffman Estates) out of the House Democratic caucus, stripping him of his legislative staff, removing him from his appropriations committee chair’s position and booting him from the bicameral Legislative Audit Commission. Speaker Welch also suspended a Democratic staffer…
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At a time when Illinois families are cutting back to make ends meet, Democratic leaders in Springfield are pushing a $6 billion tax hike to fund massive government expansion, including what would be the largest state budget in Illinois history. Gov. JB Pritzker’s proposed budget is nearly $15 billion larger than when he first took…
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QUINCY — Mike Troup’s campaign spent more than $70,000 in an unsuccessful bid to retain the office of Quincy mayor. According to the Illinois State Board of Elections website, Troup spent $70,594.08 combined for his victory in the Feb. 25 Republican primary over Dan Brink and his April 1 loss to Linda Moore, who ran as…
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SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — State Rep. Kyle Moore recently was named to serve on the House Labor and Commerce Committee. Moore (R-Quincy) said the new committee assignment is on track with his goal of growing and retaining jobs in Illinois. “This is first and foremost about improving our jobs climate so we can provide better opportunities…
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Kelly will once again challenge Pritzker-backed candidate: Kelly won a crowded 16-person primary in a 2013 special election to fill the congressional seat vacated by former U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson, who resigned while under investigation for misuse of campaign funds and eventually went to prison. Kelly received more than half the primary vote before easily…
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SPRINGFIELD – Thirty-three students from eight high schools in west central Illinois came to Springfield on Tuesday, April 29, to experience the workings of state government as part of State Sen. Jil Tracy’s Youth Advisory Council. The students were recommended by officials from their respective schools to participate in the program. They traveled to Springfield with…
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McHENRY — John Gerend, a Vietnam War veteran from Lake Villa, was exposed to Agent Orange while on duty. Suffering from diseases associated with exposure to the toxic chemical, he said he still considers himself fortunate. “I’ve had some issues with it — diabetes, some heart issues and so on — but there are many…
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CHICAGO — Just one day into her campaign to replace retiring Sen. Dick Durbin in the U.S. Senate, Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton on Friday received a key endorsement from Gov. JB Pritzker, nearly eight years after he first tapped her to be his running mate. Standing outside the Bright Star Church amid a backdrop of…
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Longtime U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois, the No. 2 Democrat in the Senate, announced Wednesday he will retire after his term ends in January 2027. “I truly love the job of being United States Senator, but in my heart, I know it’s time to pass the torch,” Durbin said in a social media video.…
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