Lawmakers who opposed Illinois’ civil union law in 2010 now face a renewed battle – this time for their reelection. “We want lawmakers to understand that if they oppose civil rights for all people or deny civil rights based on sexual identity, they are going to have a fight ahead of them,” says Lowell Jaffe, […]
general assembly
Posted inNews
False start to campaign for open primary
Expect a bit more tweaking, Bill Clutter says, after twice changing a proposal for amending the Illinois Constitution through voter initiative. A Democratic candidate for the 48th Senate District, Clutter on Sept. 7 announced a petition drive to institute open primaries – preliminary elections in which voters would not be required to divulge their party […]
Posted inNews
Minorities press for representation in redistricting
Minority groups in Springfield and statewide are calling for better representation as the Illinois legislature mulls redistricting plans. At an Illinois Senate Redistricting Committee hearing April 4, groups representing African Americans, Asian Americans and Muslims shared concerns about “packing, cracking and stacking” – gerrymandering tactics that dilute minority voting power. Illinois draws new electoral districts […]
Posted inNews
Advocates: ‘Don’t prosecute teens for consensual sex’
If Romeo were alive today, he would be a sex offender. That’s the situation with Illinois sex offender laws, say reformers calling for changes to laws they say unfairly stigmatize low-risk teenage offenders. Illinois law criminalizes so-called “Romeo and Juliet” relationships, in which two consenting teens have sexual contact but one is under the age […]
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Victory in court nears for developmentally disabled
Rick Wilson of Springfield never thought it was asking too much for his daughter, Jennifer, who has cerebral palsy, to live in a comfortable environment. But when the Wilsons asked the State of Illinois to place Jennifer in a supportive living arrangement for adults with disabilities – instead of an institution – they were repeatedly […]
Posted inOpinion
Freedom of Information should include judicial branch
For reporters, the Illinois Freedom of Information Act is both a helpful tool and a stumbling block. It grants access to governmental records and allows the public to hold accountable those who run our communities and our state, but it also lets certain governmental entities escape the public eye by hiding behind exemptions and technicalities. […]
Posted inNews
Report criticizes ‘clean’ coal plant
The Illinois Commerce Commission is neither ‘for’ nor ‘against’ the Taylorville Energy Center – officially. But good luck finding anything project developer Tenaska can boast about in the agency’s 45-page report on the “clean” coal facility’s costs. Lawmakers are expected to use the report in their decision, perhaps as early as this fall, on whether […]
