In the formerly quiet towns of western North Dakota, there are new strangers arriving every day. New housing is being erected at a breakneck pace, and newfound wealth is flowing quickly into the rolling hills because of the wealth flowing out of them. Hydraulic fracturing of the Bakken Shale rock formation has created an oil […]
Pat Quinn
Posted inOpinion
Full-court press off, Jaffe fumbles
I’ve always believed that just because somebody claims to be a reformer, it doesn’t mean the person has the right solutions. Many years ago, an activist named Pat Quinn came up with an idea to change the Illinois Constitution. He used the petition process to get rid of a third of Illinois House members in […]
Posted inNews
Abused wife freed from prison after 26 years
When the Springfield-based Illinois Innocence Project hosts its annual fundraising banquet this weekend, they’ll have a fresh victory to celebrate. Peggy Jo Jackson of Shelbyville was released from prison in Lincoln last week after serving nearly 26 years for a murder her brother admitted to committing. Gov. Pat Quinn approved Jackson’s clemency petition on March […]
Posted inNews
Education to suffer most under next state budget
Illinois’ public pension costs will eat up nearly a fifth of state spending in the coming fiscal year, with education largely absorbing the impact. “This is the most difficult budget I have ever submitted to you,” Gov. Pat Quinn told lawmakers on March 6 during his annual budget address at the Illinois Statehouse. Quinn’s proposed […]
Posted inNews
Illinois starts giving prison inmates release credits
Certain Illinois inmates have started to receive early release credits under administrative rules adopted this month by the Illinois Department of Corrections. The move follows a state law passed last year in response to public outcry over a previous early release program. Well-behaved inmates who show potential for rehabilitation can receive up to 180 days […]
Posted inNews
No raises for unions under House resolution
Kevin Holmes of Springfield devotes his life to caring for a young man with severe disabilities. For that full-time work – seven hours a day, seven days a week – Holmes makes just more than $11,000 per year, which puts him and his wife below the federal poverty level while she goes back to school. […]
Posted inNews
Lawmakers vote to reinstate early prisoner release
Illinois prison inmates may soon qualify for early release once more under a bill passed by state lawmakers last week. If approved by Gov. Pat Quinn, the move would address state prison overcrowding that resulted in part from the suspension of early prisoner release more than two years ago. On May 31, the last day […]
Posted inNews
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 […]
Posted inNews
Lawmakers vote to keep supermax prison open
A panel of state lawmakers voted last week to keep the state’s “supermax” prison open, but the costly facility’s ultimate fate rests with the governor. The Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability (COGFA) met on May 1 to vote on several facility closures meant to save the state millions of dollars. Among the facilities on […]
Posted inNews
Early release would save $153 million
Putting a halt to early prison release in Illinois has cost the state $153 million a year, says one prison reform advocate. Meanwhile, inmates complain of cockroaches in their cells and a lack of rehabilitative programs. State lawmakers met last week to discuss reinstating good conduct credits in response to overcrowding, budget constraints and reports […]
Posted inNews
Senators say nursing home rule not followed
When Gov. Pat Quinn signed a nursing home reform bill last year, it was supposed to make sure nursing homes had enough actual nurses. Quinn approved the law on July 26, 2010, mandating that nursing homes kept a minimum ratio of nurses to patients. But that hasn’t happened, according to state Sen. Jacqueline Collins, D-Chicago. […]
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 […]
