The state’s emergency management agency says it’s important to know what to do if an earthquake breaks out. … MORE
Category Archives: State News
Rauner releases 2016 tax returns
Gov. Bruce Rauner paid nearly $23 million in federal and state taxes last year, according to his office which released his 2016 tax returns.… MORE
Secretary White: decade-old law saves teen drivers’ lives
It’s National Teen Driver Safety Week, and Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White is praising a nearly 10-year old law he helped to write for a dramatic decrease in teen deaths on state roadways.
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Durbin ’embarrassed’ by opioid-enabling bill
U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin said Congress must take the blame for passing a measure during the Obama administration that its critics say undermined enforcement efforts to combat the opioid epidemic.… MORE
Sen. Barickman hesitant on Rauner endorsement
This late in the game, Barickman said it would take a tremendous effort to gather the necessary signatures to get on the ballot and run an effective campaign. … MORE
Expert: Ending clean air rules will help power bills, not coal miners
Illinois’ coal mines won’t suddenly spring to life now that President Donald Trump has rolled back clean air rules, but that’s not to say the decision won’t have some benefit in Illinois.… MORE
Durbin slams Trump health care order
U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., is weighing in on President Donald Trump’s order on health care, something he said is destabilizing the Affordable Care Act.… MORE
IDOT wants public input on rest stops
Illinois Transportation officials are rethinking the layout and role of the state’s highway rest areas in the Digital Age.… MORE
Pawar drops out of governor’s race
Illinois voters won’t make a final decision on their choice for governor for more than a year, but already two top contenders are dumping millions of dollars of their own wealth into their campaign warchests.… MORE
Pekin mom killed in car crash, son in car seat survives
A young mother from Pekin was killed, but her child escaped serious injuries in a two-vehicle crash Thursday afternoon on route 24 in Peoria County.… 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…