Politics
Larry Ehmen, a retired teacher and businessman who also ran for an elected office because he wanted to abolish that office, died Wednesday in Blessing Hospital. Ehmen was 82. His list of public service, community and political service was lengthy. He was an unapologetic Conservative Republican. During a two-year stint on the Adams County Board,…
Read Full Article SPRINGFIELD – An appeal to the Illinois Supreme Court regarding the constitutionality of a state law that would end cash bail appears to be at least two months away from resolution under a new timeline approved by the court Thursday. Attorney General Kwame Raoul filed the agreed motion setting the timeline for the high court’s appeal of…
Read Full Article The Missouri Attorney General’s office will operate in “unyielding pursuit of victory,” Andrew Bailey said Tuesday as he was being sworn into office. Bailey, in a short speech before a crowd of about 150 gathered at the Missouri Supreme Court building, said he’s grateful to Gov. Mike Parson for appointing him. Speaking to reporters afterwards,…
Read Full Article The Illinois Supreme Court stayed the controversial no-cash bail provisions of the SAFE-T Act Dec. 31, halting the elimination of cash bail statewide while the lower court’s decision is heard on appeal. The order targeting the pretrial provision of the Safety, Accountability, Fairness and Equality-Today Act came just hours before the omnibus bill was set to take…
Read Full Article With the passing of Amendment 3 in November, parents in Missouri now have a new conversation to navigate: Adult cannabis (marijuana) use. As someone who works in alcohol and drug education, I’ve seen firsthand the impacts of substance use disorder in our communities, particularly on young people. Talking about drugs and alcohol with your kids…
Read Full Article For any Illinoisan who was gifted a new smartphone, it comes with the nation’s highest taxes for wireless services. Combined federal, state and local tax rates for Illinois cell phones average just shy of 35% of monthly bills, according to Tax Foundation data. That gives Illinois the distinction of topping the nation for wireless taxes. No…
Read Full Article Gas prices nationwide are going down, but gas taxes in Illinois are going up in the new year. Illinois is scheduled for two gas tax increases in 2023, first Jan. 1 and then July 1. The increase amount isn’t official yet, but Illinois Policy Institute estimates roughly a 3-cent increase per gallon to 42.4 cents starting…
Read Full Article SPRINGFIELD – A Kankakee County judge ruled Wednesday that lawmakers overreached their constitutional authority in passing a measure to abolish cash bail in Illinois, while other provisions in the wide-ranging SAFE-T Act criminal justice reform were not affected by the ruling. The ruling by Judge Thomas W. Cunnington leaves the impending cash bail reform in limbo…
Read Full Article 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…
Read Full Article 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…
Read Full Article 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…
Read Full Article 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…
Read Full Article 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…
Read Full Article 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.
Read Full Article 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…
Read Full Article 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…
Read Full Article 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:…
Read Full Article 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…
Read Full Article 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…
Read Full Article 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…
Read Full Article 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…
Read Full Article 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…
Read Full Article 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…
Read Full Article 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…
Read Full Article 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…
Read Full Article 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…
Read Full Article 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…
Read Full Article 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…
Read Full Article 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…
Read Full Article 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…
Read Full Article 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,…
Read Full Article 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 MEMPHIS, Missouri – Joni Lloyd was in her pajamas when the call came. Lori Fulk, chair of the Scotland County Hospital District Board of Directors, was calling. She asked Lloyd, the vice-chair, to come to her house to talk. When Lloyd arrived the evening of Aug. 15, she found Fulk was not alone. An emergency…
