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…
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SPRINGFIELD – Seven teams of Republicans and one team of Democrats have lined up to challenge Gov. JB Pritzker and Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton in the 2022 elections. Monday was the deadline for candidates to turn in their nominating petitions to the Illinois State Board of Elections to get their names on the June 28…
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Electric vehicles (EVs) are on the rise in Missouri. In the past decade alone, more than 11,000 EVs have been sold in the Show-Me State. As more Missouri residents hit the road in an electric car, making sure that it’s as easy to charge up your battery as it is to fill up your tank is crucial. Missouri…
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QUINCY — UPDATED Adams County Sheriff Rich Wagner will retire from his position in December. Wagner, who did not file a petition to run for the office he was appointed to, issued a statement Tuesday morning. Filing for elected offices for the June 28 primary closed at 5 p.m. Monday. Wagner’s statement: “I would like…
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March 12 marks the two-year anniversary of Gov. JB Pritzker’s first executive order citing emergency powers in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Pritzker has since issued 112 orders and declared a statewide disaster 27 times to extend those powers. Pritzker has been allowed to enact various policies without any input from the legislature. Those policies have included limiting…
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The two-term mayor of Aurora, Illinois is one of many seeking the Republican nomination for governor of Illinois in June and hoping to unseat Governor JB Pritzker in November. Muddy River News This Week is furnished by Harvey’s.
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QUINCY — Add two more candidates to the list of people interested in seats on the Adams County Board. David Hoskins (R-District 7) filed for re-election on Thursday. Republican Jim Fisher also filed to run in District 3. Fisher joins Rodney Hermsmeier as challengers to three Republican incumbents — Marvin Kerkhoff, Dave Bellis and Raquel…
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QUINCY — Four more candidates filed for Adams County Board on Wednesday, including two incumbents and two challengers. Republican incumbents Marvin Kerkhoff and Dave Bellis filed for re-election in District 3 as did newcomer Rodney Hermsmeier. Incumbent Republican Raquel Sparrow filed for re-election in District 3 on Monday, but with three more Republicans filing, now…
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WASHINGTON, DC – Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Ranking Member Sam Graves (R-MO) today joined Highways and Transit Subcommittee Ranking Member Rodney Davis (R-IL) and other Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Republicans to ask the Biden administration to rescind guidance intended to delay or deter critical road and highway expansion projects in clear defiance of the Infrastructure Investment…
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SPRINGFIELD – Former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan and former lobbyist Michael McClain on Wednesday pleaded not guilty in federal court to charges of racketeering, bribery, fraud and extortion. Both were arraigned on those charges during a teleconference hearing before U.S. District Judge Jeffrey Cole, a hearing that was prolonged several minutes because McClain had…
Read Full Article CHICAGO — One week after he was charged in a 22-count federal indictment that included racketeering, for Illinois House Speaker Michael J. Madigan is scheduled to be arraigned in a hearing to be conducted by phone at 1:30 p.m. today at the Everett M. Dirksen U.S. Federal Courthouse in Chicago’s Loop. Madigan, 79, faces allegations…
Read Full Article QUINCY — Adams County Board member Steve DeMoss (D-District 1) filed to run for re-election on Tuesday. Two others also filed to run for the 21-seat board on Tuesday: Republican Keith Callaway, also in District 1, and Republican Tim Finlay in District 5. Both are first time candidates for County Board seats. District 1 suddenly…
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QUINCY — Adams County Clerk and Recorder Ryan Niekamp may not have to worry about a primary challenge in June, but a Democrat filed to run against him in November. Arianna Downard-Salih filed to run against Niekamp Monday morning, shortly after Niekamp officially filed to run for re-election. Adams County Treasurer Bryden Cory also filed…
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QUINCY — From precinct committeemen to governor, candidates for elected office in 2022 made their way to courthouses and elections offices across Illinois on Monday. It is filing day for those who seek to be on the June 28 primary ballot. For those seeking state and federal offices, they stood in line outside the Illinois…
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Parents of kids under 14 are one step closer to legally deciding when it’s safe to leave their children home alone. The Illinois House unanimously passed a bill amending the child abandonment statute. House Bill 4305 instead lets parents determine maturity based on the individual child, not a minimum age. Illinois’ minimum age of 14 is the highest age in the…
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SPRINGFIELD — In a 106-page, 22-count indictment, federal prosecutors painted a picture of former House Speaker Michael Madigan as the leader, along with a longtime confidante, of a sweeping criminal enterprise that influenced legislation for personal power and financial gain. “The Madigan Enterprise,” as prosecutors called it in the document filed Wednesday, benefitted from Madigan’s…
Read Full Article Statement from Michael Madigan, former Illinois Speaker of the House, regarding Wednesday’s federal indictment on 22 counts of racketeering conspiracy and running a criminal enterprise: Statement from Madigan’s attorneys, Sheldon Zenner and Gil Soffer, on the indictment: Statement from Patrick Cotter, attorney for Quincy attorney and lobbyist Michael McClain, Madigan’s confidant, co-defendant and alleged co-conspirator:
