Illinois Politics
Members of Sonya Massey’s family and their attorneys called a news conference Wednesday to push for federal and state legislation in the wake of Massey’s shooting. Civil rights attorney Benjamin Crump called former Sangamon County Sheriff’s Deputy Sean Grayson “a ticking time bomb waiting to explode,” but also blamed a system that failed to heed…
Read Full Article 
SPRINGFIELD – A little over a month after the shooting death of Sonya Massey by a sheriff’s deputy, Sangamon County Sheriff Jack Campbell on Friday announced his retirement, effective no later than Aug. 31. His announcement comes amid intense pressure to resign, including from Gov. JB Pritzker on Thursday. The Massey shooting raised questions regarding…
Read Full Article CHICAGO — Governor JB Pritzker and Lt. Governor Juliana Stratton issued a news release Tuesday night, calling for the resignation of Sangamon County Sheriff Jack Campbell following the death of Sonya Massey. A Sanagmon County deputy, Sean Grayson, was captured on video shooting and killing Massey on July 6. Grayson was fired and faces murder…
Read Full Article 
There’s a lot more to the newly enacted law eliminating Illinois’ grocery tax in 2026. Local governments can now impose their own 1 percent tax, along with other sales tax increases. Gov. J.B. Pritzker announced Monday he signed House Bill 3144, touting relief he said the measure will bring. “Even with inflation cooling off every dollar…
Read Full Article 
Attorneys on both sides of the federal corruption case against former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan didn’t agree on much this past month, but they are aligned on one thing: they’re prepared to go to trial on Oct. 8 in Chicago. The agreement to keep the already-delayed trial date in place kicked off a month…
Read Full Article 
ROSEMONT – Gov. JB Pritzker on Wednesday signed legislation aimed at curtailing the practice of “captive audience” meetings – a strategy businesses sometimes use to dissuade workers from forming a union. The law, dubbed the “Worker Freedom of Speech Act,” was a top priority this spring for organized labor groups in Illinois, which played host…
Read Full Article 
A Facebook post last week by state Sen. Willie Preston (D-Chicago) created a stir, caused one of his fellow Democratic Senators to bow out of a planned joint fundraiser and, ultimately, the entire fundraiser was canceled. It’s all a good illustration of the ill-informed, rapid-fire insanity of our social media-fueled era. Sen. Preston posted an…
Read Full Article 
CHICAGO – Calls of “Justice for Sonya” rang through the sanctuary of a church on Chicago’s West Side on Tuesday at a rally hosted in response to the death of Sonya Massey on July 6. Massey, a Black woman, was killed in her home by Sangamon County Sheriff’s deputy Sean Grayson. Grayson, who is white,…
Read Full Article 
CHICAGO — Gov. JB Pritzker signed a law Monday that expands insurance coverage during and after pregnancy with the goal of lowering infant and maternal mortality rates, especially for Black Illinoisans. The law requires insurers that provide state-regulated health care plans to cover pregnancy and postpartum services for covered individuals, including midwife services, doula visits, and lactation…
Read Full Article “I support Karina’s Law,” Gov. JB Pritzker emphatically told me. It’s the strongest statement he’s made about the bill which stalled in the Senate last spring. The proposal would mandate that police remove firearms from a person who has been served with a domestic violence order of protection. But there still appear to be some Pritzker…
Read Full Article 
SPRINGFIELD — The U.S. Department of Justice confirmed late Tuesday that it is “assessing the circumstances” surrounding the fatal shooting of an unarmed Black woman by a Sangamon County Sheriff’s deputy. Benjamin Crump, renowned civil rights attorney who represents the family of the woman, said at a news conference on Tuesday that the DOJ had…
Read Full Article 
An Illinois lawmaker heading a child welfare committee said the state must strengthen its laws and policies to protect homeschooled children facing inadequate education, abuse and neglect. Rep. Terra Costa Howard, the chair of the Adoption and Child Welfare Committee in the Illinois House, called for action following a Capitol News Illinois and ProPublica investigation,…
Read Full Article 
WARNING: VIDEO CONTAINS VIOLENT ACTIONS AND GRAPHIC LANGUAGE AT THE 14 MINUTE MARK: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HFun2GydGyU SPRINGFIELD — Sangamon County officials have released a video of a county sheriff’s deputy fatally shooting a woman earlier this month. Sonya Massey called police to investigate a prowler at her home in the 2800 block of Hoover Avenue near Springfield…
