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Monday, September 25, 2017
As Catholics and mothers, we support abortion rights bill
Abortion (1)
As mothers and grandmothers, we care deeply about the future of Illinois, which is what first drove us into public office. We are committed to the women and children of our state — because we know they often bear the heaviest burden when bad policies hurt working families. As Catholics, we share an abiding commitment to social justice, which includes ensuring that all Illinois residents h...
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Monday, September 25, 2017
: Lisa Madigan’s bailing out may have had more to do with father
Attorney General (6)
Madigan, Michael--State House, 22
The Madigan pullout . . . Sneed is told Lisa Madigan’s decision to call it a day as Illinois attorney general was not just motivated by her ability to make big money in the private sector. It also had to do with dad. Top Dem sources claim Madigan’s pullout was also motivated by fears her poll numbers would be affec...
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Monday, September 25, 2017
Rauner plays it safe on likely doomed GOP Senate Obamacare bill
Obamacare, Affordable Care Act
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Rauner, Bruce
The potential for Senate Republicans to unravel Obamacare this week diminished on Sunday, when two GOP senators, Susan Collins of Maine and Ted Cruz of Texas said their support was unlikely. Even though the bill drafted by Sens. Lindsey Graham R-S.C. and Bill Cassidy R-La., is on the verge of failure — and may not even get a vote by the end of the month — as l...
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Monday, September 25, 2017
Rein in facial recognition technology to protect privacy
Celebrities have long bemoaned their lost ability to disappear into a crowd. The rest of us are on the brink of sharing that dismal feeling — without the glittery benefits of stardom — because of rapidly advancing facial recognition technology. To avoid a world in which scanners constantly identify us and report on wherever we go — a political rally, an ...
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Monday, September 25, 2017
Lawmakers to send Rauner controversial bill to expand abortion coverage
Abortion (1)
A Democratic state senator said he will lift his procedural hold on a bill that would expand taxpayer-subsidized abortions for women who have Medicaid or state employee health insurance coverage, sending the measure to a Republican governor who's offered mixed signals on the issue. Sen. Don Harmon's move Monday means Gov. Bruce Rauner will have 60 days to decide what to d...
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Monday, September 25, 2017
Morning Spin: Pritzker boasts of Poshard backing, but they're a political odd couple
Candidates--Statewide (12)
Democratic governor candidate J.B. Pritzker has received the backing of Glenn Poshard, a former congressman and unsuccessful governor candidate. The retired president of Southern Illinois University at Carbondale remains a popular figure to some Downstate voters and potentially could help Pritzker among more socially conservative Democrats. At the same time, Pritzker has ...
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Monday, September 25, 2017
Rauner vetoes geolocation privacy bill aimed at protecting smartphone users
Cell towers, cell phones, texting (94a)
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Rauner, Bruce
Groundbreaking Illinois legislation meant to protect mobile phone users from having their location information trafficked by companies without their permission is going nowhere, at least for now. Gov. Bruce Rauner vetoed the proposed Geolocation Privacy Protection Act on Friday, leaving it to the legislature to consider a possible override vote. ...
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Monday, September 25, 2017
Nekritz bows out of crowded Illinois attorney general race
Candidates--Statewide (12)
Despite expressing interest in running for Illinois attorney general, outgoing state lawmaker Elaine Nekritz won't be seeking the position after all. "I've decided against it, it was a family decision," Nekritz, a Northbrook Democrat, told the Daily Herald Sunday. She said the move "simply wasn't the right time for my husband and family," and she di...
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Monday, September 25, 2017
Changes in forfeiture law put burden on police
Police (28)
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Monday, September 25, 2017
Evidence of invasive grass carp signals threat to Lake Erie
Agriculture (2)
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Rivers (23)
TOLEDO, Ohio – Researchers have fresh evidence that invasive grass carp are swimming and spawning near the mouth of a river that flows into Lake Erie. Their next step is figuring out how to stop it from gaining a foothold and devouring wetland plants along the shoreline and underwater vegetation in the lake that shelters native fish. Grass carp are one of four Asia...
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Monday, September 25, 2017
Abortion rights bill on way to Rauner
Abortion (1)
A controversial abortion rights bill is going to Gov. Bruce Rauner. On Monday, Sen. Don Harmon, D-Chicago, withdrew a procedural hold on the bill that has stopped it from going to the governor since it passed the legislature in May. Harmon said he wanted to give Rauner time to change his mind about his threat to veto the legislation. Harmon could not immediately be reached...
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Monday, September 25, 2017
Blackburn College offers free tuition for some Macoupin County students
Education--Higher (37)
Blackburn College unveiled a new program Tuesday that will enable qualifying Macoupin County students to attend the college free of charge. The new program, called Macoupin Promise, is open to students from any high school in Macoupin County as long as they meet the school’s normal admission requirements, participate in the school’s work program and their family’s h...