Read Full Article A defective rocking chair will cost Missouri taxpayers $441,000, the Southern District Court of Appeals ruled Monday. In a case stemming from a 2015 accident at the Missouri Children’s Division office in Sikeston, the court ruled that Kenneth Gilmore, a grandfather injured when a rocking chair collapsed during a supervised visitation, must be compensated for his…
Read Full Article SPRINGFIELD – Changes may yet come to the SAFE-T Act criminal justice reform before its Jan. 1 effective date, but some of its major proponents in the General Assembly said the results of the Nov. 8 general election have signified that the ship has sailed for drastic amendments to it. “I will say, when it…
Read Full Article SPRINGFIELD – Republicans chose new leadership for their caucuses in the Illinois General Assembly on Tuesday night, while the two Democratic leaders have each announced they have the votes to maintain their positions. House Republicans elected Tony McCombie of Savanna and Senate Republicans chose John Curran of Downers Grove. The change in leadership comes after…
Read Full Article CHICAGO – The Illinois Housing Development Authority announced the Illinois Homeowner Assistance Fund is now open to support qualified homeowners who need help with past-due mortgage payments and related expenses due to financial hardships associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. Eligible households may apply for grants of up to $60,000 — doubling the assistance previously available…
Read Full Article SPRINGFIELD — Illinois House Minority Leader Jim Durkin is stepping away from his leadership position heading into next year. “It has been the honor of a lifetime to serve as Leader of the House Republican caucus, but it’s time for the Illinois Republican Party to rebuild with new leaders who can bring independents back to…
Read Full Article Here are the links to the county-by-county results: ADAMS COUNTY
Read Full Article Missouri House Democrats had their best election night in years Tuesday, flipping six seats while losing only one. Democrats went into this year’s election knowing they had no realistic chance of regaining legislative majorities the party lost 20 years ago. They targeted, and obtained, gains from new district maps. According to unofficial results, Republicans will…
Read Full Article Republican Eric Schmitt will be Missouri’s next U.S. Senator, cruising to an easy victory Tuesday over Democrat Trudy Busch Valentine. With roughly 70% of precincts reporting, Schmitt led Valentine 56% to 41%. “Missourians have always been suspicious of a federal government 1,000 miles away telling us how to run our lives,” Schmitt told supporters Tuesday…
Read Full Article After Congresswoman Mary Miller basically moved to Quincy during the run up to her overwhelming Republican primary win over Rodney Davis, she didn’t make it to Adams County much after that. Turns out, she didn’t need to. Miller has been declared the winner of the 15th District Congressional seat over Paul Lange of Mendon. With…
Read Full Article QUINCY — A Republican slate that generated very little enthusiasm statewide except for remote pockets in Illinois was washed away by a blue wave Tuesday night. Governor JB Pritzker had more than 55 percent of the vote over Republican State Senator Darren Bailey, who called the governor to concede before 10 p.m. All of the statewide…
Read Full Article Today is Election Day and this is a reminder to head to the polls. If you haven’t voted, you can find your polling place here. And Illinois offers same-day registration at your polling place or your county/election authority’s main vote center. A vote center is usually the office of the election authority, typically at the county courthouse, according to…
Read Full Article President Joe Biden’s administration told hospitals in July they must provide emergency abortions when necessary even in states with strict bans in place. And here in Missouri, a Joplin hospital is apparently the first in the nation to be investigated for possibly violating federal law by telling a woman experiencing an emergency that she needed to terminate her pregnancy to protect…
Read Full Article SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — To pay tribute to veterans and honor their legacies and sacrifices, State Sen. Jil Tracy (R-Quincy) is asking constituents to submit photos and stories of loved ones who served our nation for display on the first floor of the State Capitol. The “Honoring All Who Served” Veterans Day display is scheduled to…
Read Full Article SPRINGFIELD — Gov. JB Pritzker and State School Superintendent Carmen Ayala on Thursday touted some of the more positive findings from the 2022 school report card, insisting that Illinois schools are on the right track while also acknowledging that the COVID-19 pandemic took a toll on student learning. “To say that these last two-and-a-half years have…
Read Full Article SPRINGFIELD — Student test scores continued to fall last year but new data shows Illinois’ students are on the path to recovering from the learning loss that occurred during the pandemic. Numbers from standardized tests administered last spring show steep declines in the percentage of students who met or exceeded state standards in English language…