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Indictment: Used position as speaker, Democratic Party chair for personal gain UPDATED SPRINGFIELD – Longtime Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan has been indicted by a federal grand jury on 22 counts for allegedly using his position as the top House Democrat to solicit “personal financial rewards” for himself and others, according to the U.S. Attorney’s…
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QUINCY — Two Illinois gubernatorial candidates, a congresswoman and an assortment of other politicians made their way to Quincy’s industrial section of the Riverfront Tuesday evening. The Quincy Tea Party has been holding its meetings in the lower level of Tower Pizza and Mexican, but with a larger than usual crowd expected to gather, the…
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SPRINGFIELD – Illinois Department of Public Health Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike will resign on March 14 after three years leading the agency and two years navigating a deadly pandemic that has claimed the lives of more than 32,000 Illinoisans. Ezike, who was appointed IDPH director in 2019, became a widely recognized public figure in the…
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SPRINGFIELD – Gov. JB Pritzker’s plan for pausing a scheduled automatic increase in the state’s motor fuel tax is facing opposition from several quarters, including engineering companies that design road and bridge projects. On Thursday, officials from the American Council of Engineering Companies of Illinois said pausing the scheduled increase could have long-term consequences that…
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QUINCY — After weeks of speculation and scuttlebutt, Quincy Mayor Mike Troup pulled the trigger at Monday night’s Quincy City Council meeting and nominated former Adams County Board Chairman Mike McLaughlin as the city’s newest police and fire commissioner. The City Council then approved the nomination by a 7-5-1 vote, with Troup casting the eighth…
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SPRINGFIELD – Illinois Senate Democrats outlined legislation during a Thursday news conference that aims to address the ongoing teacher shortage throughout the state. The bills would extend the number of days retired and substitute teachers would be able to teach in a school year, waive substitute teaching licensing fees, and lower the minimum age for…
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Although the mask sightings have been fewer and fewer in our area as the weeks have passed, as of 12:01 a.m. Monday, masks are no longer “mandated” to be worn indoors in many locations in Illinois. Some areas will still see a restriction including long-term care facilities, day cares and health care facilities. Federal regulations…
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PETERSBURG, IL – Republican candidate for governor Jesse Sullivan announced Adams County State’s Attorney Gary Farha as a member of his Safe Streets Leadership Council, a bipartisan group of more than 20 Illinois leaders who support Sullivan’s plan law enforcement initiative. “I’ve experienced firsthand the denigration and destruction of law and order as a result of…
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SPRINGFIELD – A House revenue committee this week heard projections of an Illinois economy that is steadily moving back toward a level of pre-pandemic normalcy, which means revenue spikes realized due to temporary changes in consumer spending habits and federal stimulus packages are expected to subside. Illinois Department of Revenue Director David Harris characterized the…
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The Illinois Supreme Court denied Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s appeal over his school mask mandates on Friday, determining that the lower court decisions were moot, vacating the temporary restraining order by the circuit court and remanding the case to the circuit court for further consideration. This decision likely brings to an end the litigation over mask mandates in…
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QUINCY — Illinois Democratic Party Chair and Congresswoman Robin Kelly (D-Illinois) made a stop in Quincy Friday evening to meet with local Democrats to encourage participation in local government at all levels. Kelly met with party leaders, then met with local media, before addressing Democrats as a whole in a function at The Taproom in…
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CHICAGO — The blind trust set up to manage Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s vast wealth bought stock in one of the state’s biggest Medicaid contractors in 2020, the same year his administration made several decisions that benefited the company’s bottom line. The purchase of stock in health insurance giant Centene Corp. was made on behalf of…
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SPRINGFIELD — State Sen. Tom Cullerton, D-Villa Park, resigned his seat Wednesday and will reportedly plead guilty next month to federal corruption charges. Cullerton, 52, a former chairman of the Senate Labor Committee, was first elected to the Senate in 2012 and was seated in 2013. In August 2019, he was indicted on multiple charges…
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Parson signs Missouri's $4.6 billion spending plan, House approves bill targeting Medicaid expansion
The first bill sent to Gov. Mike Parson from this year’s legislative session includes a pay raise for state employees, money to fund Medicaid through the end of the fiscal year and federal COVID-19 recovery funding for schools. The Missouri House on Thursday voted 133-12 to pass the $4.6 billion supplemental spending bill approved Wednesday evening in the state Senate.…
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SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois Supreme Court is being asked to review the state’s mask mandate and other COVID-19 mitigation orders for K-12 schools on an expedited schedule. Attorney General Kwame Raoul filed a petition for appeal Tuesday, along with a motion for an emergency stay of a Sangamon County judge’s order to block enforcement of…
