It’s on to the Illinois House of Representatives with a measure that would remove the ability of the Department of Corrections and attorney general to recoup housing costs from prison inmates.… MORE
It’s on to the Illinois House of Representatives with a measure that would remove the ability of the Department of Corrections and attorney general to recoup housing costs from prison inmates.… MORE
Expect there to be heated debate in Springfield about whether K-12 education should be funded before or after the state’s decades-old funding formula is reformed.… MORE
Lawmakers are back in full force in Springfield this week.… MORE
Social media may be the culprit as rumors continue to circulate regarding alleged voting problems during the Illinois Primary at the Bone Student Center.… MORE
Last week was the first week that political parties other than Republicans and Democrats were able to circulate petitions to get on the November ballot in Illinois, and candidates are pointing out the large disparities in the process.… MORE
Time is running out for Illinois to pass a budget before the current fiscal year expires, but State Sen. Bill Brady (R-Bloomington) has suggested Illinois Democrats have their eye on another clock.… MORE
U.S. Sen. Mark Kirk (R-Ill.) crossed party lines Tuesday, as he became the first Republican to meet with President Obama’s Supreme Court nominee.… MORE
State Sen. Jason Barickman (R-Bloomington) thinks he knows what the outcome of the budget stalemate will be.… MORE
Political observers don’t foresee lawmakers accomplishing anything substantive on a plan to manage tax dollars this spring.… MORE
A measure to make the penalty for possession of small amounts of cannabis the equivalent of a traffic ticket, rather than jail time, could come up for a vote soon, but not everyone is on board. … 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…