Another contempt of court for the head of DCFS in Illinois as the agency struggles to place children in proper care settings.… MORE
Category Archives: State News
House lawmakers trade words about the LGBTQ community
By Dave Dahl SPRINGFIELD – A champion swimmer and a woman whose body was pulled from Lake Michigan a few days ago have two things in common: they are transgender, and they were brought up on the floor of the Illinois House Tuesday. State Rep. Tom Morrison (R-Palatine) said the acceptance of transgenderism, including allowing…… MORE
Jelani Day bill approved by Illinois House committee
By HOI ABC SPRINGFIELD (WGEM) – A bill honoring the life of Jelani Day is one step closer to becoming law in Illinois. Day was a graduate student at Illinois State University who went missing in August. Despite efforts to find him alive, authorities found his body floating in the Illinois River on September 4. His family…… MORE
Illinois Black leaders gather at the Illinois Capitol
By Dave Dahl Three of Illinois’ Black leaders are back from Washington, D.C., where Judge Ketanji Brown-Jackson sits for confirmation hearings as a nominee to the U.S. Supreme Court. “Oh, my God, it was just an exciting, awesome day,” State Sen. Mattie Hunter (D-Chicago) said the day after witnessing Monday’s opening day of the hearings.…… MORE
Illinois Treasurer: “I don’t support a retirement tax”
A celebration of Illinois Treasurer Mike Frerichs’ Secure Choice retirement program took a left turn because of politics.… MORE
Blue Cross Blue Shield fined by state after failing to submit required information after terminating Springfield Clinic contract
The parent company of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois, Health Care Service Corporation, has been fined by the Illinois Department of Insurance $339,000.… MORE
New York State Assembly Speaker visits Illinois House of Reps.
For a while this past week, there were two speakers in the Illinois House of Representatives.… MORE
Sen. Durbin looking forward to Supreme Court confirmation hearings
The chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), looks forward to the confirmation hearings next week for Supreme Court nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson.… MORE
Some new factors have entered the budgeting picture for Illinois
By Dave Dahl SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois legislature has three weeks until its self-imposed deadline to put together a budget. One person with a big part of that job is House Majority Leader Greg Harris, who says there’s a multi (b) billion dollar shortage in the unemployment insurance trust fund. “There are a number of…… MORE
GOP: Fundamental change needed at DCFS
The roll call continues – of dead or missing children. And State Rep Tom Weber (R-Lake Villa) says it’s evidence the performance of the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services is unacceptable.… 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…