A battle within the Catholic Church over the remains of famed Archbishop Fulton Sheen does not appear to be over despite a recent New York court ruling.… MORE
Category Archives: State News
Rep. Brady cautiously backs Rauner’s plan for massive infrastructure bill
State Rep. Dan Brady believes anything’s possible, given the sight of an American president meeting with North Korea’s dictator. However, the Bloomington Republican has his doubts whether Gov. Bruce Rauner can make good on his promise to invest billions of dollars on roads, bridges, and other infrastructure projects by shepherding a massive capital bill through the legislature.… MORE
Area GOP lawmakers plead with Trump not to reduce disgraced governor’s sentence
Illinois’ Republican members of Congress are writing President Trump, pleading with him not to commute the 14 year prison sentence for former Governor Rod Blagojevich.… MORE
Motorcyclists can join in supporting the Mother Road
Motorcycle owners now can join car owners in supporting Route 66.… MORE
Illinois lawmakers urge Congress to make Chicago nation’s 51st state
While state lawmakers continue the 200-year-old rivalry between Chicago and the rest of Illinois, there’s a move by downstaters to make the Windy City its own state, a plan one political science professor said is outlandish yet possible.… MORE
Bicenennital examines Illinois’ top 200 books
A lot of the choices on Illinois’ Top 200 books list are set in Chicago, but the ones that aren’t might surprise some.… MORE
Court rules Archbishop Sheen’s remains can be moved to Peoria
A New York court ruling may lead to a new resting place in Central Illinois for El Paso native, the late Archbishop Fulton Sheen.… MORE
Governor Rauner signs legislative ethics complaint reforms
Governor Bruce Rauner signed a reform measure into law Friday to change how ethics complaints are handled within state government amid continued fallout from sexual harassment allegations, including the ouster this week of Tim Mapes, House Speaker Michael Madigan’s chief of staff.… MORE
Measure would include administrative salaries in State Report Card
Illinois’ State Report Card can tell parents all sorts of things about students, from reading proficiency and math scores to how many are chronically absent.… MORE
Mexico fights back by adding tariffs on pork and other products
Mexico is fighting back on aluminum and steel tariffs by slapping its own tariffs on U.S. pork and other products, which could affect Illinois agriculture.… 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…