When Illinois legalized recreational cannabis this year, lawmakers included a path to having previous criminal records expunged and the governor announced plans to pardon people previously convicted of possession of 30 grams or less.… MORE
Category Archives: Politics
Illinois private school scholarship program grows despite donation slump
Illinois’ private school scholarship program’s largest facilitator of grants sent more students to schools of their choice despite a $10 million slump in donations statewide compared to the year before.… MORE
State Treasurer Mike Freichs: ‘we did what we are supposed to do’ in Patriot Award acceptance speech
A measure of the state’s economy shows a slight drop in productivity for the first month of 2020.… MORE
New bill would establish 60-day time limit for Illinois State Police to consider FOID appeals
A new proposal would put the Illinois State Police on the clock to make decisions a resident’s Firearm Owners Identification, or FOID card. … MORE
Consensus in Illinois grows around fully disclosing citizen legislators’ conflicts of interest
Although some say they are “full-time legislators,” Illinois state lawmakers are considered part-time, but there’s growing debate about how outside employment should be handled.… MORE
Legislative Inspector General Office says more autonomy needed to investigate corruption
The person who is supposed to be policing members of the General Assembly says she is hamstrung by the rules the General Assembly created.… MORE
Illinois lawmakers override Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s veto of sales tax exemption
The Democrat-controlled General Assembly voted to override Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s veto of a sales tax exemption.… MORE
Proposed constitutional amendment would establish ‘lockbox’ for Illinois’ FOID card funds
An Illinois lawmaker is proposing to change the Illinois Constitution to protect Firearm Owners Identification card fee revenue from being swept into the state’s general fund. … MORE
Bill to ban red-light cameras gets new life after bribe scandal
A bill to ban red-light cameras in some Illinois municipalities moved forward Wednesday shortly after a former state lawmaker pleaded guilty to taking bribes to protect a red-light camera operator.… MORE
Bill to give all local governments ability to levy gas taxes could push pump prices higher in Illinois
The sponsor of a measure that would give local governments the ability to tack on a municipal gas tax on top of state and federal gas taxes said it was designed to level the playing field inside the state’s boundaries, but a group representing convenience stores said it would make Illinois even more of an outlier compared to neighboring states.… MORE
Blogs
Labor Day – Expanding voting rights for all
By Mike Matejka Because of COVID, there is no Labor Day Parade this year. It’s always a great event for our everyday workers to march proudly down the street and enjoys the festive crowd. If there had been a parade, this year’s Labor Day theme was to be “150 years of struggle: your right to vote.” …
Is federal mobilization the answer?
By Mike Matejka As President Donald Trump threatens to send federal marshals into Chicago, over the objections of Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker, recall another Illinois Governor who protested the incursion of armed federal personnel into the city. Those federal troops, rather than calming, escalated the situation, leading to deaths and violence. Illinois poet Vachel Lindsay…
In these troubled times, to my fellow white Americans
By Mike Matejka Our nation is at a unique watershed in human relations. African-Americans have been killed too many times in the past before George Floyd, but the response to this man’s death is international and all-encompassing. I was a grade-schooler during the Civil Rights 1960s. I watched Birmingham demonstrators hosed and the Selma – Montgomery…
Workers’ Memorial Day – Remember those whose job took their life
Looking around our community, when we say employer, most will respond to State Farm, Country, or Illinois State University. We too often forget those who are building our roads, serving our food, or our public employees. COVID-19 has made us more aware of the risk. Going to work every day for some people means…