Read Full Article SPRINGFIELD – Justice Mary Jane Theis was sworn in Wednesday as chief justice of the Illinois Supreme Court, the fourth woman in the state’s history to hold the position. She’ll serve a three-year term replacing Justice Anne M. Burke, whose term as chief justice concluded Tuesday ahead of her planned retirement effective Nov. 30. Theis…
Read Full Article Illinois’ Halloween shoppers should expect to pay more for treats this October after federal reports found national candy prices jumped more than 13% since last holiday season – the largest single-year boost ever for candy. But there’s a way this year to trick the Illinois taxman out of about $1.50. U.S. candy makers attribute the unprecedented increase…
Read Full Article A state commission Tuesday laid out its recommendations to improve teacher recruitment and retention in Missouri, including a push to raise starting salaries that currently rank among the lowest in the nation. The State Board of Education approved the commission’s nine recommendations and pledged to bring the findings to the public and lawmakers. “I look forward to…
Read Full Article The candidates for governor met on the same stage for the last time in the general election cycle Tuesday, and it was mainly a recitation of the points the candidates made in the two previous forums. Both candidates were asked for further specifics on topics which CNI Bureau Chief Jerry Nowicki noted needed clarity after the…
Read Full Article SPRINGFIELD – The federal case against former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan widened Friday after new charges were filed against him and his longtime ally, Michael McClain, alleging they conspired to accept a bribe from AT&T Illinois in exchange for favorable legislation. Prosecutors also announced that the company had admitted to using interstate commerce to facilitate passage…
Read Full Article RUSHVILLE, Ill. — Election officials in Schuyler County printed the wrong name of the Republican candidate for U.S. Senate on several hundred ballots, forcing the officials Wednesday to keep the ballots separate from all others being cast in the Nov. 8 general election. The error in Schuyler County could lead to several dozen votes in…
Read Full Article While announcing a plan to pardon those with prior federal offenses of simple marijuana possession, President Joe Biden urged governor’s to follow suit for those convicted of state offenses. Missouri Gov. Mike Parson, who has granted clemency to more people than any Missouri governor in the past four decades, doesn’t appear ready to heed the president’s call. In…
Read Full Article SPRINGFIELD – Attorney General Kwame Raoul accused his Republican challenger Thomas DeVore of making “dangerous” remarks, while DeVore accused the Democratic incumbent of failing the state’s school students by not challenging Gov. JB Pritzker’s COVID-19 mitigations. The charges and countercharges came during a nearly hourlong debate organized by the Illinois Associated Press Media Editors and…
Read Full Article SPRINGFIELD – Secretary of state candidates Alexi Giannoulias, a Chicago Democrat and former state treasurer, and Dan Brady, a Republican state representative from Bloomington, each spent 45 minutes before a panel organized by the Illinois Associated Press Media Editors in recent weeks. A full story about their plans for modernizing the office can be found here,…
Read Full Article Tyson Foods is joining the list of companies relocating employees out of Illinois. Offices in Chicago and Downers Grove are closing for good, with 500 corporate jobs moving to their Arkansas headquarters in early 2023. Employees at the Tyson office in Dakota Dunes, S.D., will also be relocated to Arkansas. CEO Donnie King said consolidating employees will help…
Read Full Article Bringing attention to the importance of voting and women’s rights over their own bodies, Voices for Choice, a local group of concerned citizens, assembled and held demonstrations Saturday in Quincy and Hannibal. About 40 people gathered with their signs in support of women’s pro-choice rights on the corner of 30th and Broadway in Quincy. Concerned citizens…
Read Full Article SPRINGFIELD – Illinois voters will be asked in November to decide whether the right of workers to form unions and engage in collective bargaining should be enshrined in the state constitution. The first clause of the amendment contains two sentences. The first would establish a “fundamental right to organize and to bargain collectively and to…
Read Full Article Comptroller’s Race: Mendoza touts state’s fiscal progress, while Teresi focuses on recent corruption
SPRINGFIELD – When former Gov. Bruce Rauner and the Democratic-controlled General Assembly spent more than two years at an impasse in negotiating a state budget from mid-2015 into 2017, the office of Illinois comptroller was thrust onto center stage. As the state’s chief fiscal officer, the comptroller is often referred to as manager of the…
