Prairie State Wire

FY19 Budget: 'Not one penny should be spent on pork,' Ives says

By Karen Kidd | Sep 12, 2018

Illinois Rep. Jeanne Ives (R-Wheaton) believes state lawmakers need to reject political pork spending that was hidden in the budget passed earlier this year.

Pro-economic liberty group launches campaign against soaring Illinois property taxes

By Karen Kidd | Sep 2, 2018

Supporting a proposal to cut Illinois property taxes in half and a slate of political candidates who would help make that happen is part of Liberty Principles PAC's recently announced "Save Your Home" campaign.

From North Cook News

Rauner should veto short-term health coverage bill, independent insurance broker says

By Karen Kidd | 6 years ago

Short-term health plan legislation that was sent to Gov. Bruce Rauner more than a month ago should be vetoed to protect middle-income Illinoisans, the founder of an independent insurance brokerage firm said.

Williamson County commissioner expects political retaliation after gun referendum fails to get on ballot

By Karen Kidd | Aug 22, 2018

A gun sanctuary advisory question won't be on November's ballot in Williamson County and the commissioner who resisted pressure from fellow Republicans to support the measure said he is waiting for the promised party retaliation.

Republicans of Wheeling Township HQ vandalism points up current lack of civil political discourse

By Karen Kidd | Jul 9, 2018

It isn't clear whether the brick thrown through the front door of the Republicans of Wheeling Township (ROWT) headquarters in Arlington Heights the morning of July 4 was a hate crime, but concern that it was says something about the current lack of civil political discourse, a local GOP official said.

From North Cook News

Brick thrown through glass door at Republicans of Wheeling Township headquarters

By Karen Kidd | 6 years ago

Wheeling Township Republicans are asking for information to be turned into local police concerning vandalism to the front of the party's headquarters in Arlington Heights over the Fourth of July.

People in prime working age are fleeing Illinois, think tank reports

By Karen Kidd | Jun 25, 2018

Not only is Illinois' overall population in deep decline, the number of people in prime working age also is going down in the state, a Chicago-based Conservative think tank said in a recent report.

Allegations of campaign misspending against Mautino headed back to State Board of Elections

By Karen Kidd | May 23, 2018

The Illinois State Board of Elections will again take up allegations against the state's embattled Auditor General Frank Mautino over more than $200,000 in possible illegal payments by his campaign committee following an appellate court opinion handed down earlier this week.

Sen. Rose 'railroaded' over incumbent by GOP in State Central Committeeman race, affidavit says

By Karen Kidd | May 21, 2018

A Fayette County Precinct committeeman said he was "confused" by a "nomination process" in April that somehow led to a win for state Sen. Chapin Rose (R-Mahomet) over Robert Winchester, the longtime incumbent in the race for Republican State Central Committeeman in the 15th Congressional District, according to an affidavit obtained by Prairie State Wire.

Firearms safety course offered free to educators and staff during National Train a Teacher Day

By Karen Kidd | May 5, 2018

Even a teacher and other school staff members who will never fire a gun should know how to handle one, a Chicago-area firearms instructor said during a recent interview.

Senate bill on fire chief appointments not good for cities, Richton Park village manager says

By Karen Kidd | Apr 19, 2018

Proposed legislation in the state Senate that would change the way cities select fire chiefs would not be good for municipalities, Richton Park Village Manager Regan Stockstell said during a recent interview.

Edgar County Watchdogs founder puzzled by ethics complaint against Rauner being 'punted' to Mautino's office

By Karen Kidd | Apr 11, 2018

Kirk Allen, a writer and founder of Edgar County Watchdogs, says he doesn't understand why the state Office of Executive Inspector General has "punted" his formal ethics compliant against Gov. Bruce Rauner and his administration to the state's Auditor General Inspector General.

Advocate for higher taxes using numbers that are nonsense, Wirepoints founder says

By Karen Kidd | Apr 10, 2018

An online news outlet's founder said he became ill when he heard an interview in which the Center for Tax and Budget Accountability's director advocated higher taxes in Chicago and Illinois to deal with the ongoing state and local pension crises.

'Inclusive curriculum' legislation aims to promote homosexuality in schools, Illinois Family Institute exec says

By Karen Kidd | Mar 29, 2018

The goal behind legislation introduced earlier this year to develop "inclusive curriculum" in Illinois schools to "portray the diversity of our society" isn't about all that, the director of an Illinois-based conservative family advocacy group said during a recent interview.

Illinois' debt crisis fast changing and difficult to keep up with, fiscal advocate finds

By Karen Kidd | Mar 23, 2018

With Illinois' interest penalties alone approaching $1 billion, Truth in Accounting Director of Research Bill Bergman is wondering who is servicing the state's debt, an area where things can change very fast.

Better Government Association says Obama didn't say fathers in the home is a solution to gun violence -- but he did

By Karen Kidd | Feb 28, 2018

Sometimes the fact-checker needs a good fact-checking.

Rauner's attacks on Ives undermines his credibility, Wirepoints founder says

By Karen Kidd | Feb 27, 2018

Gov. Bruce Rauner's decision to go on the offensive and attack Rep. Jeanne Ives (R-Wheaton), his challenger in the March 20 Republican primary, shows little regard for the truth and insults the intelligence of voters, the founder of an online news outlet said during a recent interview.

'Marathon Pundit' weighs in on state of the GOP in Illinois

By Karen Kidd | Feb 21, 2018

With Illinois' Republican Party seemingly more divided than ever going into March's primary, one of the state's "alt-center" political pundits, John Ruberry, said during a recent interview that the state's GOP needs to remember what it is.

Illinois Council on Developmental Disabilities says it has no backlog to submit in debt transparency report

By Karen Kidd | Feb 13, 2018

It seems the Illinois Council on Developmental Disabilities didn't turn in a required report in time for State Comptroller Susana Mendoza's first debt transparency report because the council had nothing to report, or at least that's what its director says.

DCFS says it missed deadline for comptroller's debt transparency report, but did turn it in

By Karen Kidd | Feb 13, 2018

It was a bit like the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services failed to get its required homework turned in on time for State Comptroller Susana Mendoza's first debt transparency report, but a department deputy director said they did get it turned in.