Politics
SPRINGFIELD – Illinois lawmakers advanced a bill last week that would effectively abolish life sentences for any incarcerated individual who was under the age of 21 when they received their sentence. In January, Gov. JB Pritzker signed a law that makes any individual who was under the age of 21 when sentenced to life in prison eligible…
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SPRINGFIELD – Gov. JB Pritzker signed Senate Bill 208 into law Monday, ensuring at least 40 hours of paid leave for Illinois workers. Effective Jan. 1, 2024, workers will begin to earn paid leave on their first day at a rate of one hour of leave for every 40 hours worked, up to 40 hours of paid…
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CHICAGO — Michael J. Madigan will likely never step foot in the federal courtroom where four former political power players are about to face trial, accused of trying to bribe the longtime Illinois House speaker to benefit ComEd. But the case starting Tuesday is all about Madigan. And once it’s underway, it is expected to…
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SPRINGFIELD – Parents who make money posting videos of their children on social media channels may soon be legally required to share that revenue with their kids. The Illinois Senate Labor Committee this week unanimously approved a bill that would guarantee children a right to a percentage of that revenue if the videos meet certain criteria. “Parents…
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MEMPHIS, Mo. — The ousted administrator of a northeast Missouri hospital is accusing board members and employees of conspiring to have him fired by falsely claiming he violated federal laws and embezzled millions. In a lawsuit filed Wednesday, Dr. Randy Tobler claims he has been unable to find employment because of the way he was fired…
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CHICAGO – Religious and environmental ideals are at odds for some in the ongoing debate around what to do with human remains. A proposal at the Illinois Statehouse would legalize and regulate “natural organic reduction,” a process in which human remains are rapidly decomposed into compost. The process is also known as human composting or…
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SPRINGFIELD – Illinois lawmakers began working through mountains of proposed legislation this week as a Friday deadline approaches for bills to pass out of their original committees. As of Tuesday, more than 6,500 bills had been introduced in the 2023 session. While many of those bills could miss that deadline, there are multiple ways to…
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SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — Gov. JB Pritzker on Friday highlighted a proposed grant program that would direct $70 million per year over the next three years to school districts facing the greatest teacher shortages. The Teacher Pipeline Grant Program, which Pritzker included in his budget proposal to lawmakers, would target vacancies in 170 school districts that…
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SPRINGFIELD — One year ago today, former House Speaker Michael Madigan – for decades the most powerful figure in Illinois politics – was indicted on 22 counts of racketeering, bribery, wire fraud and extortion. The anniversary comes roughly two years after Madigan’s fellow Democrats forced him to cede the title of longest-serving speaker of any legislature in…
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ELGIN, Ill. — Illinois Governor JB Pritzker visited Streamwood High School in Elgin to highlight a new teacher pipeline initiative aimed at addressing chronic shortages in the state’s most understaffed districts. The proposed Teacher Pipeline Grant Program will direct $70 million per year over the next three years to the 170 school districts with the…
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SPRINGFIELD – Gov. JB Pritzker on Wednesday announced the release of nearly $60 million in grant funding to help local governments develop public parks and open spaces, over 20 percent of which will go to “distressed” communities. The money through the Open Space Land Acquisition and Development grants was distributed to 118 projects, all but…
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SPRINGFIELD – S&P Global Ratings announced Thursday that it had raised Illinois’ long-term credit rating to A-, up from BBB+, marking the seventh upgrade the state has received from a major rating agency in less than two years. The rating applies to roughly $27.7 billion in outstanding general obligation, or GO, bonds. “The upgrade on…
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SPRINGFIELD – A bill that would allow restaurants, hotels and other public places to designate “all-gender multiple-occupancy” restrooms passed out of a House committee Wednesday, sending it to the full House for consideration. House Bill 1286, sponsored by Rep. Katie Stuart, D-Edwardsville, is similar to one that passed through the House in 2021 but died…
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All 59 Republican members of the Illinois General Assembly are calling for legislative hearings on a state-run mental health center in rural southern Illinois, citing findings of a culture of abuse, cover-ups and poor patient care from a monthslong investigative series by Lee Enterprises Midwest, Capitol News Illinois and ProPublica. Late last week, the members sent a…
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MACOMB, Ill. — Gov. JB Pritzker is touring the state to promote his Smart Start Illinois program. His travels brought him to Macomb on Tuesday afternoon, where he visited with staff and students at MacArthur Early Childhood Center. “Every study about early childhood says the same thing: 90% of brain development occurs (during ages) zero…
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QUINCY — After a litany of public speakers who spoke in support of the Police and Fire Commission and, in some instances, chastise Mayor Mike Troup, the mayor’s nomination of Angela Caldwell to that commission failed for the second straight week at Tuesday’s Quincy City Council meeting. Retired Quincy Police Chief Rob Copley said he…
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Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s top infectious diseases expert and a medical adviser to seven U.S. presidents, will address graduating students at Washington University School of Medicine in May, the school announced last week. But the speech by Fauci — who became a figure of scorn among some Republicans for his actions during the coronavirus…
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QUINCY — At the annual Adams County Farm Bureau Viewpoint Luncheon, State Representative Norinne Hammond (R-Macomb) made an observation that summed up the state of Illinois’ Republican caucus in both chambers of the General Assembly. “Right now, in this room, we have 10 percent of the House Republican Caucus,” she said. Counting herself and fellow…
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State Sen. Jil Tracy (R-Quincy) and other Republican lawmakers commented Wednesday about Gov. JB Pritzker’s Budget Address. “In his State of the State/Budget Address, Gov. Pritzker is claiming fiscal success, but it is important to remember that any improvement in the state’s fiscal outlook is the direct result of a massive influx of federal dollars and higher-than-expected tax…
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SPRINGFIELD – Gov. JB Pritzker on Wednesday laid out a $49.6 billion spending plan for the upcoming fiscal year that calls for significant new spending for early childhood education and efforts to combat homelessness among other areas. He also claimed credit for putting the state back on more secure financial footing. Speaking to a joint…
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The Missouri Senate passed a sweeping education bill to the House on Tuesday that would create transparency requirements for school districts and ban them from teaching some diversity, equity and inclusion curriculum. The bill also seeks to add a patriotism course for teachers, open transportation funding to intradistrict transfer programs and increase funding for districts…
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HANNIBAL, Mo. — Communicating with healthcare providers can be as simple as a phone call away thanks to a medical practice that began during COVID. Tamitha Ague has watched the success of audio telehealth through her 77-year-old father navigating his healthcare. After a hospital stay, Ague’s father won’t have a follow-up appointment until March. While…
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SPRINGFIELD – As many as 700,000 Illinoisans may lose Medicaid coverage in the months following March 31, but the Department of Healthcare and Family Services says it is working to reduce that number and help those affected find health insurance elsewhere. Medicaid is a health insurance program for poor and disabled people that is jointly…
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SPRINGFIELD – A coalition of advocacy and labor groups is pushing for a state law to give Illinois workers 26 weeks of paid leave if they need to recover from an illness, domestic or sexual violence, or take care of a sick family member or new child. The same groups just celebrated a legislative victory…
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SPRINGFIELD – Gov. JB Pritzker’s second-term legislative agenda will kick off in earnest next week as he proposes his fifth annual state budget to lawmakers in the General Assembly. But while a governor’s proposal usually provides the framework for the state’s annual spending plan, it rarely makes it through the General Assembly untouched by lawmakers…
Read Full Article November 13, 2024
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