Read Full Article MOUNT STERLING, Ill. — Brown County’s law enforcement officials have joined several of their colleagues from across the state to sue and challenge the legality of what is commonly known as the “SAFE-T Act.” On Monday, Brown County State’s Attorney Mike Hill and Sheriff Justin Oliver joined the suit against Illinois statewide officials Attorney General…
Read Full Article In an effort to fortify access to abortion throughout the Midwest and in Missouri, where the procedure is almost entirely banned, Planned Parenthood is launching a mobile clinic across the state line in southern Illinois. The mobile clinic will be part of Planned Parenthood of the St. Louis Region and Southwest Missouri, and will provide…
Read Full Article Illinoisans’ property taxes could increase 5% starting in 2023 as local governments consider raising rates by the maximum allowed level to offset losses from decades-high inflation. Truth in Accounting founder Sheila Weinberg said Illinois experienced 7% inflation in 2021, the highest level reported since the state instituted a property tax cap in 1991. The Property Tax Extension…
Read Full Article SPRINGFIELD – Gov. JB Pritzker is considering changes to the SAFE-T Act criminal justice reform to clarify provisions related to the end of cash bail in Illinois, while his Republican challenger, state Sen. Darren Bailey, continues to push for a full repeal. The candidates shared their thoughts Friday on those and other issues during a…
Read Full Article The Missouri House on Thursday abandoned its attempt to cut corporate income taxes after Gov. Mike Parson signaled his opposition to the move. Instead, House Republican leaders put a Senate-passed tax cut plan up for a vote, but not before one Democrat called “shenanigans” because the move blocked plans to offer amendments. By a 98-32 vote, the House sent…
Read Full Article SPRINGFIELD – Gov. JB Pritzker announced a plan Tuesday to reduce a $1.8 billion Unemployment Insurance Trust Fund deficit by $450 million through an infusion of unemployment-related revenues. The trust fund is the pool of money paid into by employers to provide a social safety net for unemployed individuals. The employer’s insurance premiums are essentially…
Read Full Article QUINCY — Paul Lange, the Democratic candidate for Illinois’ 15th Congressional District, has invited Republican opponent Mary Miller to a debate. A press release from Lange’s campaign team says Lange says he has expressed public enthusiasm for the opportunity to debate, even making posts about the topic on social media, but claims Miller has stayed silent…
Read Full Article SPRINGFIELD – In Illinois, the role of state treasurer is that of chief investment officer. Treasurer Michael Frerichs has held that position for two full terms, winning by less than 10,000 votes in 2014 before cruising to an 18 percentage-point victory in 2018. He boasts that Illinois has topped $1.2 billion in interest gains on…
Read Full Article Sens. Jones, Hastings accused of misconduct SPRINGFIELD – Gov. JB Pritzker called on two Democratic state senators Thursday to resign their seats amid allegations of misconduct. Sen. Emil Jones III, D-Chicago, was charged in federal court earlier this week with soliciting a $5,000 bribe from a red light camera company. And Sen. Michael Hastings, D-Frankfort,…
Read Full Article A shortage of nurses has been developing in Illinois for many years, and officials say things could get worse. The COVID-19 pandemic caused nurses to retire or leave the profession, but there were regional shortages before then, especially in downstate rural Illinois. According to the 2022 Trends in Nurse Staffing survey, more than 25% of…
Read Full Article The Missouri Senate gave first-round approval Tuesday to a $335 million income tax cut over objections from liberal members who saw fiscal problems ahead and conservative members who wanted deeper cuts. The bill, which needs a final vote before it moves to the Missouri House, is a pared-down version of the $700 million tax cut…
Read Full Article SPRINGFIELD – Beginning Jan. 1, 2023, cash bail will be abolished in Illinois. The measure that will eliminate it has been on the books since early 2021, giving the justice system two years to plan for the major overhaul of the state’s pretrial detention system. It’s also given time for the measure to become politicized…
Read Full Article SPRINGFIELD – Gov. JB Pritzker said Wednesday that Illinois will continue to welcome migrants bused here from Texas as he blasted that state’s governor for relocating them to other cities without sharing information or providing resources. Pritzker said Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and his agencies have been providing little notice for incoming migrants and has…
Read Full Article SPRINGFIELD – Gov. JB Pritzker announced Monday that Illinois taxpayers will soon start receiving rebates of their income and property taxes, either in the mail or by direct bank deposits. Speaking at a news conference in Chicago where he was flanked by other state officials and Democratic leaders of the General Assembly, Pritzker said the…
