Illinois Politics
A week out from a hectic end to the legislative session, many Capitol insiders are beginning to ask what is next for the legislative proposals big and small that failed during session. The session’s most-watched subject matter was transit funding. With northern Illinois transit agencies facing hundreds of millions of dollars in budget shortfalls this year, officials wanted…
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As I write this column, the spring legislative session is a day away from adjournment. Nothing of great importance has cleared both chambers. So, there’s no point in writing about any of that. I’ll let you know my thoughts next week. Let’s discuss a different topic instead. For quite a while now, most folks in…
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Reporter: This budget relied on a few one-time fixes. You’ve tried in the past to fix the structural deficit in 2020. Is that something that you’re going to be looking to spend political capital on going forward? Something a little bit more long-term? So we don’t have to do this every year—the one-time moving stuff…
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State Sen. Jil Tracy (R-Quincy) says the $55.2 billion spending plan passed at the last hour Saturday represents a nearly 40 percent increase since the current administration took office in 2019 and also requires an extra $1 billion in taxes. “Gov. Pritzker has made it abundantly clear that Illinoisans are not his priority. By any…
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SPRINGFIELD – State Sen. Jil Tracy (R-Quincy) says concerns by city officials and complaints by consumers emphasize the need to restore local control in solar and wind energy construction, as well as protect consumers from a few bad actors in the business. “Renewable energy projects are an important part of a comprehensive energy plan; however, it’s…
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The US House’s Energy and Commerce Committee released its recommendations for budget reconciliation early last week. A preliminary review by the Congressional Budget Office projected that, if implemented, at least 8.6 million Americans would lose their Medicaid coverage during the coming decade. That translates to well over 300 thousand Illinoisans. In addition, the CBO projected…
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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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July 14, 2025
ROADTRIPS WITH RANDY: DICK BROS.
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