Illinois Politics
The latest report from the Center for Tax and Budget Accountability shows that spending on four “core” state services in the governor’s proposed Fiscal Year 2026 budget will be 9.1 percent less in real dollars than it was way back in Fiscal Year 2000. Those four core services are education, healthcare, human services and public…
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SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — State Rep. Kyle Moore and his House Republican colleagues recently unveiled a package of bills they will champion this spring to provide financial relief for Illinois’ working families. “This package is called Relief for Working Families because that’s what it will provide, from furthering your education to starting a new business or…
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SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – State Sen. Jil Tracy (R-Quincy) is claiming a report from the Auditor General has revealed significant mismanagement in Gov. JB Pritzker’s taxpayer-funded healthcare program for illegal immigrants, including thousands of potentially ineligible enrollees and costs exceeding the governor’s projections. Tracy claims auditors found more than 6,000 enrollees listed as “undocumented” who actually had…
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Polls are open until 7 p.m. Click here to find your Adams County polling place and what is on your ballot. Muddy River News will have results as soon as the polls close and stories on local races later this evening.
Read Full Article Illinois House Speaker Chris Welch didn’t sound all that enthused about passing any new ethics reforms during an interview last week. In the wake of former House Speaker Michael Madigan’s conviction on 10 felony counts earlier this month, I asked Speaker Welch if he believed Madigan’s conviction called out for new reform laws. “I didn’t…
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State Sen. Jil Tracy (R-Quincy) said Gov. JB Pritzker needs to refocus his spending priorities from the national spotlight back to Illinois and pass a spending plan that will not be balanced on the back of hard-working families. In his annual Budget Address to a joint session of legislators Wednesday in the House of Representatives…
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A second protest against the Trump administration took place in front of the Illinois Capitol Monday, less than two weeks after the first such protest was held. The protest was part of the “50501 movement,” which calls for 50 protests in 50 states on one day. This is the same entity that put together a…
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CHICAGO — The attorney for Michael McClain said he and his client were “pleased and relieved” after Wednesday’s decision by a federal jury not to convict the longtime statehouse lobbyist from Quincy. Former Illinois Speaker of the House Michael Madigan was convicted Wednesday on public corruption charges after a federal jury found him guilty on…
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CHICAGO — A veteran Illinois statehouse reporter said he believed former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan’s decision to testify in the federal case against him “backfired.” Ray Long, who has covered Illinois state government for the Chicago Tribune since 1998 and wrote the 2022 book “The House That Madigan Built,” was in court for much…
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The U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention says the risk of an outbreak of the bird flu in humans is low, although Illinois’ health department is preparing for the possibility. On Friday, the Trump administration reportedly laid off 1,300 probationary employees of the CDC, which has led nationwide efforts to contain the bird flu.…
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Migration data from a moving company shows Illinois is near the top of the list for states with the most outbound moves. The 2024 North American Van Lines Annual Migration Report shows Illinois was second in the country for outbound moves behind only California. In Illinois, 60% of moves were outbound while 40% were inbound. It is the…
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State Sen. Jil Tracy (R-Quincy) issued a public statement in response to the guilty verdicts announced Feb. 12 in the corruption trial of former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan: “It’s a sad day for Illinoisans, but the stark reality is that Illinois’ political misdeeds span decades. I appreciate federal officials helping Illinois clean up such inappropriate behavior.…
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CHICAGO — A federal jury has found former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan guilty on 10 counts of bribery conspiracy, bribery and wire fraud. However, the jury found him not guilty of seven counts and was deadlocked and could not reach a verdict regarding six other counts against Madigan and his long-time ally, Michael McClain…
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QUINCY — Adams County Board Chairman Bret Austin’s attempt to fill a vacancy on the board hit a snag Tuesday night. Theresa Bockhold resigned from her District 7 seat at the board’s January meeting and Austin moved Tuesday night to fill the position by nominating businessman Adam Booth. Austin said there were two candidates who…
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CHICAGO — As the jury in the corruption trial of the United States versus Michael Madigan and Michael McClain that began on Oct. 8 enters its third week of deliberation, jurors are processing the relationship of two men who seemingly have been there for each other for more than four decades and how it will…
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A White County Illinois judge has found the state’s Firearms Owner’s ID card unconstitutional when enforced against someone possessing their firearms in their home. The case Illinois vs. Vivian Brown stems from a 2017 case where Brown separated from her husband. She possessed a single-shot .22 rifle in her home. Her husband filed a complaint…
Read Full Article April 20, 2025
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