For 23 hours a day, a roughly five-by-ten-foot concrete box is what Aaron Fillmore calls home. He’s been living in a room like that for the past 15 years. That’s according to a lawsuit filed last week by the Uptown People’s Law Center (UPLC) against the Illinois Department of Corrections (IDOC). It claims Illinois turns […]
Alan Kozeluh
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The high cost of higher education
The Illinois Senate met June 16 to discuss the cost of college in Illinois in anticipation of sending the higher education funding bill to Gov. Bruce Rauner, who included a 30 percent cut to colleges and universities in his proposed budget – a larger cut than any other department received. Senators heard testimony from students, […]
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To Arbitrate or Not to Arbitrate
The Illinois General Assembly has voted to strip state workers of the right to strike, and the unions actively lobbied to make it happen. A bill passed Saturday would apply mediation and arbitration procedures to all state workers in Illinois. The procedures are already used when negotiations fail between governments and police, fire and other […]
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Building a better budget
At the close of a contentious regular session and a vicious budget battle in the Illinois General Assembly some lawmakers are making an effort to streamline the budget-making process. State representatives Ann Williams, D-Chicago, and Kelly Burke, D-Evergreen Park, have introduced two House resolutions urging the General Assembly to adopt standard processes for passing a […]
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The Widening Net
The Illinois House passed a bill last week which would allow prosecutors new access to personal records in criminal trials. Senate Bill 1688 adds state’s attorneys to the list of people who can submit a written request for someone’s vital records, such as a birth certificate or a death certificate. A request would have to […]
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Building a modern tax code
As the May 31st legislative deadline looms, tax experts are making one more push to extend the state’s sales tax to services. The Center for Tax and Budget Accountability (CTBA) and the Taxpayers Federation released a report last week calling for Illinois to tax services the same way products are taxed. Illinois sales tax covers […]
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The Show Must Go On
Capitol observers could be forgiven for feeling a sense of déjà vu. For the second week in a row, the Illinois House of Representatives ran legislation modeled after Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner’s agenda, and for the second week in a row, Republicans raised objections. Two weeks ago, a bill resembling Rauner’s proposed budget was brought […]
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Workers’ comp could see changes
Gov. Bruce Rauner wants state lawmakers to reform workers’ compensation, but the jury is still out on the last attempt at reform. The Illinois General Assembly last passed workers’ compensation reforms in 2011, but the effects of that reform package seem to be still developing. The 2011 reforms allowed employers to choose doctors to […]
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Moneyball
The first pitch was a swing and a miss, but after that, Democrats in the Illinois House were swinging for the fences, passing amendment after amendment to a budget bill funding many of their priorities. House Republicans were caught off-guard this week when Democrats introduced 16 floor amendments to House Bill 4141, an appropriations bill […]
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No time to talk
Gov. Bruce Rauner PHOTO BY ANTHONY SOUFFLE/TNS Last week was a turbulent one in the media for Gov. Bruce Rauner. He dodged questions from journalists, took questions from union adversaries, and held a press conference for an empty room. Rauner’s administration has been careful about limiting media access literally from day one. But one longtime […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Life and death in Lincoln’s day
John H. Littlefield’s painting, “Death Bed of Lincoln,” depicting the 16th president’s passing. Historians, experts and enthusiasts gathered on April 15, the 150th anniversary of Lincoln’s death, to discuss his assassination, his health care and mourning a president. Wayne C. Temple, deputy director of the Illinois State Archives, spoke at length about the three men […]
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Cutting to the bone
Gov. Bruce Rauner PHOTO BY Nancy Stone/TNS The universe is not infinite. At least, not when it comes to the budget. That’s how Gov. Bruce Rauner’s budget chief explained to a panel of House lawmakers last week that there are not many places to cut the current state budget. On April 21, the newly formed […]
