Politics
A new poll from the Chicago Sun-Times and Chicago radio station WBEZ shows downstate state Sen. Darren Bailey with a 15-point lead on Aurora Mayor Richard Irvin in the GOP governor race, a major reversal with 18 days to go before polls close on Tuesday, June 28. Irvin’s campaign had earlier in the week pulled…
Read Full Article Public health director Dr. Ngozi Ezike was front and center nearly every day during the first two years of the COVID-19 pandemic. Now she is CEO of a top state medical contractor. Did Dr. Ezike’s quick switch violate the state Ethics Act? CHICAGO — The state’s former public health director – a well-regarded advisor to…
Read Full Article WASHINGTON, D.C. — The House of Representatives on Wednesday passed the Water Resources Development Act of 2022, a bipartisan bill that will improve ports and harbors, inland waterway navigation, flood and storm protection, and other water resources infrastructure throughout the United States. Congress has regularly approved bipartisan WRDA legislation every two years since 2014 to authorize…
Read Full Article SPRINGFIELD – A new survey released this week suggests Illinoisans are more moderate on the issue of abortion than the current Democratic-controlled General Assembly, but it is unclear whether that will cost Democrats votes in November. The poll by the Chicago-based firm Ogden & Fry – which is owned by a Republican candidate for Cook…
Read Full Article Cash bail will be eliminated in Illinois as of Jan. 1, 2023, due to a criminal justice reform passed in Jaunary 2021, and the Illinois Supreme Court Pretrial Implementation Task Force is planning a series of town halls beginning in two weeks to give an update on what the new pretrial detention system will look like.…
Read Full Article QUINCY — Congressman Rodney Davis received the endorsement of many Quincy and Adams County Republican leaders over the weekend. Those who threw their support behind Davis include Adams County Board Member Raquel Sparrow, Quincy Mayor Mike Troup, State Senator Jil Tracy, Quincy Director of Administrative ServicesJeff Mays, State Representative Randy Frese, Adams County Republican Central…
Read Full Article SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois State Police announced Friday that all sexual assault evidence is being processed within the 180-day timeframe outlined in state law – bringing to zero the number of legally “backlogged” cases that rose as high as 1,815 in March 2019. It’s the first time all such evidence is being processed within 180 days as…
Read Full Article Things got a bit chippy Thursday night when the six Republican candidates took the stage together for the first time for a debate in Chicago. For the most part, candidates aimed criticisms at the man who has recently had a slight polling lead, Aurora Mayor Richard Irvin. Darren Bailey, a state senator from Xenia best…
Read Full Article JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — A new system for reporting armed intruders may be coming to Missouri school districts by the fall semester. The process for implementing the system is on hold until Gov. Mike Parson signs off on Missouri’s budget. $1.9 million of state money was set aside to assist school districts in implementing a new app…
Read Full Article The average Illinois worker needed a pay raise of $5,360 to keep up with inflation this past year. That worker only got a little more than $3,164. So that $3,164 pay bump was actually equivalent to a nearly $2,200 pay cut. When you add up all of the price increases because of inflation, Illinoisans are…
Read Full Article The Southern Baptist Convention on Thursday released a once-secret and lengthy list of accused sex abusers — several of whom are in the Midwest — within the denomination. The 205-page list is a compilation of ministers and other church workers who have been credibly accused of sexual abuse. The list is described as a “fluid,…
Read Full Article Brett Retherford drives 80 miles round trip daily to his job in Riverdale, Iowa, from Annawan, Illinois. Illinois’ second-highest in the nation fuel prices drive his fuel purchases across the border, too. “I went to the Shell gas station that is less than a block from my house and gas was $4.49 a gallon. When my wife and…
Read Full Article SPRINGFIELD – The six Republican candidates for Illinois governor faced off Tuesday night in Chicago, albeit on two separate debate stages, hours after a shooting at a Texas elementary school that dominated a large portion of the debates. A scheduling conflict between two TV networks – WGN and NBC 5 – had the candidates split…
Read Full Article SPRINGFIELD – Gov. JB Pritzker said Tuesday that he is asking President Joe Biden and the federal government to increase Illinois’ share of federal funding to reflect the results of a recent Census Bureau study showing the state was very likely undercounted in the 2020 census. The news release from the governor’s office proclaimed, “Updated census data…