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The attorney who has challenged Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s school mask mandates with lawsuits has set his sights on statewide office. Greenville attorney Thomas DeVore has confirmed he will run for Illinois Attorney General. DeVore, a Republican, had earlier launched a campaign for appellate judge, but will now join Rockford Attorney Steve Kim in a primary…
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Saying private dollars shouldn’t be used to pay public employees, an Illinois lawmaker has introduced legislation that would prevent Gov. J.B. Pritzker from paying state employees out of his pocket on top of the salaries taxpayers already pay for. Pritzker doles out $1.5 million a year to subsidize the salaries of 15 employees in his administration in…
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QUINCY — U.S. Congresswoman Robin Kelly, chair of the Democratic Party of Illinois, is traveling the state on a listening tour Friday. She will meet with Adams County Democrats from 6-7 p.m. at the Taproom, 104 N. Sixth. Kelly has dedicated her career to public service. Since being elected to serve the 2nd Congressional District in…
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SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois House voted to remove nine Republican members from the House floor Thursday afternoon for their refusal to comply with face covering requirements, delaying the start of the legislative session for the third straight day. In a 66-39 vote, Democrats voted to remove Reps. Joe Sosnowski, R-Rockford, Tony McCombie, R-Savanna, Blaine Wilhour,…
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An Illinois appellate court dismissed Governor J.B. Pritzker’s appeal of a lower court’s ruling against his mask mandate in schools, calling the request “moot” after a legislative committee suspended the requirement’s renewal. On Thursday, the Illinois Fourth District Appellate Court rejected the appeal, noting that the state’s department of public health on Feb. 14 had…
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SPRINGFIELD — The question of whether K-12 schools in Illinois can continue to enforce mask mandates and other COVID-19 mitigations remained unclear Wednesday as all three branches of state government tried to grapple with it. Gov. JB Pritzker said Wednesday that his executive order requiring those measures remains in place, at least in districts not…
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SPRINGFIELD — Confusion and pushback regarding the enforcement of masks mandates spilled over onto the House Floor Wednesday afternoon during the chamber’s regular legislative session after Republicans refused to comply with face covering requirements. Amid the pandemic, lawmakers approved House rules requiring face coverings to be worn in the chamber unless eating, drinking or speaking…
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Don’t expect the Illinois State Board of Education to take up a proposed rule requiring the COVID-19 vaccine or testing for school staff. The item was removed from the board’s agenda. The agenda for Thursday’s ISBE meeting initially showed an item for a proposed rule for adoption requiring mandatory vaccinations of school personnel. At last…
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SPRINGFIELD — A legislative panel on Tuesday voted to suspend the latest version of COVID-19 mitigations for public schools, saying in part that those rules are still being litigated in a state appellate court. The Joint Committee on Administrative rules voted 9-0, with two members voting “present,” to object to the rules and suspend them…
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A bill in the Illinois House would do away with the sub-minimum wage paid to waitresses, bartenders and other tipped service workers. Rep. Camille Lilly, D-Chicago, introduced House Bill 5139 last month. If the bill becomes law, workers who supplement their wages with tips will receive the state’s minimum wage starting on Jan. 1, 2025, in addition…
Read Full Article Gov. J.B. Pritzker announced Illinois will lift the statewide indoor mask mandate for most residents Feb. 28, joining nearly all other states nationwide that have rescinded emergency pandemic protocols as new COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations rapidly decline. The growing push for the post-pandemic transition has seen 11 states announce expiration dates for their universal indoor masking requirements since Feb.…
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Couples across Illinois are planning for the upcoming Valentine’s Day weekend, but gathering their loved one’s favorite flowers or candy comes with a painful reminder: inflation has made virtually everything more expensive in the past year. Inflation has reached its highest level since 1982, with average consumer prices jumping 7.5% from January 2021-January 2022, according to the…
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Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul is going to ask the Illinois Supreme Court to order Adams County Circuit Judge Robert Adrian to impose a new sentence to Drew Clinton. Raoul today filed a mandamus complaint and a motion for supervisory order asking the Court to direct Adrian to sentence Clinton “in accordance with state law.”…
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SPRINGFIELD — If hospitalizations for COVID-19 continue to decline for the rest of the month, Gov. JB Pritzker plans to lift his executive order mandating face coverings indoors by Feb. 28. The plan does not apply to schools. It’s unclear what level of rise in hospitalizations could lead the state to change its course, but…
Read Full Article SPRINGFIELD — Gov. JB Pritzker will make an official announcement on the state’s plan for lifting its indoor mask mandate at 2 p.m. in Chicago, but in a morning news conference in Champaign Wednesday, he noted that he plans to lift the indoor mandate for some settings by Feb. 28. That won’t be the lift…
