Politics
A Kankakee County judge has ruled that the part of the controversial SAFE-T Act that ends cash bail across is unconstitutional. Judge Thomas W. Cunnington issued the ruling Wednesday night and it comes four days before cash bail was to be abolished across the state. In his ruling, Cunnington wrote “the appropriateness of bail rests…
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SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois minimum wage is set to increase another dollar on Sunday, Jan. 1, 2023, making the new required minimum wage $13 an hour. Minimum wage workers are encouraged to keep a close eye on their paychecks in the new year as any time worked in 2023 must reflect the new $13 an hour…
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SPRINGFIELD – For Illinois’ homeless populations and those that serve them, the COVID-19 pandemic accelerated a crisis – the volunteer, mostly faith-based shelters that had long been the backbone of the state’s emergency housing system were closing their doors. But with the crisis – and a sudden influx of temporary federal, state and philanthropic funding…
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Illinoisans who stop by the neighbors’ for eggnog this December will need to find someone to watch the kids, or they could find themselves under investigation by the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services. Unlike the parents in the Chicagoland Christmas classic “Home Alone,” Illinoisans can face investigation, arrest and even loss of custody of their…
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SPRINGFIELD – Some of the state’s leading law enforcement officials on Tuesday urged lawmakers to pass a statewide ban on high-power, high-capacity weapons, which they say are growing in prevalence in Illinois. “What the public asks members of the law enforcement community to do each and every day is stunning, knowing full well that the…
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From Missouri Independent: A ban on federal employees using TikTok on their government-issued phones is on track to become law after Congress included the provision in the year-end government funding bill released early Tuesday. U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley’s legislation barring the popular social media platform from federal devices was one of several bills attached to the spending measure, the…
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Filings for School Boards in Illinois closed Monday evening. Listed below are the people running for those seats in the school district in Quincy and in Adams County.
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SPRINGFIELD – A legislative committee on Thursday heard more witnesses call for a ban on high-power, semi-automatic rifles and large-capacity magazines, but some experts said that alone won’t solve the problem of violent crime in Illinois. During its second hearing on a proposed assault weapon ban, an Illinois House committee, meeting in Chicago, heard from…
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SPRINGFIELD – Victims and survivors of multiple mass shootings urged state lawmakers on Monday to pass a ban on assault weapons, arguing that communities throughout Illinois have felt the pain of deadly mass shootings. “I was shot multiple times on the Fourth of July in Highland Park,” Lauren Bennett said during a legislative committee meeting…
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QUINCY — Five people have filed to run for the Quincy School Board as filings for the 2023 consolidated election have begun throughout Illinois. Three incumbents — Quincy School Board President Shelley Arns and board members Jim Whitfield and LaTonya Brock filed on Monday’s first day of filing. Two other people also filed on Monday:…
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More than a hundred grassroots activists, defeated candidates and party loyalists descended on a meeting of the Illinois Republican Party’s top leaders on Saturday, voicing frustration over last month’s election results that extended the state’s one-party Democratic governance. But after four hours and nearly 60 speakers, Illinois GOP ChairmanDon Tracy survived a sometimes raucous Republican…
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While a crocheted serpent took its place on the Capitol rotunda this week and the governor signed a pair of major bills passed in the recent veto session, history was happening on the Illinois Supreme Court. For the first time in its history, the state’s high court is made up of a majority of women…
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Crista Hogan estimates tens of thousands of people in Greene County are eligible to clean their criminal records of old non-violent misdemeanor and felony offenses — offenses she says limits their access to good-paying jobs and safe housing. But under state law, it requires people to file an arduous petition in court, along with a…
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CHICAGO – Governor JB Pritzker signed HB1095 on Tuesday, which provides a series of amendments and clarifications to the SAFE-T Act, originally passed in 2021. The bill clarifies the detention net, expands processes for transitioning to cashless bail on January 1, and offers specifying definitions of willful flight and dangerousness, among other changes. “I’m pleased that…
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QUINCY — As the newly-seated members of the Adams County Board drew lots to determine the lengths of their terms for the next decade, Chairman Kent Snider smiled and chuckled a bit when he drew the “short straw” of a two-year term during Monday night’s special board meeting and lottery for term lengths. It just…
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A new survey found 40% of Illinois’ small businesses were unable to pay rent on time or in full during November, up 8 percentage points from October as the state’s most prolific job creators grappled with higher rent prices, inflation and reduced consumer spending. Illinois small businesses reported the third-largest monthly increase in rent delinquency and sixth-highest…
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SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – Lawmakers on Thursday passed a long-awaited amendment to the SAFE-T Act criminal justice reform’s provisions that will eliminate cash bail when the calendar hits 2023. The measure expands the list of crimes for which a judge can order pretrial detention, adds to what a judge can consider when determining if a defendant…
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SPRINGFIELD – State Sen. Jil Tracy (R-Quincy) says legislative changes approved Thursday by the Senate do make improvements to the controversial SAFE-T Act but do not fully address the front-line concerns of public safety personnel tasked with protecting Illinoisans. “The changes approved Dec. 1 contain some much-needed changes. However, many glaring shortcomings remain. I support our…
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QUINCY — Adams County office holders elected on Nov. 8 were sworn in Thursday morning at the Adams County Courthouse. Ryan Niekamp, a Republican, was re-elected to his first full term in office as county clerk and recorder. He defeated Democrat Arianna Downard-Salih in the general election. Recorder F. Bryden Cory, also a Republican, was…
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SPRINGFIELD – Two days before lawmakers were scheduled to adjourn for the year, one of the lead negotiators of the SAFE-T Act criminal justice reform filed a long-awaited amendment detailing several changes to the landmark cash bail overhaul. Sen. Robert Peters, D-Chicago, filed a 308-page amendment to House Bill 1095 on Tuesday that contained several…
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Local governments in Illinois should brace for the unknown with some expecting conflicts between the SAFE-T Act and a looming constitutional amendment enshrining collective bargaining rights. Illinois state lawmakers are back in Springfield Tuesday for the final three days of session before the SAFE-T Act’s no-cash bail law takes effect Jan. 1. When lawmakers were…
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For the first time in its history, the only real limit on what Missouri can buy on a cash-and-carry basis is the imagination of the people spending the money. The state treasury is bulging with more than $6 billion in surplus cash, the result of 28 months of double-digit revenue growth and federal payments tied…
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The SAFE-T Act has been the source of plenty of controversy during the 2022 election cycle, becoming a favorite campaign issue for those skeptical of criminal justice reform broadly and no-cash bail in particular. Criminal justice reform advocates pushed back, labeling attacks on the bill as cynical fearmongering. So who is right? While some states have moved towards eliminating cash…
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This story was originally published by the Kansas City Beacon. On Nov. 8, Missourians voted “yes” on Amendment 3, which legalized recreational use of marijuana, meaning you’ll now be able to buy weed, like marijuana flower or edibles, in the coming months. Starting Dec. 8, the state will begin transitioning its medical marijuana licenses to recreational licenses,…
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QUINCY — Five people filed petitions to run for alderman on the first day of filing at Quincy City Hall. One contested race is already shaping up as incumbent Patty Maples (D-6th Ward) is getting a challenge from Republican Jake Reed. Maples is running for her first full term after being appointed in May following…
Read Full Article December 22, 2024
MUDDY RIVER NEWS: FR. CHUCK EDWARDS
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