Happening Wednesday, June 17th at the Brown Ballroom on the campus of Illinois State University, this annual event honors individuals who have made a lasting impact on McLean County.

This year’s honorees include Melinda Fischer, John McIntyre, Feli Sebastian, and Camille & Art Taylor.

Doors open at 5:30 p.m. with the program beginning at 6:15 p.m. Guests will enjoy a full dinner buffet, dessert, and a complimentary glass of wine, along with a cash bar.

A highlight of the evening will be video tributes narrated by R.C. McBride, celebrating each honoree’s contributions.

Tickets and sponsorships are available now. Visit mchistory.org for more information. ]]> https://www.wjbc.com/2026/05/10/mclean-county-museum-of-history-2026-history-makers-gala/feed/ 0 https://www.wjbc.com/2025/06/23/victory-church-celebrates-grand-reopening-more-than-three-years-after-devastating-fire/ https://www.wjbc.com/2025/06/23/victory-church-celebrates-grand-reopening-more-than-three-years-after-devastating-fire/#respond Mon, 23 Jun 2025 20:20:18 +0000 WJBC Staff 2025-06-23T20:52:12+00:00 https://www.wjbc.com/2025/06/23/victory-church-celebrates-grand-reopening-more-than-three-years-after-devastating-fire/ Victory Church. (Photo courtesy: Victory Church/File)

Victory Church. (Photo courtesy: Victory Church/File)

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. (WMBD) — More than three years after a fire destroyed their building, Victory Church in Bloomington marked a powerful comeback with a two-day Grand Reopening and Dedication Celebration over the weekend.

The celebration, held Saturday evening and Sunday morning, drew faith leaders and community members from across Central Illinois.

Together, they dedicated the newly rebuilt worship center and reflected on a long journey marked by faith, resilience, and rebuilding.

Pastors Beth and Ed Herald, who have led the church through its recovery, say the experience has only deepened their trust in God’s plan.

“When you are told by God something that’s very valuable to him and he entrusts you with the vision… and when things don’t turn out just like you think they should—but you know He spoke to you and you hang on—it does something to you,” said Pastor Ed Herald. “It builds your faith, builds your confidence… not in your ability, but in God’s ability.”

The original church building was destroyed by a catastrophic fire on January 10, 2022, resulting in over $4 million in damages. In the years since, the congregation worshiped in temporary locations while plans to rebuild moved forward.

Now, with the doors officially reopened, Victory Church is celebrating not just a new facility, but a renewed mission to serve the Central Illinois community with even greater purpose.

WMBD TV can be reached at News@WJBC.com.

PEORIA, Ill. (WMBD) — Illinois passed a record $55.2 billion budget this year, an increase of $2 billion, but the debate is growing over who it helps and who it hurts, as well as criticism about the budget process itself.

Lawmakers from both sides of the aisle joined “WMBD News: On the Record” to break down what’s in the budget, and what it means for you.

“Overall, I think its a fair budget,” said state Sen. Dave Koehler (D-Peoria). “But you can look through the budget and you’ll find areas where things made you satisfied or things didn’t make you satisfied. But that’s what the budget process is.”

On the other side, state Sen. Li Arellano took issue with the budget saying it was unduly burdensome on taxpayers. He voted against the “reckless” budget plan, he said.

“So my biggest concern is Illinois just recently became the highest overall tax burden state for workers and families in the whole United States,” said the Dixon Republican. “And that has a huge problem for economic development for just raising a family.

“I have five kids, so I feel that directly. So that is an issue. We shouldn’t be number one in the tax burden put on our constituents,” he said.

The budget raises nearly $1 billion in new revenue from sports betting, delivery fees and limits on business tax decisions. In response, FanDuel announced June 10 they plan to slap a 50-cent transaction fee on online bets placed in Illinois. 

Koehler defended the new fees.

“It doesn’t hurt consumers or small businesses as much as as increasing personal taxes or sales taxes. So, you know, we did have to find some revenues,” said the Peoria Democrat. “Overall, this budget has a lot for people to be appreciative of, but it also has plenty for people to not be real happy with.

“There are a lot of things that I didn’t see in the budget that I really wish would have been there,” Koehler said.

Soil and water conservation is one of those provisions that Koehler said is missing from the budget for the second year in a row.

“This is the lifeblood of Illinois, our soil. We’re the most productive agricultural state in the country. And, for us not to put resources and investment back into soil and water, and things that help farmers. I think it’s very shortsighted,” he said.Play Video

Breaking down the $55 billion budget with state Senator Arellano

Arellano, who is passionate about disability rights, said one good thing in the budget is a raise for disability workers like direct support professionals.

