Dozens of AARP members piled into the main hall of Erin’s Pavilion on Aug. 20 to hear what local politicians had to say about problems facing retired communities inSpringfield. The event also served as a 90th anniversary celebration for the Social Security Act signed into law by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. AARP Illinois senior director […]
Dilpreet Raju
Dilpreet Raju is a staff writer for Illinois Times and a Report for America corps member. He has a master's degree from Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University and was a reporting fellow at Capitol News Illinois.
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Securing mental health funding
Social workers and mental health providers informed the county’s Mental Health Commission earlier this month about the possible ways they could benefit from dedicated funding and planning from a community mental health board. The vast majority of counties in Illinois have these boards, which approve funding for local social service organizations through some form of […]
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Massey Commission strives for long-term change
While Illinois law enforcement agencies will soon be required to ask for, and provide, entire employment records for any applicants seeking to become a police officer, the Massey Commission is seeking to continue its work in order to actualize its upcoming recommendations. The law was a response to the killing of Sonya Massey, who called […]
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Lead lines in legal limbo
Springfield, like so many other metropolitan areas, has thousands of service lines connected to the city’s water mains that are made of lead. While those lines have a protective coating lining the interior of the pipes and are chemically tested twice a year, environmental organizations and the Environmental Protection Agency argued all lead pipes need […]
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Massey Commission nears end, prepares recommendations
The Massey Commission’s law enforcement work group met Aug. 4 and tried to finalize recommendations to offer up to the full commission, largely focusing on how to strengthen the SAFE-T Act’s transparency provisions. Work groups are submitting their final recommendations to the full commission by Oct. 1, with a full report from the commission to follow. Earlier […]
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Governor signs health laws
Governor JB Pritzker signed more than 100 bills into law last week, with a handful centered on mandating specific health insurance policies, along with enhancing patient safety and disease prevention. From barring anesthesia time limits to a new infectious disease commission, here are some of the latest changes to Illinois state law. Insurance coverage Late […]
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Two health insurers leave Illinois market
Only two health insurance companies are slated to offer marketplace health plans in central Illinois next year, halving the amount of insurance issuers the region currently has as Aetna and Health Alliance announced they will be exiting the insurance marketplace in 2026. However, Aetna will still offer Medicare plans next year. In addition, health policy […]
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Citizens Club of Springfield discusses city’s future
This month’s Citizens Club of Springfield meeting centered on how to bring people downtown and what role the Springfield-Sangamon County Regional Planning Commission plays with developers and officials who seek to build commercial or residential real estate in Springfield. Molly Berns, former executive director of the Springfield-Sangamon County Regional Planning Commission, said convincing people to […]
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Durbin warns of federal cuts impacting medical pipeline, research
Sen. Dick Durbin, joined by members of the Southern Illinois University medical network on Friday, warned of the federal administration’s decisions that will impact aspiring doctors, rural hospitals and scientific research. Discussing provisions within the new federal tax law and the decision to cap federal education loans, Durbin said medical students – who will be […]
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Massey Commission makes plans for work to continue
Members of the Massey Commission, which is nearing an imposed deadline to submit a report of findings and recommendations, argue creating meaningful solutions for Springfield will require more than just one year of discussions. Next month, the group will host members of the Ferguson Commission to discuss transitioning the commission into a nonprofit. “(Sonya’s cousin) […]
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Illinois measles outbreak “officially over”
Ule James remembers when there was no vaccine for measles. Growing up as a child in the 1960s, he said it was fairly common for people to experience bouts of disease from the deadly virus. “Back then, it was like, ‘It’s just measles. All the kids get measles, who cares?’” James said. The first measles […]
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Businesses hoping to enter cannabis market face significant challenges
While Illinois’ cannabis market is booming and the state has made progress in diversifying new licensees, significant hurdles remain for businesses hoping to enter the expanding market, according to an independent review of the industry. Celebratory news releases have marked several industry successes in recent months – the state saw the opening of its 100th social […]