Read Full Article MISSOURI INDEPENDENT — A company accused of operating illegal gambling machines in Missouri made six $40,000 donations this week to a constellation of political action committees run by its lobbyist. Wildwood-based Torch Electronics cut the checks Monday to MO Majority PAC, Missouri Growth PAC, Missouri C PAC, Missouri Senior PAC, Missouri AG PAC and Conservative…
Read Full Article Legislation awaiting the governor’s signature aims to increase access to prostate cancer screening without co-pays or other cost-sharing in Illinois. House Bill 5318 would require private insurers in Illinois to provide all qualifying male policyholders with an annual prostate cancer screening upon the recommendations of a physician. Alison Manson, vice president of government relations for the…
Read Full Article The six Republican candidates for Illinois governor faced off Tuesday night in Chicago for the first time, but a scheduling conflict made it so that the candidates were split between two debates that began one hour apart on two different networks. The dueling debates came as both NBC and WGN in the Chicago area scheduled debates on…
Read Full Article Former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan was recorded on a wiretapped phone call in 2018 discussing with lobbyist confidant Michael McClain a plan to arrange secret payments to a close political ally who had been implicated in a sexual harassment scandal, newly released court documents show. Madigan has always denied any involvement in the scheme…
Read Full Article SPRINGFILED — Owners of firearms that do not have serial numbers – referred to as ghost guns – will have 180 days to take them to a federal firearm dealer to have them serialized or they will risk being charged with a misdemeanor. Gov. JB Pritzker signed the measure containing that provision, House Bill 4383, into…
Read Full Article QUINCY — The primary elections in Illinois are more than a month away, and a recent poll shows more than a third of likely Republican voters who responded haven’t made a choice for who their candidate as governor. That is why Aurora mayor Richard Irvin was in Quincy Friday. Irvin met with about 30 people…
Read Full Article SPRINGFIELD – The Census Bureau released new survey data Thursday suggesting the population of Illinois may have been undercounted by nearly 2 percent in the 2020 headcount. That was one of the findings of the Census Bureau’s Post-Enumeration Survey, or PES, something the bureau does after each decennial census to assess the quality of the…
Read Full Article Illinois property taxes have far outpaced household incomes and home values since 1990, a Wirepoints analysis shows. Tax bills per household have grown 268% since 1990, while average home values have grown 114%. According to the nonprofit Wirepoints, the average household now owes nearly $4,400 in residential taxes each year, up from $1,200 in 1990.…
Read Full Article Gov. Mike Parson will sign the law revising the boundaries of Missouri’s eight congressional districts Wednesday afternoon, officially ending the most contentious legislative battle of the year. The revised districts have already led to one candidate, state Rep. Sara Walsh of Ashland, withdrawing from her campaign for the open 4th District seat. Walsh on Monday lamented that all…
Read Full Article As families with babies who need formula scramble from store to store without much luck, there’s an Illinois helpline for those looking to get the needed nutrients that are in short supply around the country. The Illinois Department of Human Services is taking calls at 1-800-843-6154. The phone number is meant for families on the…
Read Full Article Voters in Illinois have been presented with few choices when it comes to who will represent them in the Statehouse, but 2022 looks like the year that could change with 82 contested races projected to bring out 4.3 million voters – the most in decades. During the past 22 years, on average only 64 of…
Read Full Article SPRINGFIELD — Gov. JB Pritzker signed legislation Friday that is aimed at cracking down on high-profile “smash-and-grabs” and other organized retail theft. “This important piece of legislation will help to combat these unlawful activities by addressing the problem from multiple angles,” Chauncey Rice, government relations manager for the Illinois Retail Merchants Association, said at a…
Read Full Article A flurry of activity in the Missouri House on Friday kept 2022 from earning the ignominious distinction of least productive legislative session in modern history. With GOP infighting in the Senate forcing it to adjourn a day early after a session that’s seen it mired in gridlock, the House returned Friday morning to pass 20…
Read Full Article We’re about a month and a half from the June 28 primary, and “undecided” was the lead vote-getter this week in a new poll of 1,000 likely GOP primary voters, with 36.9 percent of respondents falling into that camp. For those polled who have picked a candidate, Aurora Mayor Richard Irvin had the lead at…
