One of the limitations of modern political debates is that candidates are usually only asked what they’ll do. But in this era of political dysfunction and governmental obstruction, it can be just as important to know what a candidate might choose not to do. At a recent forum in Springfield, most of the Democrats seeking [...]
A law passed in 2014 was supposed to ensure Illinois families no longer have to give up custody of their children in order to get them necessary mental health treatment. Even so, for years families with no other options have been forced to abandon their children to get them the help they need, and legislators [...]
Gov. Bruce Rauner is scheduled to unveil his fourth budget proposal Wednesday in a speech to the General Assembly. Illinois lawmakers only enacted a budget for one of the three years he’s been in office. That led to service cuts and some layoffs, but the state didn’t collapse. For most people, life went on as [...]
Five of the six Democrats running for governor were in Peoria over the Martin Luther King Day weekend. They were making largely similar cases to voters at a forum on criminal and economic justice. The five candidates seem to agree on a lot of big picture policy ideas, so Democratic voters will have to decide [...]
If you’ve seen Gov. Bruce Rauner’s campaign commercials , you might think the school funding issue was settled last summer. But as often happens with…
As we get ready to welcome 2018, we thought we’d take a few minutes to listen back to another wild year in Illinois government and politics.
With roughly three months to go until Illinois’ primary election, there are seven men seeking the Democratic Party’s nomination to be governor of Illinois. One of the key questions facing primary voters: To counter the vast wealth of incumbent Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner, do Democrats need their own billionaire at the top of the ticket? [...]
Monday was an important date on the way to the 2018 elections. It was the beginning of the period when Illinois candidates have to file petitions with, in some cases, thousands of signatures needed to get on the ballot. The filing period lasts a week, but for hundreds of candidates, it was worth it to [...]
Illinois Circuit Courts will be required to have a special treatment court for veterans, starting next year. The initiative aims to reduce recidivism…
The opioid epidemic continues to sweep across Illinois and the rest of the nation, now declared a public health emergency. But, some believe medical marijuana could be the solution. Medicinal cannabis is legal in Illinois, but it’s only available to those who suffer from specific ailments like Muscular Dystrophy, seizures, cancer and more. Senator Don [...]
Illinois lawmakers are considering whether women who are pregnant and in jail should have to give birth behind bars. Every year, state Rep. Kelly Cassidy says, her kids want to be told their “birth story.” “What we’re trying to do … is limit the number of children whose birth stories begin with, ‘First, I [...]
State Rep. Jeanne Ives says she’s taking on Governor Bruce Rauner in the upcoming Republican primary. The former Wheaton city councilwoman and West Point graduate acknowledges it will be tough going up against Rauner’s vast personal wealth. But she says the governor has betrayed Republican principles, and wants to give voters a choice. Brian Mackey: [...]
By Johnathan Hettinger/Midwest Center for Investigative Reporting A law requiring foreign investors to report transactions of farmland to the U.S. Department of Agriculture has been on the books for almost 40 years. But as the amount of foreign-controlled farmland doubled in millions of acres between 2004 and 2014, the USDA has lapsed in enforcing the law, [...]
