Illinois Politics
SPRINGFIELD – With new guidance from the CDC that addresses the need to keep students in classrooms while protecting residents from COVID-19, the Illinois Department of Public Health and Illinois State Board of Education announced in a Friday press release they are adopting new operational guidance for schools and early education from the CDC that eases some restrictions…
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SPRINGFIELD — The Illinois Department of Transportation on Friday laid out a $34.6 billion six-year spending plan for road, bridge, transit, rail, airport and port upkeep. It’s the latest multi-year plan backed by the state’s 2019 Rebuild Illinois bipartisan infrastructure law, which doubled the state’s motor fuel tax from 19 to 38 cents per gallon and scheduled it…
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SPRINGFIELD – Gov. JB Pritzker and Illinois State Fair organizers unveiled the 101st State Fair butter cow Wednesday, an unofficial kickoff of the fair which began Thursday, Aug. 11, and runs through Aug. 21. The sculpture – by Iowan Sarah Pratt – consists of more than 800 pounds of recycled butter in the shape of a cow…
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SPRINGFIELD – Democratic Gov. JB Pritzker said this week he is actively reaching out to businesses in Indiana and other states that have recently passed restrictive abortion laws in hopes of luring those companies to Illinois. “Well, already I’ve reached out to companies that are affected in Indiana. I want to make sure that they…
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GOP candidate for governor Darren Bailey is criticizing the SAFE-T Act criminal justice reform which will eliminate cash bail in Illinois by Jan. 1, 2023. The Illinois Supreme Court Pretrial Implementation Task Force has been in the process of breaking down several aspects of the SAFE-T Act as Illinois approaches 2023. It has released four flow charts showing how…
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SPRINGFIELD – Ten months after Illinois lawmakers passed the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act which set a goal of putting 1 million electric vehicles on state roads by the end of the decade, state agencies are engaged in a flurry of regulatory planning aimed at meeting those goals. The effort to electrify the state’s transportation sector and ensure the…
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SPRINGFIELD – Beginning Friday and lasting through Aug. 14, the state will reduce its sales tax rate from 6.25 percent to 1.25 percent for certain clothing items costing less than $125 and school supplies. The “tax holiday” was included in Gov. JB Pritzker’s “family relief plan,” one prong of several bills making up the Fiscal…
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Within hours of a news report that GOP gubernatorial candidate Darren Bailey had said the Holocaust “doesn’t even compare” to legalized abortion in 2017 campaign video, Gov. JB Pritzker’s campaign was online with an ad publicizing the statement. “I believe that abortion is one of the greatest atrocities of our day and I believe it’s one…
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The racketeering case against former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan and his longtime confidant will likely not see any significant court action until next year after a judge Tuesday granted the defense a lengthy extension to review the massive pile of evidence turned over by prosecutors. In the first status hearing in the bombshell case…
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PUBLISHER’S NOTE: The Adams County Board’s Finance Committee went into closed session May 9 to discuss giving themselves raises and lay out a political strategy to deal with potential fallout from voters who might not approve of the action. These actions are not permitted under the Illinois Open Meetings Act. “The appointment, employment, compensation, discipline, performance, or dismissal of…
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SPRINGFIELD – Gov. JB Pritzker issued a public health emergency declaration and declared Illinois a disaster area in response to the monkeypox virus Monday, a move his office said would help mobilize resources. The governor’s office said the proclamation will aid in moving vaccines to the most impacted communities and will allow the Illinois Department…
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One month after staging a primary upset, Republican Darren Bailey is struggling to reel in supporters of a top Republican primary rival and has yet to log a six- or seven-figure campaign contribution in his fall fight against billionaire Gov. J.B. Pritzker. Compounding Bailey’s troubles, hedge-fund billionaire Ken Griffin, who put $50 million into the…
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SPRINGFIELD – Gov. JB Pritzker and Attorney General Kwame Raoul announced plans Friday for how the state will distribute its share of funds from a national settlement with opioid companies. Illinois expects to receive approximately $760 million over 18 years from a $26 billion national settlement with three opioid distributers – Cardinal, McKesson, and AmerisourceBergen…
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SPRINGFIELD – After years of failed efforts that spanned multiple administrations, the state has finalized the sale of the controversial James R. Thompson Center in Chicago to a company that will make it the new Chicago home of tech giant Google. Gov. JB Pritzker made the announcement during a news conference at the building, along…