Read Full Article (The Center Square) – Three of the six candidates running in the June 28 primary for Illinois governor – those with the most campaign contributions – are sparring in the media as a recent poll indicates it’s really a two-way race. Incumbent Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker has $87 million in political funds, according to campaign…
Read Full Article Decatur native will become first Black woman on Illinois Supreme Court SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois Supreme Court announced Tuesday that 4th District Appellate Justice Lisa Holder White has been appointed to succeed Justice Rita Garman, making her the first Black woman to serve on the state’s high court. “Being appointed to the Illinois Supreme Court is…
Read Full Article First downstate female judge has served on high court since 2001 SPRINGFIELD – Republican Illinois Supreme Court Justice Rita Garman announced Monday that she will retire on July 7, marking the end of a long legal career that has included 48 years as a jurist. She would have been up for retention this year, but…
Read Full Article Missouri lawmakers are poised to require schools test and, potentially, filter drinking water to prevent lead poisoning, making the state one of just a handful that require administrators to meet standards stricter than federal regulations. The state offers grants for schools to pay for water testing, but there is no requirement to test, and only a…
Read Full Article A St. Charles County Circuit Court judge dismissed Attorney General Eric Schmitt’s lawsuit Thursday against the local school district’s now-rescinded mask mandate, leaving few cases from Schmitt’s legal blitz remaining. The City of St. Charles School District was one of 47 districts Schmitt sued earlier this year over mask mandates, and it was one of only three…
Read Full Article ST. LOUIS — If you signed a petition to help put U.S. Rep. Mary Miller (R-Illinois) on this June’s primary ballot, there’s a chance a man convicted of luring a child for sex was the one who asked you to sign those campaign documents. Miller is facing new questions about her relationship with Brad Graven,…
Read Full Article SPRINGFIELD – Teachers and other education professionals are urging the Illinois State Board of Education to reduce the amount of time students spend on standardized tests each year and to adopt a new testing system that produces more useful information to help teachers improve their instruction. “One thing that we’re saying and that our members…
Read Full Article A record state operating budget that a top legislative Republican said “has a little bit of something for everyone” is heading for final votes in the Missouri General Assembly as tax revenue continues to pour into the treasury in historic amounts. Final figures weren’t available Wednesday, but the spending plan that emerged from a day of negotiations…
Read Full Article CHICAGO — Attorney General Kwame Raoul has joined a multistate coalition of eight attorneys general urging President Biden to fully cancel federal student loan debt owed by every federal student loan borrower in the country. The coalition urges the president to immediately exercise his authority under the Higher Education Act to cancel the more than…
Read Full Article Illinois has 6,032 local governments, the most in the nation by a wide margin – and that excludes 859 school districts. It’s the main reason Illinoisans pay the nation’s second-highest property taxes. You’d expect a state with fewer people after eight consecutive years of population loss would need less government. Wrong: Illinois has more government than any…
Read Full Article QUINCY — The two incumbents running for Illinois’ 15th District made their pitches to the Quincy Tea Party Tuesday night at the Town and Country Inn. Republicans Rodney Davis and Mary Miller are now running for the redistricted seat that represents much of the I-72 corridor of Illinois, including Adams, Brown, Pike and Hancock Counties.…
Read Full Article QUINCY — Congressmen Rodney Davis (R-IL) and Sam Graves (R-MO) spent time at a Quincy business to talk about how government can assist with the logistics and transportation of small businesses. Officials with Kohl Wholesale gave the legislators a tour of Kohl’s facilities on Illinois 57, including their distribution center, which opened in 2018, and…
Read Full Article U.S. Representative Rodney Davis (R-IL) released the following statement after news reports of a draft U.S. Supreme Court (SCOTUS) opinion striking down the Roe v. Wade abortion decision was leaked: “As a Pro-Life lawmaker, I’ve long advocated for an end to the ‘Roe’ decision. It was wrong from the beginning, and I hope the Court’s pending decision empowers states…