“They were making less than 150% of minimum wage. And the governor and the majority Democrats did adjust that. It’s flat. They didn’t give them an inflationary adjustment. So they still cut some of the hours, but they put $43 million back into, quite frankly, the folks who need it the most, who cannot advocate for themselves. So that was something I agreed with. That was a win,” he said.

Koeher said the provision did not go far enough. He said the budget raises pay for disability workers by 80 cents an hour, but he had a bill that was going to raise it by $2 an hour.

“We’re not able to attract and keep and retain the kind of trained staff that we need to in this area. So that was a disappointment,” he said.

Arellano, a freshman, said his biggest problem was not necessarily with the content of the budget, but the process itself, which he has called “reckless.”

“That bill, we had five hours to look at it. That is not enough to have a public discussion and discourse. So we need to end that practice,” he said.

Arellano is calling for ethical and structural reforms, as well as end to gerrymandering. Democrats hold a supermajority in both chambers of the General Assembly.

“So I think we need to put an end to the practice of shell bills, gut and replace amendments that are happening with just hours notice, for example, the revenue package for this budget,” he said. “Quite frankly, I also think we need to end the practice of gerrymandering because it tilts power too much in one direction, and it’s too easy for the party and majority to just cut out all discussion from journalists, from the public and from the minority party.”

Koehler responded to the criticisms, saying input from Republicans is welcome and desired.

“I think in the 19 years I’ve done [the] budget, I’ve heard that argument every year. So, if you want to have transparency, get involved,” he said.

WMBD TV can be reached at News@WJBC.com.

NORMAL, Ill. (WMBD) — Normal Town Council approved an amendment to its short-term rental rules.

During Monday’s meeting, new rules were approved five to two, with council members Kathleen Lorenz and Scott Preston voting against them.

The new rules will stop the creation of new short-term rentals and phase out the ones that are currently in an R1 and R2 zoning district, which will have to be phased out within five years.

The council also added an amendment that would allow short-term rentals in owner-occupied properties in R1 and R2 zoning districts.

The goal of the regulations is to protect the supply of affordable housing, reduce disruption in single-family areas and preserve zoning integrity.

“I am not convinced we have the best solution tonight, we have the start of a framework,” Council Member Kevin McCarthy said.

Normal first implemented rules on short-term rentals in 2018. This included registering with the town, limiting the number of people at the rentals, and paying taxes.

According to a presentation from the town, there are currently 66 short-term rentals registered with the town, which are owned by 42 entities. Of which 23% of owners are from Normal and 92% are from Illinois.

The Normal Town Council also approved funding for a new playground at West Anderson Park.

The council unanimously approved it during the Omnibus Agenda vote.

The vote approved $102,918 for the purchase of a modular playground and rubber surfacing under the Sourcewell Cooperative Purchasing Program.

The vote also approved the associated budget adjustment that went with the purchase of the playground.

The full meeting can be watched here.

WMBD TV can be reached at News@WJBC.com.

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WMBD) — Gov. JB Pritzker, along with fellow politicians, took the stage today to sign the fiscal year 2026 budget.

Gov. Pritzker and Lieutenant Governor Juliana Stratton joined House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch and budget leaders from each chamber to sign the FY26 state budget package.

According to a release from Pritzker’s Office, the $55.1 billion budget builds on six years of progress, prioritizing Illinois’ long-term fiscal health while sustaining key investments in economic development, education, and health and human services.

Pritzker said he felt the budget reflects “our core values” and shows their commitment to fiscal responsibility.

“For the seventh year in a row, through hard work and thoughtful compromise, we are keeping our promise to deliver for working families across Illinois,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “With the chaos and recklessness seeping out of Washington from Trump and Congressional Republicans, this year’s budget doubles down on our strong fiscal discipline and responsible governance without raising taxes for working families.”

The state budget passed the Illinois House of Representatives as the clock ticked down on the deadline on May 31.

The reactions from the budget essentially fell along party lines, with state Democrats rejoicing while many Republicans felt it was a bloated budget.

Lt. Governor Stratton said Illinois has set the standard for effective, responsible governance for seven straight years.

“In the next fiscal year, we’ll make education—from preschool to college—more affordable and accessible, bring down the cost of prescription drugs, erase medical debt, and so much more—all while protecting the budgets of working families,” said Lt. Governor Stratton. “While Trump and Congressional Republicans push tax cuts to billionaires at the expense of the most vulnerable, Illinois is choosing a path rooted in compassion, stability, and fiscal discipline.”

Senate Appropriations Leader Elgie R. Sims, Jr., also attended the signing. Sims commented on concerns of overspending by the state.

“There are folks who have decried the spending we’ve done in Illinois as overspending,” he said. “We lean into that as investments in our communities.”