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SPRINGFIELD – A contentious race for leadership of the state’s Democratic Party appears to be down to a single candidate ahead of a Saturday morning vote after the party’s current chair pulled herself from the running Friday. State Rep. Lisa Hernandez, backed by Gov. JB Pritzker and House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch, appeared to have…
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MRN Publisher Bob Gough spoke with Congresswoman Mary Miller (R-Oakland) Thursday via zoom while Miller was in Washington D.C. Miller also said she would have one of her 15th District offices in Quincy. The last member of Congress to have an office in Quincy was Dick Durbin when he was a representative. His Quincy office…
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QUINCY — Members of the Democratic and Republican parties of Adams County voted to keep their party chairpersons in place Wednesday night. The members of the Central Committees for each respective party held their bi-annual caucus at the Adams County Courthouse. The Republican and Democratic members met in separate courtrooms to cast their votes. Dave…
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SPRINGFIELD — Illinois Democrats are vying to make Chicago the host city for the Democratic National Convention in 2024 while considering who will lead their party for the next four years. Meanwhile, the state’s Republican Party is hearing calls for a censure of one of its sitting congressmen. Officials for the Democratic National Committee were…
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A new poll from the firm Morning Consult showed Gov. JB Pritzker’s approval rating at 51 percent among Illinois voters, or seven points “above water” in polling lingo. It’s the latest quarterly poll from the firm, and data included 14,258 registered voters polled from April 1 through June 30. While it’s a truism of polling that any…
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CHICAGO — The city of Chicago will host a NASCAR race next summer. The taxpayer cost of the event is not yet known. The first-ever NASCAR Cup Series street course race will take place on Sunday July 2, 2023, with a lower-level race running on Saturday July 1, 2023. NASCAR officials and Mayor Lori Lightfoot…
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SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois economy added 18,800 jobs during June as the unemployment rate fell to 4.5 percent, the lowest it has been since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. That is down one-tenth of a percentage point from May, and down two full percentage points from June 2021. Preliminary numbers released by the U.S.…
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CHICAGO — After being notified of several close contacts testing positive for COVID-19, Gov. Pritzker received a positive test result during his routine COVID testing regimen. The Governor is experiencing mild symptoms and has been prescribed the anti-viral medication, Paxlovid. He will follow CDC guidelines by working from home. The Governor is fully vaccinated and…
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SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois State Police announced Monday they will start using a broader definition of what constitutes a “clear and present danger” when reviewing a person’s Firearm Owners Identification card. That’s a factor ISP considers when deciding whether to grant someone a FOID card or to revoke or suspend a card that has already…
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SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES) has announced the unemployment rate fell -0.1 percentage point to 4.5 percent, the lowest the rate has been since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic in March 2020, and nonfarm payrolls increased by +18,800 in June, based on preliminary data provided by the U.S. Bureau of Labor…
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Bill pending in General Assembly would prohibit further sales SPRINGFIELD – In the wake of the July 4 mass shooting in Highland Park that left seven people dead and dozens more injured, Gov. JB Pritzker is calling for a ban at both the state and national levels on military-style assault rifles and high-capacity magazines. The…
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CHICAGO — The trial of four people accused of trying to bribe then-Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan has been rescheduled for March 6. Charged in the case are longtime Madigan confidant Michael McClain, former ComEd CEO Anne Pramaggiore, ex-top ComEd lobbyist John Hooker and former City Club President Jay Doherty. The four are accused of…
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QUINCY — The Illinois Attorney General’s office wants to see the closed session minutes from the May 10 meeting of the Adams County Board, as well as closed session minutes from the county’s Finance Committee meeting on May 9. Muddy River News made a Freedom of Information Act request for the May 10 County Board…