Read Full Article 
The leaders of the Illinois Democratic Party have announced they are supporting Vice President Kamala Harris to be their party’s nominee for president following Sunday’s decision by President Joe Biden to drop out of the race. Gov. JB Pritzker made his announcement on X (Twitter) Monday morning: Dick Durbin, the second highest ranking Democrat in…
Read Full Article An oft-repeated $1.1 billion demand from Chicago’s mayor would actually wind up costing state taxpayers $5.5 billion. And Gov. JB Pritzker is turning a big thumbs down. Chicago Public Schools made the huge mistake of putting a ton of temporary federal pandemic aid into its permanent spending base for years and that money is just…
Read Full Article 
President Joe Biden dropped out of the 2024 race for the White House on Sunday, ending his bid for reelection after a disastrous debate with Donald Trump that raised doubts about the incumbent’s fitness for office. The unprecedented announcement, delivered less than four months before the election, immediately upended a campaign that both political parties view as the most…
Read Full Article 
MILWAUKEE – Illinois Republicans marked a changing of the guard Thursday morning as delegates met for breakfast ahead of the final day of the GOP national convention. State party Chair Don Tracy officially steps down this week after nearly 3 ½ years in that post, handing over the reins to newly elected Chair Kathy Salvi.…
Read Full Article 
Warning: The following article includes mentions of self-harm and profanity. McHENRY, Ill. – Vernon L. Brooks Jr. was distraught. Forced into a chair in a jail cell with a black mesh hood over his head, he panicked as he felt officers tighten straps like tourniquets around his wrists and restrain his ankles and chest. When…
Read Full Article 
MILWAUKEE – A former Republican congressman from New York told Illinois Republicans Tuesday that to win more elections in their deeply blue state, they need to reach beyond the traditional conservative voting base. “We need to challenge ourselves to get out and talk to the people who vote the least, talk to the people who…
Read Full Article 
MILWAUKEE – Illinois Republicans appeared upbeat and optimistic as the GOP’s national convention got underway Monday, calling for unity and showing little sign of the internal party struggles that have been brewing for years. “Everybody’s got a lot of energy. We’re all really hopeful and looking forward to November and just killing it, you know,…
Read Full Article A little-noticed bill passed both the Illinois House and Senate that will generate $300 to $400 million a year for local governments, including $95-127 million for the Regional Transportation Authority. The bill (SB3362) will help capture sales tax revenue from more out of state retailers and in-state retailers who ship to Illinoisans in out of…
Read Full Article 
SPRINGFIELD – Republicans will gather in Milwaukee next week for what promises to be a historic national convention. Former President Donald Trump will be nominated for the third consecutive time as the party’s presidential nominee, the first major party candidate to win nomination that many times since Franklin Roosevelt. And if he’s successful in the…
Read Full Article 
Gov. JB Pritzker said Tuesday he is “all in” for President Joe Biden after visiting the White House last week with other Democratic governors. He headed to Washington, D.C., to meet with the president and members of the Democratic Governors Association last Wednesday on the heels of Biden’s performance during the first of two scheduled…
Read Full Article 
SPRINGFIELD – Former Republican State Sen. Sam McCann on Tuesday was sentenced to 42 months in federal prison for stealing nearly $700,000 in campaign funds and attempting to conceal his theft with false reports to state election authorities. In February, McCann pleaded guilty to seven counts of wire fraud and one count each of money…
Read Full Article 
CHICAGO – Federal prosecutors told a judge Tuesday that they oppose plans by defense attorneys to seek a new trial for four convicted former executives and lobbyists for the state’s largest utility after the U.S. Supreme Court blunted part of a federal bribery law last month. Assistant U.S. Attorney Amarjeet Bhachu said a new trial…
Read Full Article November 29, 2024
MUDDY RIVER TV+: ONLINE OPTIONS DON'T DETER BLACK FRIDAY FAITHFUL
Current Weather
SUN
MON
TUE
WED
THU