By Dave Dahl SPRINGFIELD – A Kankakee County judge, presiding over a consolidated group of more than sixty lawsuits by state’s attorneys, says the state’s law to eliminate cash bail effective Sunday is unconstitutional. Early reaction to the ruling is conflicted as to whether any part of the “pretrial fairness act,” part of the overall…… MORE
By Dave Dahl SPRINGFIELD – The red-shirted forces of Moms Demand Action gave State Rep. Denyse Wang Stoneback (D-Skokie) a standing ovation Tuesday, when she summed up her opinion of the National Rifle Association: “A money-making operation from gun manufacturers based on half of the text of the Second Amendment,” she said during a House…… MORE
By 25 News BLOOMINGTON – A split McLean County board will also have split leadership. Board member John McIntyre will retain his seat as chairman, a position he’s held since 2016. Joining him as Vice-Chair will be Democratic member Elizabeth Johnston, who has sat on the board since 2016. Both represent District 5, covering the…… MORE
By WJBC Staff BLOOMINGTON – State Sen. Jason Barickman (R-Bloomington) announced on Monday his retirement from the Senate at the end of his current term, which expires Jan. 10, 2023. Barickman has served in the General Assembly for 12 years. He currently represents the 53rd District, which covers parts of McLean, Livingston, Woodford and Ford…… MORE
By Dave Dahl SPRINGFIELD – Looking back on his losing campaign for governor and just weeks away from being out of office entirely, State Sen. Darren Bailey (R-Xenia) says it’s not as if some part of him were left unknown to the public. “I don’t think anything,” Bailey said this week. “I have no regrets.…… MORE
By 25 News BLOOMINGTON – McLean County voters chose 10 Republicans and 10 Democrats to the county board last month, meaning compromises must be made to pick their leaders. That hasn’t been a problem in the past because the board has been controlled by Republicans. However, their dominance has declined in recent years, and one…… MORE
By Dave Dahl SPRINGFIELD – Native American groups made their concerns known during what was described as a first-of-its kind summit with state lawmakers at the Capitol Wednesday. The most prominent topic at a news conference – which featured a traditional chant – was the story of Nimkii Curley, whom Evanston Township High School kept…… MORE
By Dave Dahl SPRINGFIELD – Being the first woman to lead a caucus of the Illinois House of Representatives may be an important thing, but House Minority Leader-elect Tony McCombie (R-Savanna) says it’s not the only thing. “I was the first female mayor in Savanna, so this is not a first for me, but I…… MORE
By Dave Dahl SPRINGFIELD – The renovation of the north wing of the state Capitol has pushed out the senators. Tuesday marked not only the start of the 2022 veto session; it was also the first day of a nearly 2 ½ -year stay in the adjacent Howlett Building. A deteriorating auditorium received a massive…… MORE
By Dave Dahl SPRINGFIELD – With the Illinois General Assembly back at the Capitol Tuesday, House Speaker Chris Welch (D-Hillside) lays out his expectation for one of the big issues, the “Safe-T Act.” A key provision of that package, which passed almost two years ago, is the end of cash bail Jan. 1. Police and…… MORE
By Mike Matejka Because of COVID, there is no Labor Day Parade this year. It’s always a great event for our everyday workers to march proudly down the street and enjoys the festive crowd. If there had been a parade, this year’s Labor Day theme was to be “150 years of struggle: your right to vote.” …
By Mike Matejka As President Donald Trump threatens to send federal marshals into Chicago, over the objections of Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker, recall another Illinois Governor who protested the incursion of armed federal personnel into the city. Those federal troops, rather than calming, escalated the situation, leading to deaths and violence. Illinois poet Vachel Lindsay…
By Mike Matejka Our nation is at a unique watershed in human relations. African-Americans have been killed too many times in the past before George Floyd, but the response to this man’s death is international and all-encompassing. I was a grade-schooler during the Civil Rights 1960s. I watched Birmingham demonstrators hosed and the Selma – Montgomery…
Looking around our community, when we say employer, most will respond to State Farm, Country, or Illinois State University. We too often forget those who are building our roads, serving our food, or our public employees. COVID-19 has made us more aware of the risk. Going to work every day for some people means…