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QUINCY — The Adams County Board signed off on a little more than $1.7 million in American Rescue Plan Act spending at Tuesday night’s meeting. So with $6.5 million spent and another $7.4 million in projects under review, the county has nearly exhausted the money it received by the federal government following the COVID-19 pandemic.…
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QUINCY — The Illinois Veterans’ Home at Quincy is experiencing an increase in COVID-19 cases among its veterans and staff. Based on rapid testing and the support of the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) laboratories, the Department identified 16 residents and 10 staff positive for COVID-19. Most of the positive residents are presenting with…
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A mass shooting in Highland Park at a Fourth of July parade prompted questions about how the suspect was able to obtain a gun in a state with some of the strictest gun laws in the nation. Law enforcement officials have said that the Highland Park shooting suspect, Robert Crimo III, 21, legally purchased and…
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SPRINGFIELD — Lisa Holder White was sworn in Thursday as the first Black woman to serve on the Illinois Supreme Court. Holder White, who previously served on the 4th District Court of Appeals, was chosen to succeed one of her mentors in the legal profession, retiring Justice Rita B. Garman, who broke many barriers herself as…
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SPRINGFIELD — State tax revenues grew by $5.5 billion in the fiscal year that concluded on June 30, exceeding $50 billion for the first time in Illinois’ history, according to a new report from a state budgeting agency. The 12 percent base revenue growth in Fiscal Year 2022 gave lawmakers near-unprecedented flexibility in the current budget year.…
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SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois Supreme Court has ruled that the public has no right to boat, fish or swim in small rivers that flow across private property, but two justices are urging the General Assembly to change that law. “The legislature should redefine navigability to be more inclusive because that would promote the State’s interest…
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SPRINGFIELD – Inflation, crime, pandemic response, abortion rights and Donald Trump are all set to be major issues in the 2022 race for Illinois governor, if the winning candidates’ election night speeches are any guide. “(Gov. JB) Pritzker doesn’t understand how skyrocketing gas prices and soaring food prices make everyday life harder for Illinois families…
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AAA estimates a record-setting 42 million people will pack up the car and hit the road this Independence Day weekend, but those heading out of Illinois will see a pattern: cheaper gas almost everywhere else. The average price of a gallon of gas June 29 in Illinois was $5.41 – 54 cents higher than the national average of $4.87,…
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SPRINGFIELD – Illinoisans will receive some modest tax relief starting Friday when the state’s new fiscal year begins. That includes some income tax rebates, property tax rebates, a suspension of the state’s 1 percent tax on groceries, and a six-month pause on the scheduled inflationary increase in the state’s motor fuel tax. Gov. JB Pritzker…
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QUINCY — The chair of the Adams County Democratic Party will now have a direct say in who will be the head of the Democratic Party of Illinois. Kate Daniels of Quincy defeated Springfield Lobbyist Liz Brown-Reeves in Tuesday’s primary to be the Democratic State Central Committeewoman for Illinois’ 15th District. The votes came from…
Read Full Article State Sen. Darren Bailey, who gained statewide notoriety challenging Gov. JB Pritzker’s pandemic executive order authority in court, will be the incumbent’s challenger in the Nov. 8 general election. “Tonight our movement sent a clear message to the establishment and the political elites: We will not be ignored,” Bailey said in a victory speech just…
Read Full Article QUINCY — The herd was thinned a bit on Tuesday night. In a large field of candidates, including many first timers, 29 people advanced from the primary in an attempt to fill all 21 Adams County Board seats, which happens every 10 years. While some have basically secured their slots on the County Board, many…
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QUINCY — Rodney Davis said he believes former President Donald Trump got “bad advice” regarding his endorsement of Mary Miller, who he’s running against in the Republican primary for the 15th District. Trump called Miller ‘a fearless America First patriot” before he introduced her during Saturday’s “Save America!” rally at the Adams County Fairgrounds in…
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SPRINGFIELD – Republican voters in Illinois will choose from six candidates to challenge incumbent Democratic Gov. JB Pritzker in the upcoming June 28 primary. The field includes a conservative farmer and state lawmakers who is the recent polling frontrunner, the mayor of Illinois’ second largest city, a former state senator and three political newcomers. Darren Bailey…
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The chair of the Adams County Democratic Party is running for 15th District State Central Committeewoman. Muddy River News This Week is furnished by Harvey’s.
