Independent campaign expenditures have skyrocketed this year in state legislative races. All of these numbers were current as of 4:20 p.m. Friday, March 13, when I finished writing this column. Independent expenditure committees are not allowed to coordinate their spending with candidates, ergo the “independent” label. As with the federal level, they are also not […]
Opinion
Posted inOpinion
This is what opportunity looks like
It’s not every day that a $500 million private investment comes along – especially one with the potential to reshape the economic future of Sangamon County. The proposed CyrusOne data center campus represents exactly that kind of opportunity: hundreds of jobs, a strengthened tax base, and long-term benefits for families across our region. Economic development can […]
Posted inEditor's Note
Editor’s Note
Mandy Eaton, the president and CEO of Memorial Health, said Wednesday, March 11, the hospital system is working to increase access to outpatient mental health care, “but there are gaps” in the care system. Those gaps “shift pressure” to the emergency room and law enforcement. Dr. Ted Clark, an emergency room physician and vice president […]
Posted inLetters to the Editor
Letters to the Editor
MY HEART IS DOWNTOWN I’m encouraged to see the hearts downtown. Let’s keep that spirit alive by generating local economic growth versus economic growth for non-local corporations. As a reminder, the rest of the country remembers us for some of our more progressive times in history: freeing slaves during the Underground Railroad, being the home […]
Posted inRich Miller
Hallucinatory campaigns
Unless you’ve been under a rock, you likely know that former President Bill Clinton seemed to say that he flew on Jeffrey Epstein’s private jet with JB Pritzker and his spouse – after saying that it was likely that Epstein as well as his notorious co-conspirator Ghislaine Maxwell were passengers on every flight he took […]
Posted inOpinion
Learning begins at home
Each year, Illinois Times publishes an article on the status of Springfield District 186 Schools. Across the district, teachers, staff and administrators give their all, pouring their heart and soul into our students’ futures. Many of our students make gains, but not the dramatic grade-level jumps necessary for major changes to the Illinois Report Card. […]
Posted inEditor's Note
Editor’s note 3/5/26
“Yes, we may be speaking to the choir,” said Dr. Kelly Hurst, a leader of the Massey Commission, to the March 2 quarterly meeting of Kenniebrew-McNeese Community Forum. “But remember, the choir needs rehearsal.” The “choir” here was doctors, hospital workers, social service providers, city officials and staffers and other community members who care about […]
Posted inLetters to the Editor
Letters to the editor 3/5/26
We welcome letters. Please include your full name, address and telephone number. We edit all letters. Send them to editor@illinoistimes.com. MENTAL HEALTH MATTERS Sangamon County faces a clear choice: continue treating mental health as optional – or recognize it as essential public infrastructure for families, employers, schools and public safety. A yes vote on the […]
Posted inRich Miller
Pritzker’s contribution to Croke
Illinois comptroller candidate state Rep. Margaret Croke (D-Chicago) reported receiving the maximum campaign contribution of $72,800 from Gov. JB Pritzker on Feb. 19. Since then, Pritzker has appeared in some Croke campaign ads. The day before the Pritzker contribution was reported, I spoke with incumbent Comptroller Susana Mendoza about the governor’s support of Croke – […]
Posted inOpinion
Illinois goes all-in on more nuclear power
The curtain has finally and unequivocally been ripped back: Gov. JB Pritzker is all-in on new nuclear. Pritzker released Executive Order 2026-01 Executive Order To Accelerate New Safe Nuclear Power Generation In Illinois – the final missing element of a plan for a more nuclear-reliant Illinois, dating back to the two-part repeal of Illinois’ nuclear […]
Posted inUncategorized
Letters to the editor
DO IT FOR THE PEOPLE If I was running for office, I would run for the people, not the party (“Marc Bell drops out of sheriff’s race,” Feb. 12). Barack Obama did not have the support of Sangamon County, including most Black voters, until he won the primary against Hillary Clinton. The local Democratic party […]
Posted inOpinion
Teachers’ unions slam state budget
As expected, we did not see a whole lot of spending increases in Gov. JB Pritzker’s state budget proposal last week. Last year, Pritzker said his budget limited discretionary spending to less than a 1% increase. The plan unveiled last week limits discretionary spending to less than a half a point increase. An education funding […]
