Politics
The 99th Representative District Committee announced a vacancy in the Illinois House of Representatives due to the resignation of Randy Frese. The Committee’s appointment will serve the remainder of Frese’s term in the 103rd General Assembly. In accordance with state statute, vacancies created in the General Assembly must be filled within 30 days. Former Quincy Mayor and current…
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The minimum wage in Illinois will increase to $15 an hour on Jan. 1, completing a six-year transition period since the increase was approved in 2019. Beginning New Year’s Day, Illinois workers making minimum wage will see wages rise by $1 and tipped workers will see their paychecks bump to $9 an hour. Youth workers…
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Time to study up, Illinois. When the clock hits midnight on New Year’s Day, 293 new state laws will take effect. Those include some of the defining bills of the 2024 legislative session and others that will change how people get IDs, evaluate job postings and even cancel gym memberships. In addition to the laws…
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We’re less than nine months from when candidates can begin circulating petitions for the 2026 election, so we’re rapidly approaching the time when major figures will need to decide whether to run or not. Because of that, a lot of people are polling. The state’s two big dogs, US Sen. Dick Durbin and Gov. JB…
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I’ve mentioned a time or two I spent time on the Quincy Park Board of Commissioners, including two years as president. I was asked for a comment Thursday night regarding the latest episode of “As John Frankenhoff Turns” since my name was mentioned, so I obliged. I can’t really give a “no comment,” right? First,…
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When Bill Veeck owned baseball teams and sat in the bleachers or Harry Caray broadcast baseball games from the cheap seats, it was funny. But when Alderman Mike Farha (R-4th Ward) sat in the audience during Monday’s Quincy City Council meeting, it was not funny. When roll was called, he said he was just going…
Read Full Article The Democratic legislative leaders and the governor agreed to squirrel away $260 million in lump-sum appropriations to various state agencies last spring. But now some groups are figuring out that a big pile of state money is just sitting there and they are trying to stake their claims. This came to light last month when…
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SPRINGFIELD – More than five years after Illinois began issuing permits for legal production of industrial hemp, Gov. JB Pritzker said Friday he now favors legislation to bring the industry under tighter regulation. At a news conference in Chicago, Pritzker said in the short time since both the state and federal governments legalized hemp production,…
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CHICAGO – A federal judge on Thursday declined to acquit former AT&T Illinois president Paul La Schiazza after his September trial on charges that he bribed ex-Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan ended in a hung jury. U.S. District Judge Robert Gettleman was forced to declare a mistrial after jurors failed to reach a verdict in…
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MRN This week goes on the road to the Missouri state capitol to interview the Chief Justice of the Missouri Supreme Court, Mary Russell. Russell, a Ralls County native and graduate of Hannibal High School, Truman State and the University of Missouri School of Law, has been on the state’s highest court for 20 years.
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CHICAGO – After nearly a dozen years working for Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan, Tom Cullen went out on his own in 1999, building up a lengthy roster of diverse – and often high-paying – clients that kept him busy. Even so, Cullen continued to volunteer with the Democratic Party of Illinois, overseeing campaigns and…
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State lawmakers will face a projected budget deficit and slowing revenue when they return to Springfield in January, but a new report shows fiscal decisions made in recent years have put Illinois in a better position to handle a recession than any time in recent decades. No state is immune from the negative effects of…
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After a closely watched presidential election, Illinoisans will have another chance to cast a vote in a few weeks – this time, for a new state flag. The Illinois Flag Commission this week released 10 potential new designs for the state flag after lawmakers moved in 2023 to explore replacing the current banner. The commission…
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CHICAGO – It was the last day of the General Assembly’s spring legislative session in 2018 when veteran Statehouse lobbyist Mike McClain realized his bill wasn’t going anywhere. McClain was officially retired but still took on “assignments” from his longtime friend Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan. But one particular project he took on proved especially…
Read Full Article Whenever someone assures you that another person you’re both dealing with “understands” the “quid pro quo,” you’d be wise to run away as fast as you can and never look back. But that’s exactly how then-Ald. Daniel Solis assured then-House Speaker Michael Madigan in late June of 2017 that their mark – the developers of…
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McClain’s fingerprints could be seen on the list with the recommendations of Troy Culbertson to continue to run the Illinois Veterans Home in Quincy and Dan Brink to remain on the Illinois Prisoner Review Board. A note also included a suggestion for Pritzker to continue the $250 million overhaul of the Quincy Veterans Home started…
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CHICAGO — A state watchdog has identified at least $7.2 million in fraudulent claims and more than 275 instances of misconduct by state employees accused of bilking a federal program designed to help businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic. Since 2022, the Office of the Executive Inspector General has been investigating allegations that state employees fraudulently…
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