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QUINCY — The Adams County Democrats felt they had to respond to former President Donald Trump’s visit to the Adams County Fairgrounds in Mendon on Saturday night. There was one issue according to Kate Daniels, candidate for Illinois 15th District State Central Committee and chair of the Adams County Democratic Party. “(Trump) kind of has…
Read Full Article QUINCY — The Greater Illinois Democrats for Democracy Rally is scheduled for 3 p.m. Saturday, June 25 at Clat Adams Park, Front and Hampshire. The Adams County Democratic Party is the host of the event, which features five guest speakers. They are: Lauren Underwood, 14th District Congresswoman Bill Houlihan, Sangamon County Democratic Chair Katherine Daniels,…
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SPRINGFIELD – For the first time in nearly a quarter century, there is an open race for the office of Illinois secretary of state as incumbent Democrat Jesse White prepares to retire, and Republicans hope that will give them an opportunity to pick up a statewide elected office. It’s often said that more people interact…
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Center Square Illinois Associate Editor Greg Bishop talked to former President Donald Trump in advance of his planned rally at the Adams County Fairgrounds Saturday night. Trump discussed his endorsement of U.S. Rep. Mary Miller over U.S. Rep. Rodney Davis, who he thinks could take on incumbent Gov. J.B. Pritzker, Chicago crime, fuel prices and…
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Illinois could see over 200,000 more votes in its general elections as a result of expanded vote-by-mail services, but the higher turnout will not necessarily give an advantage to either major party and might yield better-informed voters. Recent legislation gives Illinoisans the ability to choose to automatically receive mail-in ballots for all future primary and general…
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SPRINGFIELD — A federal judge in Chicago handed down a one-year prison sentence Tuesday for a former state senator who once chaired the Senate Labor Committee. Tom Cullerton, a Villa Park Democrat, pleaded guilty earlier this year to one count of embezzlement for receiving salary and benefits from Teamsters Joint Council 25 as a purported…
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QUINCY — Congressman Rodney Davis (R-Illinois) has earned the backing of the Illinois Chamber of Commerce as well as the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. Davis, who is running in the June 28 Republican Primary against Congresswoman Mary Miller, met with state, local and federal Chamber of Commerce leaders as well as local officials in a…
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SPRINGFIELD – In a 4-3 decision with a blistering dissent from the Republican minority, the Illinois Supreme Court declined to rule on a question of whether Illinois Firearm Owners Identification Act is unconstitutional. It was the second time the case of the People v. Vivian Brown came before the court and the second time the court declined…
Read Full Article IDES tries to blame lack of controls on Trump administration SPRINGFIELD – A state audit found nearly $2 billion in federal money intended to help unemployed Illinoisans during the pandemic was lost to fraudulent claims in Illinois. The Illinois Department of Employment Security blamed “insufficient and flawed federal guidance” and a lack of controls on…
Read Full Article QUINCY — The Adams County Board is reviewing more requests for projects to utilize funding from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). Adams County has received $12.7 million in ARPA funding from the federal government. Finance Committee Chairman Bret Austin said the county has spent roughly $6.5 million has another nearly $4.8 million in pending…
Read Full Article A newly unsealed search warrant in the ComEd bribery probe centered on former House Speaker Michael Madigan provides the greatest detail yet about an alleged behind-the-scenes effort to kill an energy bill supported by Madigan’s daughter, the then-Illinois attorney general. “We got — we’ve gotta kill it. Period,” Madigan’s longtime confidant, Michael McClain, allegedly told…
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A new poll from the Chicago Sun-Times and Chicago radio station WBEZ shows downstate state Sen. Darren Bailey with a 15-point lead on Aurora Mayor Richard Irvin in the GOP governor race, a major reversal with 18 days to go before polls close on Tuesday, June 28. Irvin’s campaign had earlier in the week pulled…
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Public health director Dr. Ngozi Ezike was front and center nearly every day during the first two years of the COVID-19 pandemic. Now she is CEO of a top state medical contractor. Did Dr. Ezike’s quick switch violate the state Ethics Act? CHICAGO — The state’s former public health director – a well-regarded advisor to…
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SPRINGFIELD – A new survey released this week suggests Illinoisans are more moderate on the issue of abortion than the current Democratic-controlled General Assembly, but it is unclear whether that will cost Democrats votes in November. The poll by the Chicago-based firm Ogden & Fry – which is owned by a Republican candidate for Cook…
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Cash bail will be eliminated in Illinois as of Jan. 1, 2023, due to a criminal justice reform passed in Jaunary 2021, and the Illinois Supreme Court Pretrial Implementation Task Force is planning a series of town halls beginning in two weeks to give an update on what the new pretrial detention system will look like.…
