The child tax credit which is part of the American Rescue Plan begins Thursday, July 15.… MORE
Category Archives: State News
Illinois Parks and Rec calling Saturday “Unplug Illinois” day
Now that the days of being cooped up are apparently over, the parks professionals want you to ditch the devices for at least a day.… MORE
Manhunt underway as inmates escape Fulton County jail
The Fulton County Sheriff’s office is asking all residents of Lewistown and surrounding communities to lock their vehicles and houses, after four inmates escape the jail.… MORE
Gov. Pritzker warning the public about phishing emails
Gov. JB Pritzker has three simple words for people who may be tempted to click on links they see in unfamiliar emails:… MORE
Gov. Pritzker signs comprehensive health care bill
Gov. JB Pritzker Tuesday signed what he said was a comprehensive health care bill.… MORE
Members of Gamaliel network delivering food to local congress members to call attention to Citizenship Act of 2021
It’s advocacy with apple pie.… MORE
Illinois’ emergence from the pandemic continues
By Dave Dahl SPRINGFIELD – The state’s continued growth is a continued surprise, says a professor who has chronicled the Illinois economy’s ups and downs for decades. The Flash Index, compiled by University of Illinois economics professor Fred Giertz, rose from 105.3 to 106.0 over the past month. The index is a weighted average of…… MORE
Business coalition urges Gov. and lawmakers to consider passing an energy bill
There’s no word on when – or even if – an energy bill will be ready for a General Assembly vote. Lawmakers were already in Springfield in mid-June, but no bill materialized.… MORE
Bloomington collector donates 170-year old letter Lincoln wrote to ALPLM
When there’s something new at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum in Springfield, it oftentimes is something old. … MORE
Expiration dates extended for driver’s licenses and ID cards
By Neil Doyle BLOOMINGTON – Expiration dates for Illinois driver’s licenses and ID cards have been extended an additional five months — from Aug. 1, 2021, to Jan. 1, 2022. “Extending expiration dates until January 1, 2022, means people with an expired driver’s license or ID card do not need to rush into a Driver…… 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…