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JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — The Senate’s anticipated contentious debate on congressional redistricting is underway — and in the midst of a long week. HB 2117, which was amended during a Senate hearing in late January to include an emergency clause, was brought to the floor shortly after 5 p.m. Monday. The Senate did not adjourn until about 12:30 a.m. Wednesday. …
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SPRINGFIELD — Illinoisans should stay tuned for an announcement on the state’s indoor mask mandate, Gov. JB Pritzker said at an unrelated news conference Tuesday, although he declined to say specifically what changes might be coming. “I think I’ve said over the last few press conferences that I really believe that we ought to be…
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SPRINGFIELD — Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul and Gov. JB Pritzker’s administration are asking a state appellate court to set aside a lower court order from late Friday that invalidated the mask and vaccine mandates that the state imposed last year for public schools. On Friday, Sangamon County Circuit Judge Raylene Grischow granted a temporary…
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QUINCY — Jesse Sullivan is attempting to break out of a crowded field of Republicans hoping to square off against J.B. Pritzker in the fall. Sullivan, a Petersburg native, stayed overnight Saturday in Quincy, attended Mass at St. Peter Parish Sunday morning, had breakfast at The Coach House and made numerous other stops to introduce…
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Quincy Public Schools Superintendent Roy Webb released a statement Saturday evening saying District 172 would no longer enforce masking requirements for students and staff and would cease testing of unvaccinated staff. This comes on the heels of Friday’s ruling by a Sangamon County Circuit Court Judge Raylene Grischow that “deemed null and void” Governor J.B. Pritzker’s…
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JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — After a week derailed by snow and the governor’s appointees, the Missouri Senate is expected to take up congressional redistricting again next week. “I’m hopeful next week goes off without too much fanfare, but I believe we will get a map done next week,” Senate President Pro Tem Dave Schatz said…
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Each year in February, Illinois’ governor must propose to lawmakers a spending plan for the upcoming fiscal year. The General Assembly will then spend the next several months negotiating which proposals to include and which to scrap before sending the budget back to the governor for consideration. On Wednesday, Gov. JB Pritzker delivered his fourth…
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SPRINGFIELD – Senate Republicans unveiled an updated package of crime bills this week that they say will help curb violent crime and provide a morale boost to law enforcement. It’s substantially similar to the package the GOP introduced three months ago during the fall veto session to little fanfare from Democratic supermajorities in either chamber of the…
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SPRINGFIELD – Gov. JB Pritzker on Wednesday offered a $45.4 billion general revenue budget plan for the upcoming fiscal year that would include new spending on education and health care while also providing about $1 billion in tax relief that he said would soften the impact of inflation on Illinois consumers. In his budget address…
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Wednesday speech will outline plan to ease grocery, motor fuel, property taxes SPRINGFIELD – Gov. JB Pritzker will propose a roughly $1 billion package of tax relief measures aimed at mitigating the impact of inflation on Illinois consumers when he gives his budget address Wednesday. The “Illinois Family Relief Plan,” as it is being called,…
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A pair of Missouri counties is asking the state Supreme Court to overturn a 2019 law that stripped them of their ability to set their own rules for concentrated animal feeding operations. Under the law, county commissioners are prohibited from setting policies that are “inconsistent with or more stringent than” state rules for CAFOs. The law nullified…
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SPRINGFIELD – Illinois lawmakers will return to the Statehouse next week for their first in-person sessions since Jan. 4. House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch, D-Hillside, said Thursday that the recent decline in COVID-19 cases makes returning to the Capitol possible. “Our goal is to be productive while also keeping everyone safe, so masking and social…
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SPRINGFIELD – Demanding what they call “common sense ethics reform,” Senate Republicans plan to take action in addressing unethical behavior by elected public officials. Upon introducing the ethics reforms package, Senate Republicans called for the legislative inspector general position to be filled through an independent search committee. Republicans said Democrats need to end the “political…
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METRO EAST — Gov. JB Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Transportation announced Wednesday that $111.4 million has been awarded to transit providers downstate as part of the Rebuild Illinois capital program. The governor also announced an additional $108.3 million for public ports in Illinois. The two announcements, combined with earlier commitments of $40 million…
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Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White has announced that for the next two months, additional larger downstate and central Illinois Driver Services facilities will require appointments for behind-the-wheel road tests, REAL IDs, standard driver’s licenses and ID cards. Vehicle services, such as renewing a license plate sticker or applying for a vehicle title, do not…
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MRN Publisher J. Robert Gough talks with Congresswoman Mary Miller about redistricting and having to run in a new part of Illinois. Muddy River News is furnished by Harvey’s Furniture.
