Illinois Politics
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…
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Gov. JB Pritzker has “revised” his remarks about not raising taxes to balance the budget. “It’s very important that we live within our means in this state, and that we not resort to tax increases as a way to, you know, to balance the budget,” Pritzker said on January 30. Last week, when I asked…
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SPRINGFIELD — The entire Republican caucus of the Illinois House of Representatives walked out during session Wednesday as several resolutions were brought to the floor by Democrats condemning actions taken by the federal government, specifically President Donald Trump. HR stands for “House Resolution”: House Republicans called the resolutions “political grandstanding” and the caucus walked out…
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With Illinois facing a $3.2 billion budget deficit, Senate Republicans are once again demanding answers about how much taxpayer money is being spent on programs for non-citizens. At a Tuesday Statehouse news conference, Illinois Senate Republican Whip Jil Tracy (R-Quincy), Senator Dave Syverson (R-Cherry Valley), and Senator Li Arellano, Jr (R-Dixon) announced the reintroduction of…
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SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — State Rep. Kyle Moore recently secured positions on the House Veterans Affairs and Public Utility committees, among others. “When I served as the Mayor of Quincy. I fought for our heroes at the Quincy Veterans Home. Participating on the Veterans Affairs Committee gives me a seat at the table to continue working…
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To many Statehouse types, some of last week’s news out of Washington, DC felt eerily familiar. Last Monday night, the White House announced a sweeping new policy that would’ve at least temporarily defunded trillions of dollars of government spending on everything from the National School Lunch Program, to Head Start, to cancer and sleep disorders…
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SPRINGFIELD — Fourth and eighth grade students in Illinois generally scored as well or better than the national average in reading and math, according to results of the latest round of national test results. But their scores remain below pre-pandemic levels and, in the case of reading, continue to decline steadily. The results also showed…
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Gov. JB Pritzker took aim at President Donald Trump this week, calling him “unfit to lead” because of his comments following a midair collision in Washington, D.C. that killed 67 people. The president offered his condolences at a Thursday press briefing before transitioning to blaming former Presidents Barack Obama and Joe Biden for air traffic…
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