Coverage of Thursday’s court happenings in the trial of former House Speaker Michael Madigan.… MORE
Category Archives: State News
State officials unveil new resource dedicated to helping people report hate crimes
With hate speech and hate crimes at an all-time high, according to FBI numbers cited by the Pritzker administration, a new state resource aims to connect victims with services and increase reporting of such acts.… MORE
Federal prosecutors will be on duty Election Day to hear complaints and fraud allegations
By WMBD-TV SPRINGFIELD – Federal prosecutors will be monitoring Election Day complaints and will be in communication with the Justice Department in Washington, D.C. The program is an practice that’s been in place for at least the last 20 years of presidential elections. U.S. Attorney Gregory Harris, who is top prosecutor for the Central District…… MORE
By the numbers: Unions lead the way on funding state elections in Illinois
This year in Illinois, there are no statewide elections. There are no fights over a Supreme Court seat. There are no constitutional amendments. At the Statehouse, more than half of general election races are uncontested. … MORE
Madigan co-defendant warned ComEd CEO not to ‘provoke a reaction from our Friend’
In ex-speaker’s trial, former utility exec calls Madigan’s apparent involvement in contract talks ‘unusual’ … MORE
Gov. Pritzker has been working battleground states with the election now one week away
Gov. JB Pritzker has been working the battleground states to try to keep Donald Trump out of the White House.… MORE
More than 70 people sworn in as United States citizens during a ceremony in Springfield
In Mr. Lincoln’s hometown, in the museum dedicated to telling his story, 75 people from 37 countries became United States citizens.… MORE
‘My client is the speaker’: Jury hears wiretapped calls of Madigan co-defendant, longtime friend
By early 2019, Mike McClain had been a fixture around the Statehouse in Springfield for the better part of 50 years, first as a Democratic lawmaker in the 1970s and then for decades as a high-profile contract lobbyist.… MORE
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
Ameren Illinois offers power line safety tips during National Teen Driver Safety Week
This week is National Teen Driver Safety Week. Ameren Illinois is reminding teen drivers of the very important, life-saving protocol when dealing with downed power lines.… 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…