Certain University of Illinois employees together received $9.7 million in raises this fiscal year, according to an Illinois Times analysis of UI salary data. Meanwhile, the state’s largest public university system instituted a 6.9 percent tuition hike for the next academic year due to $477 million in late state funds. Constituting about one percent of […]
Patrick Yeagle
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Minorities, women poorly represented on city payroll
Minorities are poorly represented in the City of Springfield’s work force, according to an Illinois Times analysis of city employment data, which shows that white workers make up more than 92 percent of city employees. Data filed by the City of Springfield with the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission show that as of June 30, […]
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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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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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Will the next mayor please step forward?
Every candidate has ideas for what they will do when they are elected mayor. Spend more wisely, they say. Encourage business growth, develop the medical district and bring in more tourists. Get rid of unneeded political hires and look for inefficiencies in city government. These are positive ideas, but they are hardly visionary, and every […]
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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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Planning a one-stop shop for health insurance
Flash forward to the future: The year is 2014, and Illinois residents are buying their health insurance in a new way. Instead of fumbling with numerous complex health insurance plans, they have the option of buying pre-approved, comprehensive plans through a state-administered website. That’s how a state council on health reform envisions it. The Illinois […]
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Illinois health reform continues
Illinois is moving ahead with health care reform, despite a Republican-led movement in Congress to repeal the federal law. The state continues to implement provisions of the federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, including a new high-risk insurance pool and consumer protection against unreasonable rate increases. Every Republican and three Democrats in the U.S. […]
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Springfield blogger cleared of electronic harassment charges
The pen is mighty, says Scott Humphrey of Springfield, but he’ll be more cautious when he uses it from now on. The 58-year-old construction worker and blogger learned that lesson after his recent acquittal on charges of making threats on the Internet. Humphrey’s case is among the first local tests of a 2008 Illinois law […]
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A new reality for the east side
Springfield’s east side could see a dramatic revitalization over the next three years, according to representatives of businesses, churches, nonprofits and government bodies who met to discuss redevelopment plans last week. The East Springfield Summit featured a consortium of familiar names in Springfield – the Greater Springfield Chamber of Commerce, The Springfield Project, Mayor Frank […]
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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 […]
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State union accepts halved raises
The largest union of state employees has ratified an agreement with the State of Illinois for the state to save upwards of $50 million in exchange for a promise of no layoffs. The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) Council 31 signed an agreement with Gov. Pat Quinn in November to implement […]