According to Pritzker some highlights of the FY26 budget include: 

• $500 million in funding for historic site readiness initiatives (Surplus to Success and DCEO Site Readiness Initiative) 
• Investing$307 million in the Evidenced-Based Funding (EBF) formula – bringing the total EBF program to $8.94 billion, which represents a $2.1 billion aggregate increase in funding during the Pritzker Administration. ​ 
• Maintaining $748 million in Early Childhood Block Grants through Smart Start Illinois. This funding has created more than 11,000 new preschool slots in preschool deserts throughout the state in the last two years. 
• $25 millionappropriation for a grant for a new Pharmacy Benefits Management (PBM) program called the Prescription Drug Affordability Fund. 
• $15 million for the Medical Debt Relief Program. To date, the program has provided over $330 million in debt relief for more than 290,000 Illinoisans. $24 million to maintain support for reproductive health initiatives, including $10 million for the public facing navigation hotline to help patients access care. 
• $175 million increase for the Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP) to support care for 150,000 children. 
• The FY26 budget continues to invest in Home Illinois, with a total of $263.7 million funding dedicated to this part of the overall housing investment strategy. ​ 
• The FY26 budget continues to prioritize gun violence reduction programs and resources through Reimagine Public Safety. ​ 
• Sets aside $75 million for expected additional contributions that will be needed to address adjusting the pensionable earnings cap to the Social Security Wage Base for State Tier 2 employees, while committing an additional $200 million to reducing state pension liabilities through the State’s buyout program. ​ ​ 
• Deposits a projected $161 million in the Budget Stabilization Fund (Rainy Day Fund) during Fiscal Year 2026, following a deposit of an estimated $250 million in Fiscal Year 2025. The Rainy Day Fund is expected to total nearly $2.5 billion at the end of FY26.

WMBD TV can be reached at News@WJBC.com.

PEORIA, Ill. (WMBD) — After a relatively quiet stretch of weather, a more active pattern will bring the threat of severe storms through midweek.

Key Takeaways:

• Rounds of storms possible Tuesday afternoon through Wednesday
• Damaging wind and large hail are the greatest threats

Tuesday

The NOAA Storm Prediction Center has the area in a level 1 out of 5 (marginal) severe risk for Tuesday. This outlook is valid from 7 a.m. Tuesday all the way to 7 a.m. Wednesday. It is possible to see this upgraded in future updates for portions of the area.

The morning hours are expected to be quiet, but storm chances will develop during the afternoon and evening. Coverage, location, and exact timing remains uncertain. Leftover energy from overnight storms to our west could enhance our storm potential Tuesday afternoon and evening, but confidence remains low.

Normal Community beats Brother Rice for third place-00:00

In general, it appears the greatest storm chance will set up near a frontal boundary across northern Illinois to around Interstate 80. It is possible to see some of these drift further south to impact the local area as we work into the evening. Damaging wind gusts and large hail will be the greatest threats.

Tuesday Night

Depending on how storms evolve Tuesday afternoon and evening, the stage could be set for another round moving into Central Illinois late Tuesday night into Wednesday morning. A decaying MCV moving out of Iowa and Missouri late Tuesday could spark another line or clusters of thunderstorms after midnight and into the Wednesday morning commute.

If storms do form and hold together they would be capable of producing damaging wind gusts and large hail. The tornado threat is low with this round of activity but brief spin-ups along the line are possible.

The most likely timeframe for storms to impact Central Illinois would be between 1 to 6 a.m.

Wednesday

The Storm Prediction Center has most of the area in a level 2 out of 5 (slight) severe threat. At this time, damaging wind gusts and large hail are the primary hazards. An isolated tornado or two can’t be ruled out.

Another line of severe thunderstorms appears possible Wednesday afternoon when a cold front pushes through Central Illinois. Any discrete storms that develop ahead of the main line could be capable of all severe hazards including large hail, damaging wind, and tornadoes.

Along the line damaging straight-line winds and some hail would be the main threats but isolated tornadoes would be possible. Currently, the area most favored for this round of storms looks to be along and east of Interstate 55 with storms developing Wednesday afternoon. Aside from the severe weather threats, localized flash flooding will also be possible, especially in areas that see repeated rounds of storms.

This forecast is evolving and will change between now and Tuesday. Now is a good time to review your severe weather preparedness plan, and be sure to have multiple ways to receive watches and warnings should they be issued.

Download the CIProud2Go Weather app for alerts tailored to your specific location, and be sure to follow Your Local Weather Authority on WMBD/WYZZ-TV and over social media live streams should severe weather threaten.

