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 […]
business
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AFSCME under siege
What would drive a crowd of unionized state employees to boo the very governor they helped elect? The answer is about $83 billion of pension underfunding, a broken labor contract and a lot of jobs in jeopardy. When Gov. Pat Quinn stood before a crowd of fellow Democrats and union members on Governor’s Day at […]
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How will retirements affect Springfield?
Gov. Pat Quinn’s pension proposal has led to an increase in state employees applying for retirement, which could negatively affect Springfield businesses. According to the State Employees Retirement System, more than 4,000 workers have applied to retire during this fiscal year, which is an increase of 40 percent from last year. Of the 4,000 who […]
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Senate votes to widen ban on private prisons
Illinois could soon have a new privately run jail. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement wants a new privately run detention center in Crete, just south of Chicago, to house people who have immigrated to the U.S. illegally, and the Illinois Senate passed a bill last week to stop it. Illinois currently has a law against privately run […]
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Springfield businesses say Illinois’ Amazon Tax not enough
It’s a battle already decided in Illinois, but the winners say they are still suffering. Now they’re preparing for a renewed fight in Washington, D.C. At issue is whether Internet retailers like Amazon.com, Inc. should have to collect state and local sales taxes. Illinois’ own “Amazon Tax” took effect in March 2011, but some Springfield […]
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‘I see a whole lot of opportunity here’
Henrik Rasmussen calls himself a “Springfielder by choice.” A native of Denmark, Rasmussen moved his family to Springfield in 2009, seeking opportunity, freedom and space to innovate. Now a U.S. citizen, Rasmussen is launching his own public affairs consulting firm in Springfield on Aug. 1, after seven years at another consulting firm. Addressing the crowd […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Trouble at Groupon?
We all like to see homegrown Illinois businesses succeed, but sometimes they get a little too cocky. That may be the case with Chicago-based Groupon. The Internet startup, which offers one discount coupon per day for various U.S. cities, is being sued in a San Francisco federal court for alleged “false and misleading business and […]
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Mayor candidates break from the past
Reform is the theme in the race for mayor, as the candidates begin outlining their plans to change how the city operates. At a public forum on March 3, three of the four candidates for Springfield mayor addressed issues of transparency, political patronage, minority representation and more, each saying their administration would represent a break […]
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Parking war
Parking in Springfield is cheap. Visitors from Chicago sometimes joke that it’s cheaper to get a parking ticket here than to simply pay the meter in their city. But that could change with a proposed ordinance under consideration by the city council. On Jan. 25, the council considered a measure to double Springfield’s fine for […]
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Cohen: ‘Illinois needs honesty, not perfection’
Illinois hasn’t heard the last of Scott Lee Cohen. After winning the Democratic Party’s nomination for lieutenant governor in the February primary election, Cohen bowed out of the race, and he is now running for governor as an independent instead. Last week, he met with the Greater Springfield Chamber of Commerce as part of his […]
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Census shows more minority businesses
When Michael Pittman first began publishing the Capital City Courier newspaper in Springfield in 2006, he wanted to address issues facing an African-American audience – issues he says often aren’t important to mainstream media. “It was something I always wanted to do,” Pittman says. “The emphasis for me was being an alternative source of news […]
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Wal-Mart reduces dairy business with Prairie Farms
Carlinville-based dairy producer Prairie Farms will no longer supply milk under Wal-Mart’s Great Value brand, but Prairie Farms chief executive officer Ed Mullins says the company will certainly survive, even if it has to make a few cuts. Prairie Farms has provided dairy products to Wal-Mart for more than 20 years, Mullins says, and Wal-Mart […]
