When they were young, they murdered and were sent away to prison. Now they are old, infirm and still incarcerated. The Illinois Prisoner Review Board has voted to parole some of these individuals. And those votes have thrown the once obscure, Springfield-based board into controversy. Illinois has been phasing out parole since 1978. Anyone sentenced […]
Scott Reeder
Scott Reeder is a staff writer at Illinois Times.
Posted inOpinion
Needless angst over kneeling
Our society has developed quite a bit of consternation over folks who kneel on football fields. First there was quarterback Colin Kaepernick kneeling during the national anthem in protest of police brutality. Then-President Donald Trump’s response: “Get that son-of-a-bitch off the field.” Sigh. On April 25, the U.S. Supreme Court heard the case of Joseph […]
Posted inOpinion
Gas tax attacks
Illinois politicians must think we are really a dumb bunch. They just passed legislation that requires every gas pump in the Land of Lincoln to bear a sticker telling us that the state could be screwing us over even worse at the gas pump. Of course, they don’t phrase it that honestly. They are quite […]
Posted inNews
A journalist and a political candidate
After decades of covering candidates for public office, journalist Terry Martin has decided to become one. Martin, executive director of the Illinois Channel, is seeking the Republican nomination for the 13th Congressional District. The district, which snakes its way from East St. Louis through Chatham, Springfield and Decatur to Champaign-Urbana was drawn by state lawmakers […]
Posted inOpinion
No transparency for state budget process
Illinois politicians talk a lot about transparency but rarely practice it – even amongst themselves. State budgets are negotiated behind closed doors between whomever is governor and legislative leaders. Sometimes members of the minority party are included, but other times, such as this year, not so much. This month, once a budget agreement was reached […]
Posted inNews
The doctor will see you now – wherever you are
If you won’t go to the doctor, the doctor may end up coming to you. Southern Illinois University’s School of Medicine is targeting underserved communities by bringing health screening teams to churches as well as community organizations that primarily serve Black and other minority communities. “We’re trying to establish a partnership. And most importantly, we’re […]
Posted inOpinion
Guilty by association
Defending the accused shouldn’t be a mark of shame. But in the world of politics, there may not be a more loathsome creature than a criminal defense attorney. I’ve been thinking about that these past few weeks as I watched Republican senators attack U.S. Supreme Court nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson and Democrats assail Illinois GOP […]
Posted inNews
Southeast High gives teen court a try
Springfield’s Southeast High School is experimenting with a program designed to divert students who misbehave away from the criminal justice system. For example, if a student is caught stealing, the current approach is to have the police officer who is assigned to the school write a citation and the matter is referred to the Sangamon […]
Posted inOpinion
Leading a privileged life
A few months ago, I was pulled over by a Springfield-area police officer for a minor traffic violation. He shined a flashlight in my car and said, “Mr. Reeder, are you carrying?” I replied that no, my firearm was home locked up in a safe. He replied, “You should always carry. It doesn’t do you […]
Posted inNews
Robin Schmidt running for judge
Almost five years after Judge John Schmidt’s unexpected death, his widow, Robin, is seeking her own spot on the Sangamon County bench. She currently serves as a felony prosecutor in the Sangamon County State’s Attorney’s Office and as a trustee of the Springfield Park Board. “These are big shoes to fill with the retirement of […]
Posted inOpinion
Buy now, save later
The problem with inflation is that there is more than enough blame to go around. Some folks will say it’s Joe Biden’s fault, others blame Donald Trump, or Russia, or Congress or the Federal Reserve. Maybe everybody is a little bit right or a little bit wrong. I don’t know. I grew up on a […]
Posted inNews
The Black valedictorian who never received the title
In 1984, Tracey Meares had the highest grade-point average in her class and was prepared to be her class’ valedictorian. It was of particular significance to her because she would be the first Black person to claim the title in Springfield High School’s history. But the title was denied to Meares, leaving a Springfield documentary […]