By HANNAH MEISEL
Capitol News Illinois
hmeisel@capitolnewsillinois.com 

CHICAGO — The number of years former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan spent in Springfield has often been used as shorthand to explain his outsized impact on state government and politics. His political career spanned 50 years in the General Assembly, 23 years chairing the Democratic Party of Illinois, and 36 years as House speaker — the longest tenure of any state or federal legislative leader in U.S. history.

But on Friday, a new term was added to the former speaker’s list of legacy-defining terms when U.S. District Judge John Blakey sentenced Madigan to 90 months, or 7 ½ years, in federal prison. 

The sentence, which also includes three years’ probation after his prison term and a $2.5 million fine, follows a jury’s split verdict in February. After a marathon two weeks of deliberation, jurors convicted him on 10 of 23 corruption charges, including bribery, but acquitted him on seven and deadlocked over another six.

As Friday afternoon’s hearing passed the three-hour mark, Madigan accepted Blakey’s invitation to make a statement to the court. After taking a drink of water, putting on his glasses and blowing his nose as he approached the bench, the former speaker addressed the judge for less than two minutes, reading from a prepared script.

“I’m truly sorry for putting the people of the state of Illinois through this,” he began, noting that he “tried my best” to serve the people of Illinois. “I am not perfect.”

Later, when explaining how he was weighing Madigan’s continued insistence in his innocence, Blakey repeated Madigan’s words.

“The defendant says he’s sorry for putting the people of Illinois through this,” the judge said. “I guess that’s as close as we’ll get to remorse.”

Blakey spent a long time audibly weighing what he called “a tale of two different Mike Madigans,” calling the former speaker “a dedicated public servant” and “a good and decent person.” 

“He had no reason to commit these crimes,” the judge said. “But he chose to do so.”

Blakey took particular umbrage with Madigan’s performance on the witness stand in January after he made the stunning decision to testify in his own defense. In siding with the government’s argument that the former speaker’s sentence should take into account his perjury on the witness stand, Blakey cited several examples of times Madigan’s statements conflicted with either evidence, the sworn testimony of others, or even his own testimony.

“The defendant’s testimony was littered with obstruction of justice and it was hard to watch,” Blakey said. “To put it bluntly, it was a nauseating display. … You lied, sir. You lied. You did not have to.”

Madigan, who was described by many witnesses throughout his four-month trial as difficult to read — and who attempted to explain the familial origins of his reserved personality as a defense while on the witness stand — was characteristically stoic as Blakey handed down his sentence. 

After conferring with his attorney, he hugged and kissed his adult children in the front row of the courtroom gallery. A few minutes later, he and his entourage of lawyers and family quickly made their way out of the Dirksen Federal Courthouse, trailed by cameras. 

True to form, the former speaker also made no statement to reporters, though he smiled slightly before getting on the elevator down to the courthouse lobby. Across the street, a man yelled to Madigan and his group, “You going to jail, buddy?”

Madigan was ordered to report to a yet-to-be-named federal prison on Oct. 13.

Madigan’s attorneys told the court he would seek a bond pending his appeal, which would allow him to remain free pending resolution of the appeal.

Prosecutors had urged a 12 ½-year sentence and a $1.5 million fine, while Madigan’s lawyers asked for five years’ probation, the first on home detention. After hearing arguments from attorneys earlier in the week, Blakey calculated the sentencing guidelines for Madigan’s convictions and other factors would dictate a prison term of 105 years, but the judge was under no obligation to follow that directive. 

‘I’m not a target of anything”

One of the last times the famously media-averse Madigan ever deigned to answer questions from journalists was in the fall of 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic afforded the speaker an even larger buffer than usual from those outside his closed circle of staff and advisors.

The previous several months had yielded near-weekly developments in the public’s understanding of an unfolding federal corruption probe, including revelations about FBI searches executed on the homes of close Madigan allies. The intrigue only intensified after the indictment and midday FBI raids on two different Democratic state senators and the arrest of a member of Madigan’s own House Democratic leadership team on a charge that he bribed another Democratic senator, who happened to be cooperating with the feds.

Despite his name showing up on subpoenas for some of those search warrants, Madigan made a bold declaration that he was not in the feds’ crosshairs.

“No, I’m not a target of anything,” he told a gaggle of reporters in a crowded and noisy hallway of the state Capitol in Springfield in late October 2019.

Within the year, however, Madigan would be proven wrong as prosecutors filed the first in a series of bombshell charges alleging the longtime speaker had been the beneficiary of a yearslong bribery scheme from electric utility Commonwealth Edison. Prosecutors alleged ComEd officials agreed to hire Madigan allies, including a handful on no-work contracts, to grease the wheels at key times when the company was pushing for big and ultimately lucrative legislation in Springfield.