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Monday, September 25, 2017
Scramble begins in Illinois attorney general race
Candidates--Statewide (12)
The race to become Illinois’ next chief legal officer is off to a furious start after Attorney General Lisa Madigan’s sudden announcement that she wouldn’t seek a fifth term. A Republican former Miss America’s campaign has been reinvigorated. Two Democratic state lawmakers have stepped forward. And so many others are contemplating runs that news outlets a...
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Monday, September 25, 2017
Scramble begins in Illinois attorney general race
Candidates--Statewide (12)
The race to become Illinois’ next chief legal officer is off to a furious start after Attorney General Lisa Madigan’s sudden announcement that she wouldn’t seek a fifth term. A Republican former Miss America’s campaign has been reinvigorated. Two Democratic state lawmakers have stepped forward. And so many others are contemplating runs that news ou...
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Sunday, September 24, 2017
Most students still not reading, adding at grade level
Education reform (38)
Sosnowski, Joe--State House, 69
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Sunday, September 24, 2017
: Let’s help Illinois get back on track with ‘College Changes Everything’ month
Education--Higher (37)
The two-year budget impasse had a serious impact on the state, and college students and those planning to attend were among those who faced significant uncertainty. Challenged by closure of programs and delays in grant funding, some students were forced to go part time, drop out or choose not to attend in the first place — certainly a negative for students, but also for the long-term econ...
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Sunday, September 24, 2017
Abortion bill is hot potato for Gov. Rauner
Abortion (1)
A bill that hasn’t even made it to Gov. Bruce Rauner’s desk yet could pose the biggest political problem for the governor so far. The bill is House Bill 40, a measure that in part is intended to protect abortion rights in the state in the event the U.S. Supreme Court would overturn the Roe v. Wade decision. Proponents of the bill believe Rauner must sign the m...
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Sunday, September 24, 2017
Sen. McCann takes on Cellini in tiff with Bruner
Candidates--Statewide (12)
A rift has formed between two former allies: JAMES P. BRUNER and state Sen. SAM McCANN. This was illustrated last week when 50th Senate District candidate STEVE McCLURE announced his candidacy at the Springfield office of United Contractors Midwest. It was the same place that McCann, R-Plainview, made a 2011 campaign announce...
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Sunday, September 24, 2017
State employees, retirees have opportunity for giving
As the United Way of Central Illinois gears up for its critical annual campaign to support social services, I’d like to remind state employees of the opportunity to support charitable causes directly through SECA, the State and University Employees Combined Appeal Program. Since its establishment in 1983, this annual giving campaign has generated over $78 million in...
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Sunday, September 24, 2017
Statehouse Insider: Illinois finances not the worst? Believe it or not.
The results are in and, defying all odds, Illinois isn’t the worst. And considering it involves state finances, it is even more amazing. The non-partisan Truth in Accounting released its annual Financial State of the States report that reviews the finances of all ...
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Saturday, September 23, 2017
FOP asks state labor board to stop changes to CPD use-of-force policy
Police (28)
The Fraternal Order of Police has asked the Illinois Labor Relations Board to stop the city from changing the Chicago Police Department’s use-of-force policy. Details about the implentation of the policy were unveiled Thursday and officers have begun training in the new procedures. The FOP, which represents rank-and-file CPD officers, says implementing the new polic...
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Saturday, September 23, 2017
Gov. Rauner sets timeline for $6B bond sale to pay down bill backlog
Bonds, Bonding, Borrowing, Debt, Credit Rating
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Budget--State (8)
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Rauner, Bruce
Gov. Bruce Rauner on Friday named the firms that will handle the bulk of the state’s sale $6 billion bond sale to help pay off its staggering bill backlog of nearly $15.5 billion. The first series of bonds will go out in a $4.5 billion negotiated sale, and the state will competitively bid the remaining $1.5 billion in general obligation bonds, according to a stateme...
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Saturday, September 23, 2017
Quit playing politics with Illinois abortion rights
Abortion (1)
When in doubt, do what’s right. Gov. Bruce Rauner believes in a woman’s right to have an abortion. He’s said as much and everybody knows it, whatever the political downside for him. So he should just go ahead and sign House Bill 40, legislation that would provide insurance coverage for abortions to Illinois workers and Medicaid rec...
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Saturday, September 23, 2017
New Illinois law will let adults earn high school diplomas
Education--Educators/Administrators
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Rauner, Bruce
Gov. Bruce Rauner has signed a new Illinois law that will let adults earn high school diplomas instead of general-education certificates. Rauner signed the amendment to the Illinois School Code on Friday at Goodwill of Northern Illinois in Rockford. It will allow those over age 21 who didn’t finish high school to receive a high school diploma through certified programs. Ra...
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Friday, September 22, 2017
Gubernatorial candidate Chris Kennedy to visit Marion on Saturday
Candidates--Statewide (12)
MARION — Chris Kennedy, a Democratic candidate for Illinois governor, plans to make a campaign stop in Marion on Saturday...
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