Politics
SPRINGFIELD – Illinois lawmakers worked until the early hours of Saturday to pass a $46.5 billion spending plan for the upcoming fiscal year, as well as a $1.8 billion package of mostly-temporary tax cuts that Democrats said are intended to soften the impact of inflation on working families. The final proposals surfaced around 9 p.m.…
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SPRINGFIELD — Gov. JB Pritzker and Democratic leaders of the General Assembly announced Thursday they had reached agreement on a $45.6 billion budget package that would include $1.8 billion of mostly-temporary tax relief. Senate President Don Harmon, of Oak Park, and House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch, of Hillside, said they expect a vote on the…
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At the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and state-mandated shutdowns, businesses in the leisure and hospitality sector were among those hit the hardest. But now they are recovering and propelling most states’ economic recoveries. But less-so in Illinois. More than one-in-four of those jobs is still missing, giving Illinois’ leisure and hospitality jobs the nation’s…
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Illinois lawmakers are considering forcing gas stations to post a 4-inch by 8-inch, boldly lettered sign on gas pumps highlighting Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s temporary suspension of the upcoming automatic gas tax hike. Failing to comply would come with $500-a-day fines. Nope, says Josh Sharp of the Illinois Fuel and Retail Association. “This industry won’t be…
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SPRINGFIELD – Democrats in the Illinois House unveiled their own tax cut proposals and outlined spending tied to recent public safety measures at a news conference Wednesday, just three days before the scheduled Friday adjournment of the 2022 regular session. Those provisions are part of a $45.6 billion spending plan for the upcoming fiscal year…
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If the Missouri Senate debates a sports wagering bill that passed the House last month, it will likely include a higher tax rate and more money to combat problem gambling. At the close of a hearing on the bill Wednesday, Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Dan Hegeman didn’t specify what tax rate on sports wagering profits he…
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Chicago speed cameras issued 2.81 million citations in 2021, sending more tickets to drivers in one year than there are residents in the nation’s third-largest city. One of those tickets went to Dr. Ramiro Gumucio – his first speeding fine in three decades. “I’m a physician. I’ve worked with a lot of trauma patients who…
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SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – Public school, community college and public university employees who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 are now entitled to paid administrative leave for any days they miss this school year due to coronavirus-related issues. Gov. JB Pritzker on Tuesday signed House Bill 1167 into law, which provides those employees as many days off as needed…
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COLUMBIA, Mo. — While the past two years have fueled growth in remote work, most workers in Missouri still commute to their jobs. Some are opting for longer commutes. A new report from University of Missouri Extension shows that more workers in the state are commuting to jobs outside their home counties compared to 20 years ago.…
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QUINCY — Quincy Mayor Mike Troup announced that Quincy Township Supervisor Cindy Brink is retiring at the end of the month. Brink, 58, won her third term in the office in April 2021, defeating Democrat Bill Burns. Since she will be leaving with three years remaining, there will be an appointment to fill the position,…
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Includes direct checks to Illinoisans, expands on Pritzker proposal by $800 million SPRINGFIELD – Democrats in the Illinois Senate have announced a $1.8 billion package of mostly temporary tax relief proposals that they hope to include in the Fiscal Year 2023 budget as the legislative session enters its final week. The package, rolled out…
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Illinois Democrats are floating Chicago as a potential site for the 2024 Democratic National Convention, a bid that could bring back a marquee political event that last swung through town nearly three decades ago. Gov. JB Pritzker, Mayor Lori Lightfoot and Democratic U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth are coordinating the potential effort to land their party’s…
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(The Center Square) – A new measure aims to streamline Illinois Department of Transportation projects. The Illinois House has approved the Innovations for Transportation Infrastructure Act, which authorizes IDOT to use the design-build method to allow for a single entity to both design and start construction on a project. Currently, IDOT uses the design-bid-build project delivery…
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Illinois high school juniors saw greater declines in their standardized test scores from 2019 to 2021 compared to other school years, with math scores dropping nearly 15% and reading scores dropping 9%. This drop in proficiency is higher compared to recent years, according to data released in December 2021 by the Illinois State Board of…
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SPRINGFIELD – Public schools in Illinois may soon be serving a lot more vegan and vegetarian meals, thanks to a bill that cleared the General Assembly Tuesday. House Bill 4089 requires school districts to provide a plant-based lunch option that complies with federal nutritional requirements to any student who submits a prior request to the district…
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As allegations that former Gov. Eric Greitens was physically abusive to his wife and children were made public Monday, calls for him to drop out of the U.S. Senate race abounded swiftly. U.S. Senator Josh Hawley, a Republican, said: “If you hit a woman or a child, you belong in handcuffs, not the United States Senate. It’s time for…
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Illinois’ population decline reached record levels in 2021 as the state’s population dropped by 113,776 residents from July 2020-July 2021. Population decline was widespread during the year, affecting nearly all areas of the state as 81 of Illinois’ 102 counties saw population losses, according to U.S. Census Bureau estimates released March 24. The largest declines…
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SPRINGFIELD – Illinois lawmakers this week advanced a measure to allocate $2.7 billion in federal American Rescue Plan Act funds to pay down more than half of the state’s outstanding $4.5 billion Unemployment Insurance Trust Fund debt. The measure, an amendment to Senate Bill 2803, also included over $1.4 billion in general revenue fund spending to…
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SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES) announced today that the unemployment rate fell -0.2 percentage point to 4.8 percent, while nonfarm payrolls increased by +19,600 in February, based on preliminary data provided by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) and released by IDES. The January monthly change in payrolls was revised from…
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The Missouri House gave first-round approval Wednesday to a bill that would allow betting on major college and professional sports. The bill, sponsored by Rep. Dan Houx, R-Warrensburg, is the proposal preferred by the casinos and major sports teams, who would all get a piece of the action. A major part of the drive to allow…
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Rural fire departments in Illinois are battling more than house fires. They’re also fighting a shortage of volunteers. In an effort to bolster the ranks, legislation is being proposed at the Illinois statehouse that would provide a $500 tax credit for would-be volunteers. During a news conference Wednesday, Margaret Vaughn, director of government affairs with…
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Illinois now levies the nation’s highest state and local tax rates on residents, costing each household $9,488 – or more than 15% of their annual income – in 2022, a new WalletHub report found. That tax load is nearly 39% more annually than the nation’s average. The study also found Illinois state and local governments levy the…
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As a fight over who can regulate industrial hog and cattle operations awaits action by the Missouri Supreme Court, counties that sought more stringent protections against them wait in limbo. The Missouri Supreme Court is expected to hear an appeal by county commissioners who sought to regulate concentrated animal feeding operations, or CAFOs, after a Cole…
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Illinois saw the largest departure of state residents in the nation during 2021, with 68% of Illinoisans who moved saying goodbye and heading for more affordable locales, a new study found. The annual migration report from Allied Van Lines and Zillow found this trend was reflected in the state’s largest city, Chicago, which reported the most outbound…
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It’s been two weeks since prosecutors indicted former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan and a little more than one week since he and alleged co-conspirator Michael McClain each entered not guilty pleas on charges including racketeering and bribery. While the 106-page, 22-count indictment was the culmination of years of investigation into what prosecutors allege to…
Read Full Article November 12, 2024
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