In that July 2020 filing, Madigan’s status as a target of the feds’ widespread corruption investigation was marked by a new moniker: “Public Official A.”

But it wasn’t until March 2022 — more than a year after Madigan resigned from his biggest public roles after pressure from within the Democratic power structures he’d built over decades — that the former speaker was indicted.

Receiving top billing among the original 22 counts in the indictment, which was later bumped to 23, was racketeering. Prosecutors accused Madigan of using his positions as House speaker, chair of the state’s Democratic Party and as partner in his real estate law firm as a “criminal enterprise” meant to maintain and increase his power while enriching his allies.

The indictment rehashed what had been already made public in July 2020 and again several months later when four former ComEd executives and lobbyists were charged with orchestrating the utility’s bribery scheme aimed at Madigan. 

But it also revealed that former Chicago Ald. Danny Solis had worn a wire on the speaker and alleged the speaker had agreed to get him appointed to a lucrative state board position in exchange for introductions to real estate developers to woo them as potential clients of Madigan’s firm.

A final charge added later in 2022 alleged a tacit bribery agreement between Madigan and telecommunications giant AT&T Illinois like the ComEd scheme, albeit smaller — involving one no-work contractor hired in the months before AT&T-backed legislation passed in Springfield.

Jury delivers a split verdict

On the witness stand, Madigan repeatedly claimed that he was ignorant of the fact that the collective $1.3 million his allies earned from their ComEd contracts was for performing no work. Instead, the former speaker and his lawyers framed those contracts as the result of mere job recommendations, which they argued was a component of Madigan’s job as speaker. 

Madigan’s attorneys, along with some of the government’s own witnesses, argued the ComEd-backed legislation passed after years of strategic and expensive lobbying efforts, and not because the speaker’s allies had gotten jobs and contracts with the utility.

But after a slew of witnesses, including a ComEd exec-turned-FBI cooperator and one of the former contractors, in addition to secretly recorded videos and wiretapped phone calls shown at trial, the jury was ultimately convinced on most ComEd-related charges. Madigan was convicted on seven of those charges, including four counts of bribery and conspiracy, though he was acquitted on two charges related to an effort to get his ally appointed to the utility’s board.

The so-called “ComEd Four” were convicted in their own trial in 2023 and are scheduled to be sentenced this summer. They include Madigan’s formerly close friend and longtime Springfield lobbyist Mike McClain, who was also the speaker’s codefendant in the most recent trial. But after roughly 65 hours of deliberations over two weeks beginning in late January, the jury deadlocked on all six charges that named both the former speaker and McClain, including the feds’ marquee racketeering allegation.

The jury also deadlocked on the single count alleging Madigan’s participation in the alleged bribery scheme with AT&T, forcing Blakey to declare a mistrial on that count. 

It was the second time in five months that charges alleging a bribe between AT&T and Madigan resulted in a hung jury; weeks before Madigan’s trial began, former AT&T Illinois President Paul La Schiazza’s bribery case ended in a mistrial on all five counts against him. He faces retrial in January 2026.

Charges involving Solis, the former Chicago alderman, ended in a mix of convictions, acquittals and deadlock from the jury. While jurors convicted the former speaker on wire fraud and Travel Act violation counts related to the alleged scheme to help get Solis appointed to a state board, they acquitted him of the bribery charge pertaining to the same alleged scheme. As laid out in trial, Madigan never ended up recommending Solis to newly elected Gov. JB Pritzker.

The former speaker was also acquitted of attempted extortion and three related counts related to a real estate developer to whom Madigan wanted an introduction from Solis, who served as chair of the Chicago City Council’s powerful Zoning Board. Prosecutors alleged Madigan understood and tacitly approved of Solis’ made-up story that he’d condition the approval of a zoning change sought by the developer on whether it agreed to hire the speaker’s law firm.

At the FBI’s direction, Solis told the speaker ahead of the July 2017 introduction meeting that the developer understood “how this works, you know, the quid pro quo” — insinuating the company was under the impression that it would not get the zoning approvals it needed unless it hired the speaker’s law firm, though it wasn’t true.

A few weeks later, Madigan admonished Solis before the developer meeting, telling the alderman, “You shouldn’t be talking like that.”

The feds argued Madigan was urging Solis to not speak so brazenly about their alleged bribery agreement. But on the witness stand, the former speaker said the alderman’s use of the term “quid pro quo” caused him “a great deal of surprise and concern” to the point that he decided he needed to confront Solis about it face-to-face.

In Madigan’s contentious cross-examination, the lead prosecutor attempted to poke holes in the former speaker’s explanation of that key moment, but Madigan maintained Solis seemed to have recognized he’d “made a serious mistake” and that he considered the matter settled because “I was not going to connect a request for an introduction with anything else.”

