Gov. JB Pritzker has been working the battleground states to try to keep Donald Trump out of the White House.… MORE
Category Archives: Politics
ComEd exec testifies utility prepared for bankruptcy before 2011 law threw it a lifeline
In 2006, electric utility Commonwealth Edison was riding out the last year of a decadelong state-mandated rate freeze, which had put the company in “dire” financial straits.… MORE
17th District looms large in tight battle for U.S. House
With less than three weeks remaining before voting ends in the 2024 election, polls have been showing Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump running virtually neck-and-neck, especially in “battleground” states like Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania.… MORE
4 decades after rising to power and nearly 4 years since his fall, former Speaker Madigan goes to trial
On a late October day in Springfield nearly five years ago, then-Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan exited a private caucus meeting and strode up to a group of waiting reporters in one of the state Capitol’s vast marble halls. … MORE
Testimony continues in 2nd Amendment challenge to Illinois’ assault weapons ban
An engineer who spent decades designing weapons for one of the world’s leading gun manufacturers testified Tuesday that the assault-style weapons now banned in Illinois are intended only for civilian use and cannot be easily converted into military-grade firearms.… MORE
Contractor’s unsecured databases exposed sensitive voter data in over a dozen Illinois counties
Around 4.6 million records associated with Illinoisans in over a dozen counties – including voting records, registrations and death certificates – were temporarily available on the open internet, according to a security researcher who identified the vulnerability in July. … MORE
Illinois House Minority Leader discusses upcoming election
A top Republican in Springfield is optimistic of gaining ground on supermajority Democrats this election year.… MORE
Supreme Court hears cases pertaining to detention under the SAFE-T Act
The Illinois Supreme Court heard arguments Tuesday in a pair of cases that test the authority of local courts to hold criminal suspects behind bars while they await trial.… MORE
Jury selection begins in trial of former AT&T Illinois boss accused of bribing Madigan
Jury selection is set to begin Tuesday in the trial of former AT&T Illinois president Paul La Schiazza, who federal prosecutors allege bribed once-powerful Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan in exchange for favorable legislation in Springfield.… MORE
State law banning concealed carry on public transit ruled unconstitutional
A federal judge in Rockford has declared a state law banning concealed firearms on public transit systems unconstitutional – at least as it applies to four individuals who challenged it in court. … MORE
Blogs
Labor Day – Expanding voting rights for all
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.” …
Is federal mobilization the answer?
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…
In these troubled times, to my fellow white Americans
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…
Workers’ Memorial Day – Remember those whose job took their life
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…