Read Full Article CHICAGO – Governor Pritzker today condemned the reported Supreme Court draft opinion to overturn Roe v. Wade, allowing states to enact even more restrictive anti-choice laws that would deny woman’s access to reproductive health care. Early in his term, Governor Pritzker signed the Reproductive Health Act to protect Illinois women in anticipation of a conservative Supreme Court overturning Roe. “The terrifying implications…
Read Full Article Two bills on Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s desk could expand Illinois highway camera monitoring program to cover 6,600 more miles of road across 22 counties as the General Assembly looks to crack down on expressway crime before November elections. House Bill 260 and House Bill 448 – passed alongside 80 other proposals in the final dayof the legislative session – would see…
Read Full Article Amid a wave of anti-LGBTQ legislation pushed nationwide, the Missouri House passed a pair of bills Thursday that would limit transgender students from participating on the sports teams that match the gender they identify with. One bill, which originally dealt with school transportation, would restrict transgender students to only participating on high school sports teams of…
Read Full Article Gov. J.B. Pritzker defended his mandate that gas stations owners post stickers at the pump announcing his delay of a gas tax increase or pay $500 daily fines. “There’s no political speech involved there, at all,” Pritzker said April 27. “And, here’s what we’re doing. We’re lowering the impact on people of the rise in prices of…
Read Full Article SPRINGFIELD — Gov. JB Pritzker signed a package of bills Wednesday aimed at easing the state’s shortage of teachers and other education professionals, even as a new report shows Illinois just added a record number of new teachers to its ranks. Speaking in the library of Springfield High School just blocks from the Capitol, Pritzker…
Read Full Article Congressman Rodney Davis (R-IL) says eliminating student loan debt is “morally wrong” and is supporting legislation to block President Joe Biden from permanently extending student loan forbearance that has been in place since almost the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. “The debt isn’t just magically eliminated with the stroke of a pen,” Davis said. “It…
Read Full Article QUINCY — Congresswomen Mary Miller (R-IL) and Lauren Boebert (R-CO) will be in Quincy on Saturday as part of a “Defend the Second Amendment Rally”. Miller is running in the June 28 15th District Republican primary against Congressman Rodney Davis (R-IL) as both were lumped in the same Congressional District following redistricting controlled by Illinois…
Read Full Article JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — Missouri has recovered more than 95 percent of the jobs lost during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the Missouri Chamber’s latest quarterly economic report. Missouri is among states leading in job recovering after adding back 357,200 of jobs lost, according to Ted Abernathy, managing partner of Economic Leadership LLC. “Ten states have made it back…
Read Full Article SPRINGFIELD – Gov. JB Pritzker signed a package of bills Tuesday that make up a roughly $46 billion Fiscal Year 2023 state general revenue funds budget that includes increased funding for education and human services and $1.8 billion in mostly-temporary tax relief. Pritzker signed the bill during a ceremony at Chicago State University where he…
Read Full Article www.mjbizdaily.com CHICAGO — A group calling itself True Social Equity in Cannabis sued three marijuana multistate operators and an ancillary company in Illinois federal court, claiming the four constitute a “Chicago cartel” linked by the wealthy Pritzker, Wrigley and Kovler families. The nine-page lawsuit was filed this week in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of…
Read Full Article SPRINGFIELD – Gov. JB Pritzker signed his final first-term budget into law Tuesday, a roughly $46 billion spending plan buoyed by pandemic-driven revenue windfalls and a current-year surplus that helped the state pay down debts and offer temporary tax relief. Between the three budget-related bills signed Tuesday – House Bill 900, House Bill 4700 and Senate Bill 157 – as…
Read Full Article With the end of the legislative session only weeks away, and organizers of an initiative petition campaign sounding the alarm about an even more pressing deadline, dueling efforts to legalize marijuana in Missouri face uncertain fates. In the legislature, GOP state Rep. Ron Hicks is sponsoring a bill to legalize possession and use of marijuana for…
Read Full Article SPRINGFIELD – A state appellate court ruled this week that it will not block enforcement of the Pritzker administration’s mandate that certain categories of public employees either be vaccinated against COVID-19 or undergo regular testing. The 2-1 ruling by the 4th District Court of Appeals upheld a Sangamon County judge’s decision on April 1 not to issue a…
