Politics
HANNIBAL, Mo. — Missouri State Treasurer Vivek Malek was in Hannibal Friday afternoon in support of MO ABLE, a program that allows people living with disabilities to open a tax-free investment account. The program, which began in 2014, assists people to save money without losing eligibility for many public benefit programs such as Medicaid, Supplemental…
Read Full Article Longtime U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois, the No. 2 Democrat in the Senate, announced Wednesday he will retire after his term ends in January 2027. “I truly love the job of being United States Senator, but in my heart, I know it’s time to pass the torch,” Durbin said in a social media video.…
Read Full Article SPRINGFIELD — U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-Illinois) has announced he will retired at the end of his term in 2026. “The decision of whether to run for re-election has not been easy,” Durbin said in a message posted on the “X” (Twitter) social media platform. “I truly love the job of being a United States…
Read Full Article SPRINGFIELD – Members of the Illinois Senate Republican Caucus sent a letter April 22 to U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi requesting federal guidance to ensure fairness in girls’ and women’s athletics in Illinois high schools. The letter reflects conflicting guidance from state agencies and growing concerns about how to uphold the intent of Title IX in…
Read Full Article MRN interviews the two candidates in the Tuesday Hannibal Ward 2 runoff: April Azotea and Tammy Riley.
Read Full Article Is Dick Durbin announcing whether he’s running for reelection? Not this week, the state’s senior U.S. senator told reporters in his hometown of East St. Louis on Monday. Illinois Democrats are eagerly awaiting Durbin’s decision, but it’s not clear when the second-highest ranking Senate Democrat will decide if he will run for a sixth term. Despite…
Read Full Article Gov. JB Pritzker said last week that the extreme uncertainty with the US government and the international economy might mean that the legislature may have to reconvene to reconfigure the state budget after it adjourns at the end of next month. “It may very well be that we’re going to have to come back at…
Read Full Article SPRINGFIELD – Illinois K-12 schools may soon be required to pick new mascots to replace those that reference Native American names and imagery. That would include logos, team names and mascots which 90 schools throughout the state use, such as the Mt. Zion Braves or the Cahokia Comanches, according to legislators. House Bill 1237 passed…
Read Full Article SPRINGFIELD — Small Illinois counties will be allowed to band together to form new Veterans Assistance Commissions under legislation passed through the Illinois House this week by State Representative Kyle Moore (R-Quincy). House Bill 1352 will allow multiple counties who are within a judicial circuit to form a Jurisdictional Veterans Assistance Commission. ”Under current guidelines most…
Read Full Article SPRINGFIELD — The House passed a bill Tuesday that would ban public schools from using mascots that discriminate against people with disabilities. The bill, if signed into law, currently would affect just one high school in St. Clair County. Freeburg Community High School’s mascot, the “Midgets,” is considered a slur used against people with dwarfism.…
Read Full Article Totals are unofficial until certification. Marion County Results Ralls County Results Shelby County Results Monroe County Results Lewis County Results
Read Full Article State Rep. Scott Cupps strolled into a Missouri Capitol hearing room wearing a sport coat made of old quilts and toting a hand-cranked Bingo ball spinner. The jacket was a gift from friends back in his Shell Knob district, commissioned by his grandmother’s old quilt club. The Bingo spinner, procured from “the nuns at St.…
Read Full Article You’ve probably read about the Republican Party implosion last week in suburban municipal and township campaigns, particularly in DuPage County. It’s important to remember that these consolidated elections are not always a reliable indication of the future. They’re very low turnout, and in years like this – when the election was held during a hugely…
Read Full Article QUINCY — Karol Ehmen is Mayor Mike Troup and the Adams County Republican Central Committee’s choice to replace Mike Farha as one of the city’s two 4th Ward alderman. Ehmen’s appointment will go through at Monday’s Quincy City Council meeting and she will be immediately sworn in and seated to participate in the meeting. “I’ve…
Read Full Article The Missouri House sent the state Senate a budget of almost $48 billion to fund state agency operations in the coming fiscal year, a spending plan almost certain to grow as the upper chamber adds more money for public schools and child care. The 13 spending bills use about $2.1 billion less overall and $800 million less…
Read Full Article While many Illinois Democrats wait anxiously to hear whether U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin will run for reelection in 2026 or step down after five terms in the Senate, at least one incumbent officeholder appears to be ruling himself out as a potential successor. Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul said Tuesday he is not interested in…
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