Read Full Article Most Illinois taxpayers will soon be getting onetime income and property tax rebates from the state. Distribution of the money to qualifying residents started Monday, but state officials say it could take eight weeks to get money to everyone who’s eligible. Here’s everything else you need to know about the rebates: Income tax rebates Who…
Read Full Article A Cole County Circuit Court Judge Friday dismissed a lawsuit that sought to block an initiative petition to legalize recreational marijuana from appearing on the November ballot. A day after a three-hour hearing, Cole County Judge Cotton Walker determined Joy Sweeney, an anti-drug legalization activist who filed the lawsuit, lacked standing to sue because she…
Read Full Article Students and teachers are back in school across Illinois, but teachers unions keep claiming there are not enough teachers to run classrooms. That’s wrong. State data proves it. Teachers’ unions have perpetuated the teacher shortage myth. The Illinois Education Association claimed Aug. 28, 2022, the “teacher and education employee shortage [is] getting worse.” But according to data from…
Read Full Article This article was produced for ProPublica’s Local Reporting Network in partnership with Capitol News Illinois and Lee Enterprises. Over a year ago, the security chief at Choate Mental Health and Developmental Center in southern Illinois sent an email to the head of the state agency that operates the facility, warning her of dangerous conditions inside. “What I…
Read Full Article SPRINGFIELD – At least 60 migrants arrived in Chicago Wednesday on buses from Texas as part of Republican Gov. Greg Abbott’s ongoing policy to send undocumented immigrants to so-called “sanctuary cities.” But Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker and Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot, both Democrats, say the new arrivals are welcome in Illinois, and they are vowing…
Read Full Article SPRINGFIELD – Democratic Gov. JB Pritzker said Tuesday that abortion rights will be a central issue in the 2022 election, not just in his bid for reelection but in races up and down the ballot. That includes races for Congress and the Illinois Supreme Court as well as the governor’s race and state legislative contests.…
Read Full Article QUINCY — Tom Demmers, a Republican state representative from Dixon, stopped in Quincy today to discuss his candidacy for Illinois state treasurer. Demmers was introduced by one of his colleagues in the Illinois House, State Rep. Randy Frese (R-Quincy). Frese said he and Demmers were in agreement to stop tax increases in Illinois. Earlier this…
Read Full Article The legislature will not reconvene next week as previously planned to debate a $700 million tax cut proposal offered by Gov. Mike Parson, Senate Majority Leader Caleb Rowden said in an email to staff Wednesday. Instead, the session is now scheduled to begin the following week, when lawmakers are already planning to be in town…
Read Full Article Portillo’s, a hot dog and Italian beef restaurant brand synonymous with Chicago and Illinois, is focusing their expansion on out-of-state locations that treat businesses better. For new locations, CEO Michael Osanloo said Arizona, Florida and Texas will make up “at least the majority – if not the vast majority.” One of the reasons Osanloo cited is declining population in…
Read Full Article SPRINGFIELD – There was a lot to unpack at last Wednesday’s candidate forum which saw Gov. JB Pritzker and his Republican challenger state Sen. Darren Bailey appear on the same stage, albeit at different times, for the first time this campaign season. For starters, I wrote an earlier article fact-checking the governor’s claim that eminent domain language…
Read Full Article Gov. Mike Parson announced Monday that state lawmakers will be returning to the Missouri Capitol after the Labor Day weekend to weigh passing a $700 million income tax cut and slate of agricultural tax incentives. Parson’s proposal would lower the state’s top income tax rate from 5.3% to 4.8% and eliminate the bottom income tax…
Read Full Article New money slowly closing state funding equity gap for public schools SPRINGFIELD – Five years ago this month, Illinois lawmakers passed legislation that overhauled the way public schools in the state are funded. The so-called Evidence Based Funding formula, or EBF, was designed to calculate the actual cost for each district to provide the kind…
Read Full Article Voting-rights advocates filed a lawsuit Tuesday arguing that a new law requiring Missourians to present a government-issued photo ID to vote is unconstitutional. While lawmakers have approved voter ID laws numerous times, and voters signed off on putting it in the state constitution in 2016, the proposal has never withstood a legal challenge. The voter ID law is…
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