Read Full Article The new budget for fiscal year 2023 includes Gov. J.B Pritzker’s election-year suspension of the 1% grocery tax, but a few months after the next governor’s inauguration, it will be back. Grocery stores must advertise the suspension, by law, on customer receipts. If that isn’t feasible, they must display a 4-inch by 8-inch bold sign. Either…
Read Full Article More than 23,000 Illinois public school employees – and 15,000 other government employees – have exercised their freedom to choose not to join or pay a union since the U.S. Supreme Court restored that right in 2018 through Janus v. AFSCME. After the Janus decision, teachers such as Derrick Crenshaw stopped handing their money to the union: “When [Mark] Janus…
Read Full Article A new measure passed in the Illinois House would have cameras with license plate scanning abilities installed along highways – useful for fighting crime or for taxing vehicles for the miles they travel. Unlike typical traffic cameras that photograph plates for an infraction, this new technology records license plate information regardless of wrongdoing. Gov. J.B Pritzker insisted more surveillance cameras will…
Read Full Article QUINCY — The Adams County Board voted Tuesday night to pump in another $50,000 of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds to help find people on probation find jobs. Adams County Board Chairman Kent Snider said 27 people have found jobs with local manufacturers since the program was established last September and utilizing the first…
Read Full Article As debates over school curriculum rage nationwide, the Missouri House granted initial approval Tuesday to a “Parents’ Bill of Rights” that would allow for lawsuits and funding to be withheld from schools that repeatedly violate the proposed law. The bill, sponsored by Rep. Ben Baker, R-Neosho, aims to “to empower parents to enforce” rights laid…
Read Full Article Congressman Rodney Davis (R-Taylorville) was in Quincy on Tuesday to discuss healthcare issues with administrators of Blessing Health System. Davis also announced that he and other members of Congress are urging the Department of Interior (DOI) to help the return of Honor Flight trips to war memorials and monuments in Washington, DC by bringing back…
Read Full Article SPRINGFIELD, Ill — Landlords around Illinois have concerns about a bill that could soon be headed to the governor that they say gives more choices for residents in public housing but provides less autonomy for landlords. The measure amends the Homelessness Prevention Act and gives protections against discrimination based on source of income. It passed both chambers…
Read Full Article In 2018, the Missouri General Assembly passed SB 564 which was designed to modernize the state’s electric grid with investments in infrastructure reliability as well as capitalize on the competitive economic development legislation passed the previous year. Since the passage of SB 564, Ameren has invested hundreds of millions of dollars in electric grid modernization…
Read Full Article 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.…
Read Full Article 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…
Read Full Article 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…
Read Full Article 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…
Read Full Article 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…
Read Full Article 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…
Read Full Article 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…
Read Full Article 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…
Read Full Article 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.…
Read Full Article 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…
Read Full Article (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…
Read Full Article 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…
Read Full Article 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…
Read Full Article 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…
Read Full Article 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…
Read Full Article 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…
Read Full Article 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…
Read Full Article 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…
Read Full Article 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…
Read Full Article 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…
Read Full Article 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…
Read Full Article 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…
Read Full Article 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 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…
Read Full Article 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…
Read Full Article 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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