Illinois lawmakers walked out of the Capitol building on Wednesday morning to honor victims of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting. Led by Sen. Melinda Bush, D-Grayslake, lawmakers joined student demonstrations across the nation on the one-month anniversary of the Parkland shooting that killed 17 people. “I helped to organize this walkout with […]
Megan Swett
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Democrats in 13th challenge Davis, Trump
While U.S. Rep. Rodney Davis, R-Taylorville, faces no primary opponent, Democrats are preparing for the fall general election, focusing on November and the incumbent instead of each other in the March 20 primary. The 13th Congressional District that encompasses a wide swath of central Illinois has long been seen as a swing district where Democrats […]
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Prison mental health on trial
Care for the mentally ill in Illinois prisons may not be ideal, but it isn’t so bad that it violates constitutional guarantees against cruel and unusual punishment, according to the Illinois Department of Corrections and the company that provides care under a state contract. That’s the crux of the state’s effort to refute arguments by […]
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Trouble brews in Democratic Party weeks before the primary
Illinois Democrats are struggling to find their balance following news that Speaker of the House Michael Madigan took three months to fire a staffer following an accusation of sexual harassment from a campaign worker. The accusation, brought forth by Alaina Hampton and supported by inappropriate texts sent by the accused, Kevin Quinn, came in November […]
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Candidates for governor address seniors’ concerns
On Feb. 6, Democratic gubernatorial candidates and running mates fielded questions from area locals at an Illinois Seniors State of the State forum. The forum, held at Senior Services of Central Illinois and hosted by the Illinois Alliance for Retired Americans, Caring Across Generations and Service Employees International Union Healthcare, featured candidates Sen. Daniel Biss, […]
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Rauner’s pension proposal meets backlash
Following Gov. Bruce Rauner’s call for pension reform and tax cuts in Wednesday’s budget address, state lawmakers and midterm election candidates voiced dissent over what some called another unbalanced budget. “We still don’t know if he’s going to get some of the reform initiatives through, whether it’s from the pension cost shift [or] the selling […]
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Rauner’s pension proposal meets backlash
Following Gov. Bruce Rauner’s call for pension reform and tax cuts in Wednesday’s budget address, state lawmakers and midterm election candidates voiced dissent over what some called another unbalanced budget. “We still don’t know if he’s going to get some of the reform initiatives through, whether it’s from the pension cost shift [or] the selling […]
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A rise in polls could mean a rise in problems for Biss
Gubernatorial candidates Sen. Daniel Biss, D-Evanston, and J.B. Pritzker are in the midst of a campaign battle following Biss’s rise in the polls last week. Just prior to the State of the State address last Wednesday, news broke that Biss surpassed fellow candidate Chris Kennedy in primary polls for the first time. The surge offered […]
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The battle over legalization continues
Lawmakers plan to introduce a bill to legalize recreational marijuana in early February, following a series of public hearings in Chicago over the legislative break. On Jan. 22, lawmakers in Chicago held their fourth and last public hearing concerning legalization. The meeting focused on the public health aspect of legalization, weighing the potential harm legalization […]
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Sexual harassment response continues into spring session
Sexual harassment allegations from last fall are still on legislators’ minds as the General Assembly prepares for its spring session. Sen. Christina Castro, D-Elgin, filed two bills in early January that would expand the jurisdiction of the Legislative Ethics Committee and the Legislative Inspector General (IG). One bill would allow former legislators and legislative employees […]
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Overtime woes for Illinois caregivers
Caregivers in Illinois face possible suspension following changes to their overtime policy. The Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS) established a 45-hour per week maximum for personal assistants (PAs) of people with disabilities back in 2015. The department began issuing notices of violation, or occurrences, last fall. According to Service Employee International Union (SEIU) Healthcare, […]
