Illinois’ Senior Senator says President Biden’s plan of sending at-home COVID-19 test kits to Americans is ‘way behind,’ as cases of Omicron skyrocket.… MORE
Category Archives: Politics
New bill makes assaulting a DCFS worker a more serious crime
By Dave Dahl SPRINGFIELD – With the memory of the Jan. 4 stabbing death of an Illinois Department of Children and Family Services investigator still fresh, two Springfield lawmakers are trying to make an attack on DCFS workers a more serious crime than it is now. “It allows for a person that causes great bodily…… MORE
Consumers and manufacturers in Illinois are debating Right to Repair
By Dave Dahl SPRINGFIELD – The Right to Repair movement – allowing customers and repair shops to bypass the manufacturer in fixing their electronics – is coming to Illinois. The movement, says Illinois Public Interest Research Group director Abe Scarr, is “diverse, bipartisan, and growing: we just want to fix our stuff. But, increasingly, manufacturers…… MORE
Illinois Republicans blaming Democrats for the lack of a legislative inspector general
With another resignation, the Republican who chairs the Legislative Ethics Commission is bemoaning the lack of a legislative inspector general – and blaming the Democrats.… MORE
Sen. Durbin: Looking back on Capitol Insurrection “makes me sick to my stomach”
On the first anniversary of the U.S. Capitol Insurrection, Illinois’ Senior Senator says he still can’t get past the images and pictures of that day.… MORE
Illinois lawmakers tackle judicial redistricting and creation of some new sub-circuits
By Dave Dahl SPRINGFIELD – They remapped the Illinois House and Senate, then the U.S. House seats in Illinois. The General Assembly Wednesday tackled a judicial remap, adding some sub-circuits, and has now completed its cartography for another decade. And the whole process upset superminority Republicans. “Judges should be neutral arbitrators of the law, not…… MORE
Normal to move forward on building outdoor fitness court
By HOI ABC NORMAL – An outdoor fitness court, costing an estimated $180,000, is a step closer to becoming reality for a neighborhood in north Normal. The Town Council Tuesday night voted 4-2 to accept a $25,000 grant to help offset the cost of a fitness court that town staffers envision at Rosa Park Commons…… MORE
Top leaders of the Illinois General Assembly convene Wednesday for the first time in 2022
The top leaders of the Illinois General Assembly – as the House and Senate convene Wednesday for the first time in 2022 – agree that the state budget is the top priority. They also agree they can safely negotiate the pandemic.… MORE
Illinois House Republicans raising concerns over new vaccine mandate in Chicago
Illinois House Republicans are raising concerns about the new vaccine mandate in Chicago and Cook County.… MORE
John Milhiser announces bid for Illinois secretary of state
There’s a new candidate on the Republican side for Illinois secretary of state.… 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…