A near-miss has been confirmed between a Southwest Airlines planes and a jet on a runway at Chicago’s Midway International Airport.… MORE
Category Archives: State News
Lawmakers weigh whether to legalize ‘medical aid in dying’
Lawmakers are considering legalizing a controversial medical practice that proponents say could ease suffering for the terminally ill. … MORE
Financial impacts of federal action stir anxiety for Illinois farmers
The effects of President Donald Trump’s planned tariffs on allies and rivals are yet to be seen, but farmers in Illinois are bracing for their impact – even as they wait years for Congress to pass long-term federal spending legislation.… MORE
State cracks down on Chicago gas utility as other utilities ask for rate increase
State regulators on Thursday ordered Chicago’s natural gas utility, Peoples Gas, to abandon its approach to a long-beleaguered pipeline replacement program. Consumer advocates praised the decision, but the company said the decision could cost customers. … MORE
With a deadline approaching for U.S. citizens to obtain Real IDs, Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias is urging Illinois residents to “Get Real.”
With a deadline approaching for U.S. citizens to obtain Real IDs, Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias is urging Illinois residents to “Get Real.”… MORE
Black, Latino lawmakers criticize Pritzker’s proposed budget
Majority Party Democrats had mixed reactions to Gov. JB Pritzker’s budget address Wednesday, with leadership in the General Assembly offering praise amid criticisms from members of the legislature’s Black and Latino caucuses. … MORE
BREAKING: Pritzker proposes $2B in spending growth without new income or service taxes
Gov. JB Pritzker has proposed growing spending by about $2 billion without new income or service taxes in the upcoming fiscal year – though his administration acknowledged policy changes by the Trump administration could drastically alter the fiscal landscape. … MORE
Pritzker to call for expansion of 4-year degree offerings at some community colleges
The Illinois Community College System headquarters is pictured in downtown Springfield. (Capitol News Illinois photo by Andrew Campbell)… MORE
State official: renewable investments ‘best thing’ to lower energy costs
With an increasing number of officials warning Illinois might struggle to meet its renewable energy goals, regulators and lawmakers met Tuesday to discuss how the state should regulate its energy industry. … MORE
Eliminating immigrant spending, boosting education funding top Senate Republican budget priorities
A day ahead of Gov. JB Pritzker’s annual budget address Wednesday, Senate Republicans said they want budget negotiations to include cuts to noncitizen spending while bringing in “transparent accounting.”… 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…