The jury also deadlocked on four other bribery, wire fraud and Travel Act charges concerning a plan to get state-owned land in Chicago’s Chinatown neighborhood transferred to the city for eventual development into a mixed-use apartment building.

Prosecutors alleged Madigan intended to have his firm contract with the Chinatown developer in accordance with hints Solis had dropped on secret recordings. But Madigan’s former law partner and testimony from two former top lawyers in the speaker’s office indicated the law firm had strict conflict-of-interest rules that would have prohibited the developer from ever becoming a client.

Sentencing factors

In the four months post-verdict, a period nearly as long as the grueling trial itself, Madigan turned 83 — a mitigating factor his defense attorneys noted in a pre-sentencing memo late last month, which asked for five years’ probation, including one on home confinement. 

In another filing last week, Madigan’s lawyers painted a bleak picture of the sentence sought by prosecutors, accusing them of arguing in bad faith that ComEd’s investor profits should be considered as part of sentencing.

“The government seeks to condemn an 83-year-old man to die behind bars for crimes that enriched him not one penny,” defense attorneys wrote. “They demand that Mike Madigan spend his final years in a cell, though he spent decades as the consumers’ shield against ComEd’s predations.”

But much more emphasized was his role as caretaker to his wife, Shirley, who suffers from “a severe lung disease,” per a letter filed with the court last month from Madigan’s daughter, former Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan.

Instead of writing a letter, Shirley Madigan recorded a video pleading for leniency in sentencing. Clad in purple latex gloves with a medical mask hanging from her neck, Shirley praised her husband’s character as a father and grandfather but also detailed how Madigan has become her caretaker, especially since the COVID-19 pandemic hit.

“I really don’t exist without him,” she told the camera as B-roll of Madigan helping her up from a couch played over her testimonial. “I don’t know what I would do without Michael. I would probably have to find some place to live, and I’d probably have to find care.”

The former speaker and his lawyers echoed Shirley’s pleas Friday, with attorney Dan Collins telling Blakey that for Madigan, “mercy is justice,” and Madigan himself asking the judge that “you let me take care of Shirley and that you let me spend my final days with my family.”

Blakey said Madigan’s age was a factor, but said arguments that “any sentence” for an older defendant is tantamount to a life sentence are “not particularly helpful.”

But the judge said he carefully considered the nearly 250 character reference letters filed on Madigan’s behalf late last month, saying he “placed significant weight” on the support of the former speaker’s family and friends.

He even got emotional when discussing Madigan’s role as a husband, father and grandfather.

“Whatever his crimes — and he did do things wrong — but his relationship to his family? He got that right,” Blakey said, echoing words the former speaker told Solis during a secretly recorded meeting between the two in 2018.

Aside from family, faith leaders, longtime constituents and 40 former staffers, other notable letter-writers on Madigan’s behalf included prominent labor leaders and three dozen former elected officials, among them several Republicans like former Gov. Jim Edgar. Attorneys also included an op-ed in support of Madigan penned by former GOP Gov. Jim Thompson before his death in 2020.

Others included former U.S. Sen. Carol Moseley Braun; former Illinois Supreme Court Justice Tom Kilbride; Democratic mega-fundraisers Michael Sacks and Fred Eychaner, and Chicago Bulls and White Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf. While many former Democratic allies of Madigan penned appeals to Judge Blakey, only a few currently hold office — among them state Reps. Marcus Evans, D-Chicago, and Curtis Tarver, D-Chicago, along with Auditor General Frank Mautino.

In determining sentencing guidelines, Blakey agreed with prosecutors’ contention that the value of the ComEd bribes should be based on testimony from utility leader Scott Vogt during trial. Vogt cited projections that the continuation of the “formula rate” contained in the first piece of ComEd-backed legislation passed during the eight-year bribery scheme was worth $400 million in increased shareholder value for the company.

The judge also agreed with smaller sentencing enhancements, for defendants who orchestrate bribery schemes, and for lying under oath while testifying in their own defense.

Blakey gave several examples of times in which Madigan perjured himself during his four days on the witness stand, including the former speaker’s attempt to “falsely minimize the close and regular relationship he had with McClain.”

“Other witnesses testified to their unique and close relationship, which spanned decades,” Blakey said. “In short, the evidence produced at trial showed McClain was one of Madigan’s most-trusted operatives, not merely one of many, as he falsely testified.”

Ultimately, though, the judge’s ruling in favor of sentencing enhancements for perjury and other factors is mostly symbolic, as the parties already agreed to a sentence far below the complicated calculation that would advise a 105-year prison sentence.