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QUINCY — Congressman Rodney Davis received the endorsement of many Quincy and Adams County Republican leaders over the weekend. Those who threw their support behind Davis include Adams County Board Member Raquel Sparrow, Quincy Mayor Mike Troup, State Senator Jil Tracy, Quincy Director of Administrative ServicesJeff Mays, State Representative Randy Frese, Adams County Republican Central…
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SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois State Police announced Friday that all sexual assault evidence is being processed within the 180-day timeframe outlined in state law – bringing to zero the number of legally “backlogged” cases that rose as high as 1,815 in March 2019. It’s the first time all such evidence is being processed within 180 days as…
Read Full Article Things got a bit chippy Thursday night when the six Republican candidates took the stage together for the first time for a debate in Chicago. For the most part, candidates aimed criticisms at the man who has recently had a slight polling lead, Aurora Mayor Richard Irvin. Darren Bailey, a state senator from Xenia best…
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The average Illinois worker needed a pay raise of $5,360 to keep up with inflation this past year. That worker only got a little more than $3,164. So that $3,164 pay bump was actually equivalent to a nearly $2,200 pay cut. When you add up all of the price increases because of inflation, Illinoisans are…
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Brett Retherford drives 80 miles round trip daily to his job in Riverdale, Iowa, from Annawan, Illinois. Illinois’ second-highest in the nation fuel prices drive his fuel purchases across the border, too. “I went to the Shell gas station that is less than a block from my house and gas was $4.49 a gallon. When my wife and…
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SPRINGFIELD – The six Republican candidates for Illinois governor faced off Tuesday night in Chicago, albeit on two separate debate stages, hours after a shooting at a Texas elementary school that dominated a large portion of the debates. A scheduling conflict between two TV networks – WGN and NBC 5 – had the candidates split…
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SPRINGFIELD – Gov. JB Pritzker said Tuesday that he is asking President Joe Biden and the federal government to increase Illinois’ share of federal funding to reflect the results of a recent Census Bureau study showing the state was very likely undercounted in the 2020 census. The news release from the governor’s office proclaimed, “Updated census data…
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QUINCY — Congresswoman Mary Miller (R-Ill.) said “a breakdown of our culture…a breakdown of the home” is to blame for this week’s school shooting in Texas. “Our country is founded on Judeo-Christian values,” Miller said before taking a tour of the John Wood Community College Workforce Development Center on Friday morning. “We’re not perfect, but…
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QUINCY — Five-term U.S. Rep. Rodney Davis said he was “heartbroken” for the families involved after learning of the deaths of 19 students and two teachers in a Tuesday shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas. Incidents like that, however, bring back grievous memories of his own. Preparing for a Congressional baseball game to…
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MISSOURI INDEPENDENT — A company accused of operating illegal gambling machines in Missouri made six $40,000 donations this week to a constellation of political action committees run by its lobbyist. Wildwood-based Torch Electronics cut the checks Monday to MO Majority PAC, Missouri Growth PAC, Missouri C PAC, Missouri Senior PAC, Missouri AG PAC and Conservative…
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Legislation awaiting the governor’s signature aims to increase access to prostate cancer screening without co-pays or other cost-sharing in Illinois. House Bill 5318 would require private insurers in Illinois to provide all qualifying male policyholders with an annual prostate cancer screening upon the recommendations of a physician. Alison Manson, vice president of government relations for the…
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The six Republican candidates for Illinois governor faced off Tuesday night in Chicago for the first time, but a scheduling conflict made it so that the candidates were split between two debates that began one hour apart on two different networks. The dueling debates came as both NBC and WGN in the Chicago area scheduled debates on…
Read Full Article Former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan was recorded on a wiretapped phone call in 2018 discussing with lobbyist confidant Michael McClain a plan to arrange secret payments to a close political ally who had been implicated in a sexual harassment scandal, newly released court documents show. Madigan has always denied any involvement in the scheme…
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SPRINGFILED — Owners of firearms that do not have serial numbers – referred to as ghost guns – will have 180 days to take them to a federal firearm dealer to have them serialized or they will risk being charged with a misdemeanor. Gov. JB Pritzker signed the measure containing that provision, House Bill 4383, into…
