Frank Manzo IV
Every July 1 since 2019, Illinois’ motor fuel tax ticks upward with the rate of inflation.
And every year, the same talking heads emerge attacking it as some evidence of broken government.
This is absurd. Illinois’ gas tax is working exactly as the bipartisan majorities who took historic steps to repair our crumbling infrastructure intended: reversing decades of neglect while keeping pace with the rising cost of infrastructure modernization on which our economy depends.
Central and Southern Illinois are deeply familiar with the growing need for affordable housing. Across the state, more than 289,000 affordable rental homes are needed to meet the needs of our lowest-income residents.
This isn’t just a challenge for the families directly affected — it’s a burden on our entire state. When households are forced to spend a disproportionate share of their income on rent, they have less to contribute to local businesses and economic growth.
The Illinois State Capitol in Springfield
Illinois lawmakers are having discussions about pension obligations and payment backlogs which continue to plague the state’s College Insurance Program.
Funding problems were discussed Wednesday during a joint meeting of the House Appropriations-Higher Education and Personnel and Pensions committees.
Illinois’ College Insurance Program is dealing with a $50 million loan to go along with a $38 million deficit.
Has the corner turned for “Shoeless” Joe Jackson?
Certain longtime readers may remember “Infield Chatter,” the weekly baseball column I penned for The Times sports section from 2016-2020. Others will note how frequently “Eye On Illinois” pieces reference my umpiring or youth coaching experience.
So please bear with me for a reflection on Tuesday’s news of Major League Baseball removing 17 players from the permanently ineligible list, a list that includes eight members of the infamous 1919 Chicago White Sox.
Illinois lawmakers are poised to pass landmark legislation that would create the state’s first comprehensive framework for evaluating and implementing artificial intelligence (AI) technology in K-12 schools. The proposal, which has garnered bipartisan attention in the final weeks of the legislative session, tasks the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) with developing statewide guidance to help educators and students navigate the rapidly evolving landscape of AI tools.
Illinois faces a massive $770 million deficit for its Regional Transit Authority, leaving the door open to sweeping cuts that could jeopardize programs.
Illinois is one of the only blue states not to adopt the Advanced Clean Car and Advanced Clean Truck rules initiated by California. (Seventeen other states have already adopted complete or partial components of these rules.)
These standards aim to phase out the sale of new gasoline and diesel vehicles and increase the sale of zero-emission vehicles.
A monumental late-April news event in Europe that has received limited attention in the United States could find its way into debate on a legislative proposal to end Illinois’ 40-plus-year ban on building large nuclear power plants.
Here’s how CNBC described what happened on April 28:
“A catastrophic power outage affecting much of Spain, Portugal and the south of France has thrust the role of renewables and energy security into the spotlight.
Illinois organizations dedicated to the humanities and the arts are asking state lawmakers for help as they scramble to make up for federal funding cuts.
The Trump administration has started canceling National Endowment for the Arts [NEA] grants. Much of it was already committed to organizations when it was suddenly cut. The president’s proposed budget would eliminate both the NEA and the National Endowment for the Humanities.
It’s budget season at the statehouse, which means lawmakers are continuing to debate both the state budget and ways to potentially boost revenue.
One of those is a new resolution that poses a solution to save Illinois billions of dollars by introducing taxes intended for the ultra-wealthy…
But as we previously reported, it’s one some lawmakers are already urging Pritzker to put a stop to.
<p>Illinois House Speaker Emanuel "Chris" Welch took the extraordinary actions last week of permanently kicking Rep. Fred Crespo, D-Hoffman Estates, out of the House Democratic caucus, stripping him of his legislative staff, removing him from his Appropriations Committee chair position and booting him from the bicameral Legislative Audit Commission.</p><p>Welch also suspended a Democratic staffer who reportedly helped Crespo prepare an alternative budget plan, which is what got both people axed.</p><p>Crespo
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WAND) — As the clock ticks down toward the end of spring session, Democratic lawmakers hope to pass a plan to allow anyone dying of a terminal illness within six months to have the option of medically-assisted death.
Medical aid in dying is a trusted and time-tested medical practice that is part of the full spectrum of end-of-life care, including hospice and palliative care.
As public defenders, we fight every day to protect the constitutional rights of people who are caught up in our criminal, juvenile, and child welfare courts. Our clients are poor — we are appointed counsel when someone cannot afford to hire their own lawyer. But in Illinois, systemic barriers continue to undermine our ability to provide effective representation.
Public transit is the backbone of our economy, connecting millions of commuters, tourists and visitors to work, our world-class museums and arts institutions, school, health care and more every single day. Yet, across the country, cities are facing multimillion-dollar transit budget shortfalls — or a "transit fiscal cliff." Chicago is no different. We’re at a defining moment for the future of public transit, and the Chicago region can lead the way nationally by investing in itself and the transit riders who use our system every day.
As state lawmakers head towards their May 31 adjournment, House leaders sit down to discuss crafting a budget in a tight fiscal year. Meanwhile a Democratic lawmaker has been removed from his committee chairmanship with only two weeks left of session.
GUESTS:
House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch, (D) Hillside
House Minority Leader Tony McCombie, (R) Savanna
Peter Hancock, Statehouse Reporter, Capitol News Illinois
ABOUT THE SHOW:
Illinois Lawmakers” is the longest-running television series offering continuing coverage of the Illinois General Assembly.
Ronnie Gillespie and his horse Tropical Rosie race to the finish line at the Macon County Fair in 2019. Legislation is pending that would authorize a harness racing track and casino in Decatur.
H&R FILE PHOTO
SPRINGFIELD — With two weeks left in the spring session, proponents of a proposed Decatur horse racing track and casino are making a late push to get the legislation needed to make the project a reality across the finish line.
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WCIA) — An Illinois State Senator advanced a measure to protect leave for workers whose newborns need intensive care after birth.
Under Senator Bill Cunningham’s measure, employees of companies between 16-50 workers would be eligible for a maximum of 10 days of unpaid leave while their baby is in a NICU, while those working for companies with 51 or more employees would be eligible for up to 20 days.
SPRINGFIELD — A growing number of state lawmakers are moving to repeal a 2015 Illinois law penalizing companies that boycott Israel to protest its policies toward Palestinians.
Amid concerns about Israel’s ongoing war in Gaza, lawmakers in Springfield supporting human rights for Palestinians have increasingly signed on to legislation opposing the decade-old anti-boycott law.
We’ve all done it: On the eve of a tough final exam, or while prepping for a meeting you wish you could skip, or driving to a dinner with your crazy in-laws, you catch yourself fantasizing about things you’d much rather be doing. In most cases, we’re able to snap ourselves out of it and get down to the business at hand.