Sentences handed down to other convicted politicians in Illinois’ long history of elected officials caught up in corruption have varied widely. 

Last year, a federal judge sentenced Madigan’s pseudo-counterpart in the Chicago City Council, five-decade Ald. Ed Burke, to two years in prison after his bribery conviction that also involved Solis’ FBI cooperation in bringing potential clients to Burke’s real estate law firm. The judge noted the number of character letters she received on the former alderman’s behalf were a strong mitigating factor in her sentencing decision.

On the other end of the spectrum, Gov. Rod Blagojevich was sentenced to 14 years in prison after his 2011 bribery convictions related to attempting to sell then-President-elect Barack Obama’s soon-to-be-vacated U.S. Senate seat in 2008. President Donald Trump commuted his sentence in 2020, and in February pardoned him completely — just two days before Madigan’s conviction.

Illinois’ history of corruption

The long list of Illinois political figures who’ve been convicted on corruption charges in the last century was referenced more than once during Friday’s sentencing hearing, but Blagojevich was the only politician mentioned by name.

Blakey pointed to the former governor’s case when explaining his authority to enhance Madigan’s sentence for a bribe that wasn’t fully carried out. In Blagojevich’s case, “no one turned out to be willing or able to pay a bribe the defendant demanded,” the judge said of the U.S. Senate seat sale. In Madigan’s case, the former speaker never ended up recommending Solis for a state board position, but he and Solis discussed the $93,000-per-year pay for some of the appointments.

But Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Streicker’s reference to Blagojevich in her sentencing arguments went beyond pointing to legal precedent, making a direct — and deeply unflattering — comparison between the ex-governor and Madigan. During Blagojevich’s six years in office, he and Madigan were constantly at war with one another.

Streicker quoted the late U.S. District Judge James Zagel as he sentenced Blagojevich in 2011: “When it is the governor who goes bad, the fabric of Illinois is torn, disfigured and not easily repaired,” Zagel said. “You did that damage.”

The prosecutor posited that the damage from Madigan’s crimes may have been worse due to his longevity at the “highest levels of power” in state government.

“Governors? They came and went over the years,” Streicker said. “But Madigan? He stayed. His power and his presence remained constant. He had every opportunity to set the standard for honest government in this state. Instead, he fit right into the mold of yet another corrupt leader in Illinois.”

But while Blakey cited deterrence as a factor in deciding Madigan’s punishment, he said the former speaker “can only be sentenced for his crimes, not anyone else’s.”

“You can’t sentence a social problem and there’s no point in trying to do that,” the judge said. “Defendant is responsible for his public corruption, not public corruption in the state of Illinois.”

Blakey also responded to Collins’ arguments that the judge base his sentence not on the “myth” of Madigan — which he said included the feds’ contention that the former speaker was driven by greed — but on “the reality of Mike,” who has “lived a frugal life” and “takes care of his wife.”

The judge assured Collins he didn’t buy into the myth of Madigan as “The Velvet Hammer” or the “Wizard of Springfield,” references to a decades-old nickname for the former speaker and a sign that once sat on the desk of Madigan’s longtime chief of staff, who is himself serving prison time on convictions related to his ex-boss.

“Working in the legal sausage factory in Springfield is a full-contact sport and people lie about you all the time,” Blakey said, promising he wasn’t taking into account “all that nonsense.”

In Springfield, Madigan’s name is still invoked during debates on the Illinois House floor, but the last 4 ½ years since his resignation from the legislature have seen significant turnover in the body he ruled over for all but one term, from 1983 to 2021. The political effectiveness tying Illinois Democrats to Madigan — a longtime tactic from Republicans who hold super minority status in the General Assembly — has also waned significantly since the former speaker’s departure from public office.

On one of the final days of the spring legislative session last month, a longtime GOP critic of Madigan even credited the former speaker as he was denouncing Madigan’s successor, Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch, for his approach to big bills.

But U.S. Attorney Anthony Boutros still claimed Madigan’s sentence as a victory for cleaning up corruption in Springfield.

“Corruption at the highest level of the state legislature tears at the fabric of a vital governing body,” he said in a statement Friday evening.

Boutros credited former Assistant U.S. Attorney Amarjeet Bhachu for leading the yearslong investigation and criminal case against Madigan and others in his inner circle, which “allowed this case to reach a jury and send a clear message that the criminal conduct by former Speaker Madigan was unacceptable.”
Capitol News Illinois is a nonprofit, nonpartisan news service that distributes state government coverage to hundreds of news outlets statewide. It is funded primarily by the Illinois Press Foundation and the Robert R. McCormick Foundation.

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. (WMBD) — More than 1,000 people packed Bloomington’s downtown on Saturday, for a peaceful “No Kings” rally on the lawn of the Bloomington Center for the Performing Arts.

