There is no shortage of discussion at the Capitol about carbon. It’s the subject of a bill which has passed an Illinois House committee.… MORE
Category Archives: State News
Moratorium on building carbon sequestration pipelines passes Illinois House committee
There is no shortage of discussion at the Capitol about carbon. It’s the subject of a bill which has passed an Illinois House committee.… MORE
Gordon-Booth: Illinois State Police Hiring Effort Offering $90k+ for New Troopers
By WMBD-TV PEORIA – Upon completion of the Illinois State Police academy, a new trooper can make slightly more than $90,000 in their first year on the job. That’s the word from State Rep. Jehan Gordon-Booth who helped with a recent bill that upped ay and benefits for new troopers. The upcoming cadet application deadline…… MORE
State bill to eliminate sub-minimum wage for tipped workers is advancing
It could be state law for workers who depend on tips to make the minimum wage – with tips on top.… MORE
Illinois bill would give a three-dollar-an-hour raise to “direct service providers”
People who care for the developmentally disabled say they are due for a raise of three bucks an hour.… MORE
Republican Senate Leader: “The Governor needs to lead” when it comes to Prisoner Review Board
If anybody did not smell a rat at the Illinois Prisoner Review Board, Illinois Senate Republicans say, last month’s death of an eleven-year-old boy – allegedly at the hands of a man the PRB released a day before – should leave no doubt.… MORE
Local hospital uses pinwheels to highlight Child Abuse Prevention Month
Blue and silver ribbons dot the lawn of a Springfield hospital to commemorate Child Abuse Prevention Month.… MORE
The question of “greener” cement is before an Illinois House committee
The carbon footprint of concrete was a subject of an Illinois House hearing. … MORE
State Treasurer wants unspent 529 funds to start a Roth IRA
Let’s go from college savings to retirement savings.… MORE
A bigger payday is on the way for new state troopers
The newest Illinois state troopers can count on a bigger payday.… 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…