Politics
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…
Read Full Article HANNIBAL, Mo. — Cell phone policies throughout the Hannibal School District are set to tighten up in the 2025-2026 school year after a statewide ban on usage throughout the entire school day, including lunch, breaks and passing periods, was passed by Missouri lawmakers on Tuesday. “I’m thrilled it’s on the governor’s desk,” said Ann Lear,…
Read Full Article A bill passed by the state legislature Tuesday and on its way to the governor will require school districts to create a policy banning cell phone usage throughout the school day, including during breaks between classes and at lunch. A majority of U.S. adults support cell phone bans during class time, or 68% as recorded in a Pew…
Read Full Article ST. LOUIS — Former Missouri governor and U.S. Senator Christopher S. “Kit” Bond died Tuesday in St. Louis. He was 86. Bond served two separate terms as Missouri governor, from 1973 to 1977 and from 1981 to 1985. He was elected to the U.S. Senate in 1986 and served until 2010. He was Missouri’s first…
Read Full Article At a time when Illinois families are cutting back to make ends meet, Democratic leaders in Springfield are pushing a $6 billion tax hike to fund massive government expansion, including what would be the largest state budget in Illinois history. Gov. JB Pritzker’s proposed budget is nearly $15 billion larger than when he first took…
Read Full Article QUINCY — Mike Troup’s campaign spent more than $70,000 in an unsuccessful bid to retain the office of Quincy mayor. According to the Illinois State Board of Elections website, Troup spent $70,594.08 combined for his victory in the Feb. 25 Republican primary over Dan Brink and his April 1 loss to Linda Moore, who ran as…
Read Full Article SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — State Rep. Kyle Moore recently was named to serve on the House Labor and Commerce Committee. Moore (R-Quincy) said the new committee assignment is on track with his goal of growing and retaining jobs in Illinois. “This is first and foremost about improving our jobs climate so we can provide better opportunities…
Read Full Article Kelly will once again challenge Pritzker-backed candidate: Kelly won a crowded 16-person primary in a 2013 special election to fill the congressional seat vacated by former U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson, who resigned while under investigation for misuse of campaign funds and eventually went to prison. Kelly received more than half the primary vote before easily…
Read Full Article SPRINGFIELD – Thirty-three students from eight high schools in west central Illinois came to Springfield on Tuesday, April 29, to experience the workings of state government as part of State Sen. Jil Tracy’s Youth Advisory Council. The students were recommended by officials from their respective schools to participate in the program. They traveled to Springfield with…
Read Full Article McHENRY — John Gerend, a Vietnam War veteran from Lake Villa, was exposed to Agent Orange while on duty. Suffering from diseases associated with exposure to the toxic chemical, he said he still considers himself fortunate. “I’ve had some issues with it — diabetes, some heart issues and so on — but there are many…
Read Full Article CHICAGO — Just one day into her campaign to replace retiring Sen. Dick Durbin in the U.S. Senate, Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton on Friday received a key endorsement from Gov. JB Pritzker, nearly eight years after he first tapped her to be his running mate. Standing outside the Bright Star Church amid a backdrop of…
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