In Illinois, there’s an added layer of intrigue (or skepticism) about electrical costs given that in 2020 ComEd admitted to federal prosecutors it spent nearly a decade using bribery to get laws passed that were favorable to the utility company’s bottom line.
Stories by amanda vinicky
GOP Gubernatorial Candidate Darren Bailey Fought Against Mask Mandates. His Family Farm Required Them For Some Workers
His campaign said Darren Bailey’s stance on masking has been “consistent” despite a policy at his family business that could be viewed as contradictory to his public anti-masking message. According to federal documents, face coverings are required for certain workers at the Bailey Family Farm, of which he is registered as a trustee.
More Than 2 Years After Illinois Legalized Recreational Marijuana, Some Say Law Falls Short of Promise
Nearly two-and-a-half years after recreational cannabis became legal to sell in Illinois, state Rep. La Shawn Ford (D-Chicago) says Illinois has failed to live up to the promise of the law.
Illinois Gets New Budget, And Likely a Lawsuit Too
The $46 billion budget Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed into law Tuesday includes $1.8 billion in largely temporary tax relief, including $50 rebate checks to adult taxpayers, a one-time increase for property owners worth up to $500, and lifting for a year a 1% sales tax on groceries, meaning that shoppers will save $1 on $100 worth of food.
New Bills from Illinois Lawmakers’ Spring Session
Controversial public safety measures took priority in Springfield. And we know that Illinois has a budget. But a whole lot of other changes are coming, thanks to state lawmakers’ recent rush of activity.
Twitter Lands White Sox Fan at His Field of Dreams
Rob Friedman uses social media to promote the game baseball. Fans of Friedman may better know him as Pitching Ninja. As @PitchingNinja, Friedman posts interviews with and videos of pro athletes, often providing tips on pitching mechanics. It’s free for anyone to access and use to perfect their skills.
Illinois State Legislature Looks to Target Crime Through Series of Recently Passed Bills
In their final days of the annual spring session, members of Illinois’ General Assembly approved a series of bills targeting public safety.
Illinois Legislators Pass New Budget
Illinois voters may have been asleep from 1 a.m. to 6 a.m. Saturday morning as members of the General Assembly passed a new state budget, but lawmakers designed it to grab their attention in an election year.
Voters to Get Preelection Tax Relief
It’s getting down to the wire for state lawmakers. They’re supposed to finish their work for this session Friday. And just before the deadline, Democrats are out with a deal.
Illinois Democrats Lay Out Various Plans for Election Year Tax Relief
Democrats, who control the General Assembly, and therefore the budget process in the House, Senate and governor’s office have each offered different proposals with various forms of tax breaks. They aim to have their differences reconciled before Friday’s end, when the spring session is scheduled to adjourn.
Days Before Adjournment, Democrats in Springfield Introduce Series of Bills as Part of Anti-Crime Agenda
On Monday, Democrats unveiled a series of bills they described as “pro law enforcement,” even as a top Republican rebuffed the effort as “trying to rewrite history.” Legislators are set to adjourn their spring session nearly two months earlier than normal, in order to spend spring and summer on the campaign trail.
Illinois Senate Democrats Propose $1B Tax Relief Plan
With a week to go before the Illinois legislature’s planned April 8 adjournment, Democrats in the state Senate on Friday introduced an election-year “inflation-busting” plan offering tax breaks to low-income workers, homeowners, parents, teachers, drivers and even volunteer first responders.
More Calls for ‘Gas Tax Relief’ as Prices Increase
President Joe Biden has moved to ease price pressures through opening oil reserves. Some governors, including Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers, have called on the federal government to temporarily lift its tax on gasoline, though Illinois’ Gov. J.B. Pritzker was not a signatory to a letter making that request.
Metra Adds More Trains, Expects More Riders on Its Most Popular Line
Starting Monday, Metra has added five train trips – 91 up from 87 – to its popular BNSF Line, which runs between Aurora and Chicago along stations including Downers Grove, Hinsdale and Brookfield.
With Sharp Drop in Demand, Community-Based COVID-19 Testing Sites to End Operations March 31
Illinois will close its community, free COVID-19 testing sites within the next week. The Illinois Department of Public Health cites a “sharp increase in demand” that dropped “precipitously in recent weeks” as its reason for closing the testing locations, as well as an “anticipated end of federal funding.”
Illinois to Use $2.7 Billion in Federal Relief Funds to Pay Off COVID-Related Debt
When COVID-19 shutdowns left a record number of people suddenly out of work, Illinois saw record applications for unemployment benefits. That increase drained the state fund that pays out those benefits, the Illinois Unemployment Insurance Trust Fund.
Sen. Dick Durbin in Commanding Seat for Supreme Court Hearings
The Senate Judiciary Committee that U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin chairs begins a series of hearings Monday into President Joe Biden’s nominee for the high court, Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson.
Activists Protest State’s Attorney Kim Foxx Over Lack of Charges Against Police in Fatal Shootings
Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx announced Tuesday that while officers Eric Stillman and Evan Solano erred and “escalated” the situations in their pursuits of Toledo, there’s insufficient evidence and facts to justify criminal charges.
In the Next Decade, All New Cars Will Carry Technology that Monitors for Impaired Drivers
The $1 trillion federal infrastructure package includes spending on construction projects and puts the U.S. on the path toward transitioning to electric-powered and hybrid vehicles. It also contains a variety of safety provisions, including impaired driver monitors.
As Candidate Filing Closes in Illinois, Some Want System Reformed
There were no major surprises as the window closed, with no big names mounting a surprise challenge to Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker. With Petersburg’s Jesse Sullivan getting his petitions in before the 5 p.m. deadline, all five of the high-profile Republicans seeking their party’s nomination for governor have filed to run in what’s expected to be a contentious race.
Michael Madigan Indictment Spurs Calls for Reform in Springfield
The former Illinois House Speaker and longtime chairperson of the Democratic Party of Illinois faces multiple counts that carry prison sentences of up to 20 years each. And advocates say Mike Madigan’s indictment should be a call for reform of state government.
Higher Gas Prices ‘A Sacrifice’ Americans Must Bear, Some Local Experts Say
It’s a new front as the U.S. attempts from afar to influence what’s happening in Ukraine. President Biden Tuesday announced a ban on all imports of oil from Russia. What consequences that may have abroad and here at home.
Under Madigan Corruption Cloud, Election Season Begins in Illinois
Anyone in line to file their petitions by the time election authorities opened their doors has a chance to be listed first on the ballot for their race, a position that could make a difference by attracting voters’ eyeballs in a close contest.
Legislators React to Former House Speaker Michael Madigan’s Indictment
For nearly 40 years, former Illinois House Speaker and state Democratic Party chairman Michael Madigan was at the epicenter of politics in Chicago and Illinois. Now, he’s at the epicenter of a corruption investigation. The news has Springfield reeling.
As Carjackings Rise Locally and Across the Country, U.S. Senate Holds Hearing
Both locally and nationally, carjackings are on the rise. In Chicago, they have tripled over the last decade, according to the Cook County sheriff’s office. Other cities including New York City, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C. have also seen similar upticks.
With Mandate Over, Illinois Businesses Can Decide How to Handle Mask Requirements
As expected, Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Monday issued a new executive order that lifts the requirement for masking in most indoor public settings, citing a “vast improvement” in COVID-related hospitalizations and transmissions.