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SPRINGFIELD – Police chiefs and sheriffs told a panel of state lawmakers Friday that they need more resources and support from the public and the General Assembly to combat a rising rate of violent crime in Illinois. Some said they don’t feel they are getting that now, especially in light of recently-enacted criminal justice reforms.…
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SPRINGFIELD – Hoping to make abortion care more accessible, a facility near St. Louis is set to be the “first of its kind” in providing financial assistance for travel-related costs. A Regional Logistics Center was opened Friday in a Planned Parenthood clinic in Fairview Heights. Using private funds, the center will pay for travel and…
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QUINCY — Congressman Rodney Davis (R-Taylorville) was in Quincy Friday to be the guest speaker at a business event. Before heading to Town and Country Inn to speak at the Kohl Wholesale annual meeting, Davis stopped by the Muddy River News studios to discuss the current Washington climate and his upcoming June 28 primary contest…
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JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — Just as he had promised earlier in the week, Attorney General Eric Schmitt unveiled a slate of lawsuits against Missouri schools Friday in an effort to halt their mask policies. “School districts do not have the authority to impose, at their whim, public health orders for their schoolchildren. That is doubly true when the public…
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Republicans are calling for their Democratic counterparts in the Illinois House to join them in efforts to repeal criminal justice reforms, known as the Safety, Accountability, Fairness and Equity-Today Act, commonly known as the SAFE-T Act. Reps. Patrick Windhorst, R-Metropolis, Ryan Spain, R-Peoria, and Deanne Mazzochi, R-Elmhurst, joined House GOP Leader Jim Durkin, R-Western Springs,…
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QUINCY — Republican state Sen. Jil Tracy, R-Quincy said Wednesday she will look to stay in the Illinois Senate in the newly created 50th District that covers stretches from Adams County to the Metro East across the Mississippi River from St. Louis. Tracy has represented the 47th District since 2016 and was a state representative…
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SPRINGFIELD – Matt Plater has been in charge of school districts for more than two decades. Something is happening he’s never seen before. Jobs that used to draw hundreds of applications now get a dozen. More specialized positions might not get any at all. “It’s horrible,” he said. “This is my 23rd year as a…
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SPRINGFIELD – School officials across Illinois say a shortage of teachers and substitutes is forcing them to cancel course offerings, move them online or fill open positions with people who are not fully qualified. Those are the findings of the latest survey by the Illinois Association of Regional Superintendents of Schools, the fifth such survey…
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QUINCY — Rep. Randy Frese (R-Paloma) has announced he is running for re-election to be one of three people who will represent Adams County in the Illinois House of Representatives. The new legislative maps divide Adams into the 94th, 99th and 100th Districts. The 99th House District consists of all or parts of Adams, Brown,…
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After the U.S. Supreme Court ruling Thursday against the Biden administration’s vaccine or testing mandate on employers of more than 100 employees, it’s expected the Illinois Department of Labor’s COVID-19 vaccine or testing mandate will be withdrawn. The U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday blocked the Biden administration’s vaccine mandate on private sector businesses with more…
Read Full Article SPRINGFIELD – A continuing sharp spike in COVID-19 cases being driven by the omicron variant has pushed the state’s hospital capacity to its limits and is prompting the state to bring in additional health care workers from other states and countries. Gov. JB Pritzker said Wednesday that more than 2,000 additional health care workers have…
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IDOC Pauses County Intakes to Protect Staff, Individuals in Custody from Latest Covid-19 Surge SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois Department of Corrections (IDOC) is temporarily pausing intakes from county jails as it responds to COVID-19 outbreaks at correctional facilities. These facilities include the Graham, Logan, Menard and Northern Reception and Classification Centers where county jails transport new…
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SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois Department of Public Health said Friday that the state had recorded 201,428 new cases of COVID-19 over the previous week, a 57 percent increase over the previous week, while the weekly number of deaths rose 15 percent, to 444 as the omicron variant of the virus continues to spread. Those cases…
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