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QUINCY — The primary elections in Illinois are more than a month away, and a recent poll shows more than a third of likely Republican voters who responded haven’t made a choice for who their candidate as governor. That is why Aurora mayor Richard Irvin was in Quincy Friday. Irvin met with about 30 people…
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SPRINGFIELD – The Census Bureau released new survey data Thursday suggesting the population of Illinois may have been undercounted by nearly 2 percent in the 2020 headcount. That was one of the findings of the Census Bureau’s Post-Enumeration Survey, or PES, something the bureau does after each decennial census to assess the quality of the…
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Illinois property taxes have far outpaced household incomes and home values since 1990, a Wirepoints analysis shows. Tax bills per household have grown 268% since 1990, while average home values have grown 114%. According to the nonprofit Wirepoints, the average household now owes nearly $4,400 in residential taxes each year, up from $1,200 in 1990.…
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As families with babies who need formula scramble from store to store without much luck, there’s an Illinois helpline for those looking to get the needed nutrients that are in short supply around the country. The Illinois Department of Human Services is taking calls at 1-800-843-6154. The phone number is meant for families on the…
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Voters in Illinois have been presented with few choices when it comes to who will represent them in the Statehouse, but 2022 looks like the year that could change with 82 contested races projected to bring out 4.3 million voters – the most in decades. During the past 22 years, on average only 64 of…
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SPRINGFIELD — Gov. JB Pritzker signed legislation Friday that is aimed at cracking down on high-profile “smash-and-grabs” and other organized retail theft. “This important piece of legislation will help to combat these unlawful activities by addressing the problem from multiple angles,” Chauncey Rice, government relations manager for the Illinois Retail Merchants Association, said at a…
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We’re about a month and a half from the June 28 primary, and “undecided” was the lead vote-getter this week in a new poll of 1,000 likely GOP primary voters, with 36.9 percent of respondents falling into that camp. For those polled who have picked a candidate, Aurora Mayor Richard Irvin had the lead at…
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The recently retired Quincy Police Chief talks about his career in law enforcement and the issues in finding his successor. Muddy River News This Week is furnished by Harvey’s.
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(The Center Square) – Three of the six candidates running in the June 28 primary for Illinois governor – those with the most campaign contributions – are sparring in the media as a recent poll indicates it’s really a two-way race. Incumbent Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker has $87 million in political funds, according to campaign…
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Decatur native will become first Black woman on Illinois Supreme Court SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois Supreme Court announced Tuesday that 4th District Appellate Justice Lisa Holder White has been appointed to succeed Justice Rita Garman, making her the first Black woman to serve on the state’s high court. “Being appointed to the Illinois Supreme Court is…
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General Assembly voted to give county sheriffs raises, state will reimburse county for most of the salary QUINCY — The Adams County Board went into executive session Tuesday night to discuss the salary increases they were about to vote themselves. After they came out of the closed portion of the meeting, Board members voted 16-1…
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First downstate female judge has served on high court since 2001 SPRINGFIELD – Republican Illinois Supreme Court Justice Rita Garman announced Monday that she will retire on July 7, marking the end of a long legal career that has included 48 years as a jurist. She would have been up for retention this year, but…
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ST. LOUIS — If you signed a petition to help put U.S. Rep. Mary Miller (R-Illinois) on this June’s primary ballot, there’s a chance a man convicted of luring a child for sex was the one who asked you to sign those campaign documents. Miller is facing new questions about her relationship with Brad Graven,…
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SPRINGFIELD – Teachers and other education professionals are urging the Illinois State Board of Education to reduce the amount of time students spend on standardized tests each year and to adopt a new testing system that produces more useful information to help teachers improve their instruction. “One thing that we’re saying and that our members…
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CHICAGO — Attorney General Kwame Raoul has joined a multistate coalition of eight attorneys general urging President Biden to fully cancel federal student loan debt owed by every federal student loan borrower in the country. The coalition urges the president to immediately exercise his authority under the Higher Education Act to cancel the more than…
