Politics
A state Senate district map drawn by a judicial commission meets state and federal constitutional requirements and will not be changed, the Missouri Supreme Court ruled Wednesday. In a 5-2 decision handed down just two weeks after hearing oral arguments, the court upheld a trial court opinion that rejected the challenge to districts that split Buchanan County on the western…
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SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — As federal agents wrapped up their first interview with former Republican State Sen. Sam McCann in the summer of 2018, one observed that there were “a lot of vehicles in your driveway.” “I gotta have wheels,” McCann told the agents a few moments earlier. “The only shot I got at winning is…
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JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — The first contract for reconstruction of Interstate 70, for a 20-mile stretch from Columbia to Kingdom City, was awarded Wednesday by the Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission. The $405 million contract is part of a planned $2.8 billion project that will add a lane of traffic in both directions from Wentzville in…
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A parents’ rights group is pushing back against a proposed bill equating denying children things like puberty blockers to child abuse. State Rep. Anne Stava-Murray, D-Naperville, proposed House Bill 4876 that would amend the Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act to say an “abused child” is one whose parents deny abortion services, or “gender-affirming services.” Awake Illinois…
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HANNIBAL, Mo. — John Jackson of Hannibal announced Tuesday he will be running for presiding circuit judge of the Tenth Judicial Circuit in Missouri in 2024. The Tenth Judicial Circuit covers Marion, Monroe and Ralls counties. Rachel Bringer Shepherd announced last month that she will not seek re-election. She has held the position since 2010.…
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CHICAGO – For most of his adult working life, Tim Mapes only had one boss: former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan. And for the more than 25 years he served as Madigan’s chief of staff, Mapes was known for his extreme loyalty to the powerful speaker. His office décor in the state Capitol in Springfield…
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SPRINGFIELD – Former Republican State Sen. Sam McCann, a onetime third-party candidate for governor, was taken into custody Friday ahead of his federal corruption trial on charges he misused campaign funds. The arrest caps a bizarre week that was supposed to have seen his corruption trial begin and end – until a last-minute hospitalization forced…
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QUINCY — Representatives from the Illinois Fraternal Order of Police (IFOP) were in Quincy Thursday to announce their endorsement of Kyle Moore for State Representative in the 99th District. “We are proud today to stand with Kyle,” said Chris Southwood, President of the Illinois Fraternal Order of Police. “He displays the character and the qualities we…
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Battle lines are being drawn at the Illinois statehouse over whether to get rid of a lower minimum wage for tipped workers statewide. While some are advocating for tipped workers to get the minimum wage with tips on top, a legislator who also owns restaurants says such a move would be devastating to the economy.…
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QUINCY — The two men running to replace Randy Frese in the Illinois House of Representatives spoke at a political forum sponsored by the Quincy Tea Party Tuesday night at Tower Pizza and Mexican. Kyle Moore of Quincy and Eric Snellgrove of Beardstown each gave their pitches to the crowd of about 100 and answered…
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SPRINGFIELD – Instead of laying out his defense in his long-awaited federal corruption trial on Monday morning, former State Sen. Sam McCann was hospitalized in Missouri after a weekend of feeling unwell, according to his wife and a standby attorney. McCann had been granted an extension of his trial in late November after ditching his…
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As the influx of non-citizen migrants continues, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson say they are on the same page regarding handling the crisis despite reports of conflict between the two administrations. Chicago has seen more than 35,000 non-citizen arrivals over the past year and a half from the southern border. Many…
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Judge asked to overturn Board of Elections ruling SPRINGFIELD – A national voting rights organization is asking a Cook County judge to overturn a ruling from the Illinois State Board of Elections and block former President Donald Trump from being listed on the March 19 Republican primary ballot. Lawyers for the group Free Speech for…
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Nearly a year ago, the Illinois Supreme Court asked the General Assembly to clarify a 15-year-old law that’s led to hundreds of lawsuits and several high-dollar settlements with companies alleged to have illegally collected Illinoisans’ biometric data. Now, Democratic leaders in the legislature appear ready to revive talks to reform the state’s Biometric Information Privacy…
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A measure that would prohibit law enforcement from pulling people over for the sole violation of speeding, improper lane usage and other vehicle infractions is expected to stall at the Illinois Statehouse. House Bill 4603 would prohibit police from initiating pullovers for expired registration, excessive speeding that isn’t a misdemeanor or felony, improper lane usage, excessive…
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JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — Missouri House Speaker Dean Plocher fired his legislative director Wednesday, the latest in a series of departures from his office as he continues to face an ethics investigation into allegations of unlawful conduct. Erica Choinka had worked for the Missouri House since 2016, first as a legislative assistant and then as…
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SPRINGFIELD – Former President Donald Trump’s name will appear on the March 19 Republican primary election ballot in Illinois, barring any extraordinary action by state or federal courts to remove him. The Illinois State Board of Elections voted unanimously Tuesday to deny an objection based on the “insurrectionist clause” of the 14th Amendment, which prohibits former…
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A bipartisan task force of legislators and journalism industry leaders has filed a report to the General Assembly detailing the decline of local journalism in Illinois and exploring ways the legislature can help revive it. The Local Journalism Task Force, created in January 2022, found that about one-third of Illinois counties have either no source…
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SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois State Board of Elections will be asked to decide Tuesday whether former President Donald Trump is barred under the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution from having his name appear on Illinois’ March 19 Republican primary ballot. It’s a question being asked in several states preparing to hold primary elections in the…
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Less than a day after a draft letter from state Senate President Pro Tem Caleb Rowden’s home Republican county committee demanding his resignation began circulating on social media, the party’s chairman tried to retract it. The letter, which also called for Senate Majority Leader Cindy O’Laughlin of Shelbina to resign, was never intended to be a…
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As the popularity of Delta-8 cannabis products grows, some are calling for more oversight in Illinois. Delta-8 THC is legal in Illinois and 21 other states, but unlike marijuana, which is regulated, taxed and can only be sold in licensed dispensaries, Delta-8 can be sold in convenience stores and online. While cannabis is still illegal…
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The increasing trend of “swatting,” faking dangerous crimes that cause police to respond with force to the victim’s home, has become a popular tactic in Illinois. Criminologist Currie Myers said these crimes are acts of domestic terrorism that put the lives of both victims and law enforcement in harm’s way. “Swatting is extremely dangerous. Somebody…
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A proposed bill that would ban certain food additives in Illinois is already receiving pushback. The Illinois Food Safety Act calls for prohibiting the use of certain additives to food, including brominated vegetable oil, Red Dye No. 3 and titanium dioxide. The bill’s sponsors said the additives have been linked to serious health problems, including hyperactivity, reproductive…
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Staffing agencies – a fast-growing industry that employs nearly a million Illinoisans – are not exempt from the state’s antitrust law, the Illinois Supreme Court ruled late last week. The decision comes 3 ½ years after Attorney General Kwame Raoul sued a trio of staffing agencies, alleging they used their mutual client to coordinate no-poach…
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The state of Illinois says “government has no authority” to impose criminal penalties for those not registering banned firearms. Illinois State Police have updated the gun ban registration numbers to include those who registered after the Jan. 1 deadline. On top of the 29,357 individuals who registered before the deadline, 5,867 have registered since. The total of…
Read Full Article December 21, 2024
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