The event was part of a national day of protest organized to oppose what participants described as authoritarian behavior and threats to democratic norms under the Trump administration.

The rally, hosted by local grassroots groups Voices of Reason and Bloomington Normal 50501, was one of more than 1,800 similar demonstrations held across the country.

“When we have someone who wants to act like a king — we had a revolution for that,” said Sarah Walczynski, a Bloomington resident attending the rally. “It’s 1776 all over again. No kings.”

Walczynski also emphasized the importance of public awareness and civic action. “Half the people in the United States did not vote for this person. And I think a lot of other people were misled. And so as they learn more about the impact of what it means to them, their friends, their neighbors, their family, I think the message is you’re not alone. See what’s going on out there and make a stand.”

The crowd filled the BCPA lawn and surrounding areas, carrying handmade signs and banners promoting democracy and voicing concerns over immigration policy, healthcare access, education funding, and economic inequality.

Not all attendees were aligned with the event’s goals. Brian Tarrant, a United States Veteran, expressed frustration with the protest.

“This is kind of upsetting to me because Donald Trump is trying to do his job. He’s trying to send the convicted felons, rapists and murderers back to where they belong.” Tarrant said. “And these people really have no idea what they’re protesting. I think it’s ridiculous. I think it’s absurd.”

Despite the political divide, the rally remained peaceful. Organizers provided voter registration materials and legal aid resources, including “Red Cards” that outline immigrants’ rights during encounters with law enforcement.

The rally was endorsed by local organizations such as the ACLU of Central Illinois, Prairie Pride Coalition, and the Social Justice Committee of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Bloomington-Normal.

Voices of Reason — part of the national Indivisible movement — and Bloomington Normal 50501, a local chapter of the 50501 network, said they plan to continue organizing events that engage citizens on national issues through local action.

WMBD TV can be reached at News@WJBC.com.

PEORIA, Ill (WMBD) — A federal lawsuit alleges Bradley University breached contracts with its faculty, failed to abide by its own faculty handbook and racially discriminated against some professors when it made deep cuts to trim a multimillion dollar deficit.

The suit, filed June 4, in U.S. District Court in Peoria, names the university as the sole defendant and asks a judge to reinstate the professors who lost their jobs due to the cuts as well as to compensate them with back pay.

In all, 10 current and former professors are named as plaintiffs as well as the school’s chapter of the American Association of University Professors. The suit asks a judge to certify the case as a class-action to include all who were allegedly wronged by the school’s actions.

In mid-2023, former university president Stephen Standifird said the school had a $13 million budget shortfall. That led to the demise of 15 academic degree programs and 61 faculty positions. Bradley stopped offering five other programs as majors but kept some of the classes.

The school’s chapter of the American Association of University Professors, which is akin to a union but without the ability to collectively bargain, opposed the cuts and argued the school didn’t follow it’s own polices regarding the terminated positions.

The suit alleges Bradley broke several promises it made to faculty through its contracts and policies including:

1. Faculty would be afforded primacy in faculty status and educational decisions,
2. The University would ensure employment security in the form of tenure-line faculty positions, thereby furthering shared governance and academic freedom principles
3. Bradley would only eliminate academic programs based on educational considerations.

An email to the university asking for comment was not immediately returned.

In the suit, the AAUP and the professors make it clear they believe the way the school went about things was wrong.

“Through the faculty terminations, the administration eliminated programs, terminated faculty
appointments, and violated faculty rights of governance and due process while refusing to consider non-academic cuts recommended by the (Faculty Members of the Senate Executive Committee) and failing to eliminate inefficiencies and excessive spending in the senior administration’s bureaucracy,” the suit alleges.

In response to the suit, a Bradley University spokesperson shared the following: “As a matter of practice, Bradley University does not comment on pending litigation. That said, we remain committed to our mission, our students, and the values that guide our academic community.”

WMBD TV can be reached at News@WJBC.com.

ELLSWORTH, Ill. (WMBD) — A man is dead after a two-vehicle crash Thursday morning in McLean County.

Deputies with the McLean County Sheriff’s Office were dispatched at 7:32 a.m. to 2600 East County Road and 1500 North County Road to investigate a crash, said Sheriff Matt Lane. That’s in Blue Mound Township, near Ellsworth.

When they arrived on the scene, the deputies saw that a motorcycle and a sedan had collided.

The operator of the motorcycle was pronounced dead at the scene. The sedan’s driver, who was a boy under 18, was taken to a local hospital with minor injuries.

This incident remains under investigation by the McLean County Sheriff’s and Coroner’s offices.

WMBD TV can be reached at News@WJBC.com.