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Illinois has 6,032 local governments, the most in the nation by a wide margin – and that excludes 859 school districts. It’s the main reason Illinoisans pay the nation’s second-highest property taxes. You’d expect a state with fewer people after eight consecutive years of population loss would need less government. Wrong: Illinois has more government than any…
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QUINCY — The two incumbents running for Illinois’ 15th District made their pitches to the Quincy Tea Party Tuesday night at the Town and Country Inn. Republicans Rodney Davis and Mary Miller are now running for the redistricted seat that represents much of the I-72 corridor of Illinois, including Adams, Brown, Pike and Hancock Counties.…
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U.S. Representative Rodney Davis (R-IL) released the following statement after news reports of a draft U.S. Supreme Court (SCOTUS) opinion striking down the Roe v. Wade abortion decision was leaked: “As a Pro-Life lawmaker, I’ve long advocated for an end to the ‘Roe’ decision. It was wrong from the beginning, and I hope the Court’s pending decision empowers states…
Read Full Article CHICAGO – Governor Pritzker today condemned the reported Supreme Court draft opinion to overturn Roe v. Wade, allowing states to enact even more restrictive anti-choice laws that would deny woman’s access to reproductive health care. Early in his term, Governor Pritzker signed the Reproductive Health Act to protect Illinois women in anticipation of a conservative Supreme Court overturning Roe. “The terrifying implications…
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Two bills on Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s desk could expand Illinois highway camera monitoring program to cover 6,600 more miles of road across 22 counties as the General Assembly looks to crack down on expressway crime before November elections. House Bill 260 and House Bill 448 – passed alongside 80 other proposals in the final dayof the legislative session – would see…
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QUINCY — God, Guns and fighting the “Woke” Liberal agenda. That was the message Congresswoman Lauren Boebert (R-CO) brought to Quincy while stumping for her friend, Congresswoman Mary Miller (R-IL), on Saturday. It was billed as a “Defend the Second Amendment Rally” at the Holiday Inn, but when talking about a Conservative agenda and predicting…
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Gov. J.B. Pritzker defended his mandate that gas stations owners post stickers at the pump announcing his delay of a gas tax increase or pay $500 daily fines. “There’s no political speech involved there, at all,” Pritzker said April 27. “And, here’s what we’re doing. We’re lowering the impact on people of the rise in prices of…
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SPRINGFIELD — Gov. JB Pritzker signed a package of bills Wednesday aimed at easing the state’s shortage of teachers and other education professionals, even as a new report shows Illinois just added a record number of new teachers to its ranks. Speaking in the library of Springfield High School just blocks from the Capitol, Pritzker…
Read Full Article Congressman Rodney Davis (R-IL) says eliminating student loan debt is “morally wrong” and is supporting legislation to block President Joe Biden from permanently extending student loan forbearance that has been in place since almost the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. “The debt isn’t just magically eliminated with the stroke of a pen,” Davis said. “It…
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QUINCY — Congresswomen Mary Miller (R-IL) and Lauren Boebert (R-CO) will be in Quincy on Saturday as part of a “Defend the Second Amendment Rally”. Miller is running in the June 28 15th District Republican primary against Congressman Rodney Davis (R-IL) as both were lumped in the same Congressional District following redistricting controlled by Illinois…
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QUINCY — J. Robert Gough talks with Chicago Tribune reporter Ray Long, who penned the book “The House That Madigan Built”, which chronicles the rise and fall of the longest tenured statehouse speaker in U.S. History. Long also discusses the involvement of long-time Madigan consigliere Mike McClain, the retired lobbyist and lawmaker from Quincy, who…
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At the MotoMart store in Sauget, Illinois, drivers are paying $4.30 at the pump, 20 cents more a gallon than the national average thanks to the Prairie State being No. 2 in the nation for gas taxes. But a quick drive across the Mississippi River to St. Louis, Missouri, and drivers pay $3.85 per gallon…
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JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — Missouri has recovered more than 95 percent of the jobs lost during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the Missouri Chamber’s latest quarterly economic report. Missouri is among states leading in job recovering after adding back 357,200 of jobs lost, according to Ted Abernathy, managing partner of Economic Leadership LLC. “Ten states have made it back…
Read Full Article SPRINGFIELD – Illinois on Thursday received its second credit rating upgrade from Moody’s Investors Service within one year, moving up one notch but remaining in the worst shape of the 50 states. It’s the third upgrade between the three major credit ratings agencies during Gov. JB Pritzker’s tenure, the other coming last year from Standard…
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