More than nine months after Illinois’ civil union law took effect, state lawmakers are still arguing over what it means. That’s because of a controversial measure to exempt religious adoption agencies from the law. Sen. Kyle McCarter, R-Lebanon, sponsors Senate Bill 2495, which would allow a religious adoption agency to not place children in a […]
Patrick Yeagle
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10-year prison sentence for hit-and-run driver
He was left to die in a pool of his own blood “like roadkill.” That’s how Sangamon County Circuit Judge Leo Zappa described the death of Danny Dapron Jr., a 30-year-old cyclist killed in a hit-and-run accident on Aug. 8, 2010. Zappa sentenced the driver, Ursula Jones, 23, of Springfield, to 10 years in prison […]
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Time to graduate?
Illinois grapples with another round of difficult budget cuts, some lawmakers want to eliminate the state’s constitutional flat-rate income tax requirement, opening the door for what some experts call a more equitable and lucrative graduated income tax. Illinois currently has a 5 percent individual income tax for all taxpayers, regardless of income. But a pair […]
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Ferreting out fraud
It’s a crucial time for Illinois in terms of the state budget, but investigators say the state is at a turning point in another respect: fighting Medicaid fraud. Gov. Pat Quinn announced a state budget last month that requires $2.7 billion in cuts to Medicaid. While lawmakers look at restricting eligibility and treatments to shave […]
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Power company generates questions
A power generating company with plans for a major new plant in Illinois has been implicated in the corruption trial of a former Oklahoma senator convicted of bribery. During federal court testimony last week in the trial of Oklahoma’s former senate president pro tem Michael Morgan, Nebraska-based power company Tenaska was identified as the firm […]
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Man on fire
J.R. Martinez says he used to worry that his appearance would frighten children. Now he proudly embraces the rippled burn scars that cover much of his face, hands and other body parts. In 2003, the former Army infantryman, now 28, was badly burned by a landmine in Iraq. Martinez survived the injury and overcame the […]
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Judge sides with Illinois Times on lawsuit
A Sangamon County judge has ordered a Springfield city government committee to hold open meetings following a lawsuit by an Illinois Times reporter. Bruce Rushton, a staff writer for Illinois Times, filed a lawsuit against the city’s Joint Labor Management Health Committee after a closed-door meeting on Jan. 10 in which the committee decided to […]
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Could redistricting lead to same-sex marriage?
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, […]
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Springfield goes to Washington
As lawmakers in Washington, D.C., debate a far-reaching transportation funding measure that could mean jobs for Springfield, government and religious leaders here are making their voices heard in the nation’s capital. The U.S. House will likely vote on a five-year transportation bill this month, which could increase the number of transportation-related jobs for minorities and […]
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Does minimum wage boost help or hurt?
Increasing the minimum wage doesn’t cause job loss as commonly thought, according to researchers pushing for a higher minimum wage in Illinois. State lawmakers will likely consider a bill this month that could mean higher pay for 1.1 million low-wage Illinois workers. The report, released Jan. 30 by the Washington D.C.-based Economic Policy Institute, touts […]
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Developer blasts new Enos School plan
A Springfield developer with plans to revamp part of the Mid-Illinois Medical District says Springfield School District 186’s plan to replace the current Enos Elementary School is likely to cost more than expected. Dan Mulcahy, the Springfield developer behind Dankor Development LLC, says the district’s plan fails to completely account for factors like asbestos removal, […]
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Lawsuit claims Illinois illegally withholds treatment for kids
A class action lawsuit against the state of Illinois alleges state welfare agencies illegally withhold treatment for children with emotional and behavioral disorders. The lawsuit could affect more than 18,000 youth with severe mental illnesses and emotional disturbances in Illinois. Filed against the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services, the lawsuit seeks to force […]
