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Prairie State Wire

Friday, November 22, 2024

News from November 2017

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Crowded field of AG candidates place differing emphasis on priorities for state's top law office

By John Breslin, Cook County Record | Nov 24, 2017

Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan's sudden announcement earlier this year that she will not seek another term has led to an avalanche of candidates announcing intentions to run, at least on the Democratic side.

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Illinois GOP criticizes Pritzker for failing to release tax returns

By Caitlin Nordahl | Nov 24, 2017

The Illinois Republican Party recently slammed Democratic gubernatorial candidate J.B. Pritzker for his failure release his tax returns, with a release stoking outrage in the wake of a property tax scandal and the recent implication of his sister in the Paradise Papers.

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Prevent foodborne illness by following state's 'recipe' for healthy holidays

By Glenn Minnis | Nov 22, 2017

The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) is hoping to make this a healthy holiday season for all by offering a Healthy Holiday Recipe everyone can follow to prevent foodborne illinesses.

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Pritzker supports another tax hike for Illinois

By Christopher Mobley | Nov 22, 2017

Earlier this year, the Illinois General Assembly approved an income tax hike of 32 percent, making it the largest permanent tax hike in the history of Illinois. Despite taxpayers feeling the burden, Democrat J.B. Pritzker, who is vying to become governor, seems to support not only the tax increase but also higher tax increases.

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Frerichs 'another Madigan ally' backing Pritzker, state GOP says

By Brent Zell | Nov 21, 2017

State Treasurer Mike Frerichs' recent endorsement of Illinois Democratic gubernatorial candidate J.B. Pritzker has drawn concern from the state's Republican Party.

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New Pritzker promise on tax returns draws skepticism from state GOP

By Brent Zell | Nov 20, 2017

Democrat gubernatorial candidate J.B. Pritzker has renewed his long-standing promise to release his tax returns, although the state Republican Party remains skeptical.

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Use special funds as intended or scrap them, Truth In Accounting founder says

By Glenn Minnis | Nov 20, 2017

Truth In Accounting founder and CEO Sheila Weinberg thinks Illinois’ special funds should either do what they’re advertised to do or be discarded altogether.

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University of Illinois graduate instructor involved in altercation with students

By Christopher Mobley | Nov 20, 2017

A graduate instructor at the University of Illinois has landed in hot water after getting into an altercation with two conservative students during a protest, according to a report.

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Economist urges GOP to pass legislation to avoid midterm defeat during Chicago radio show

By Glenn Minnis | Nov 20, 2017

Stephen Moore insists he wouldn’t read too much into Republicans recently losing the race for governor in Virginia, but admits he’s convinced the GOP has to get major legislation passed soon to avoid a complete 2018 midterm wipeout.

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Attorney sees Illinois courts inflating awards in some pension claims

By Justin Stoltzfus | Nov 20, 2017

Findings by Carolyn Ettelson Klein, an attorney with Chicago-based Keefe, Campbell, Biery and Associates, show that Illinois courts are likely to award firefighters the highest possible amounts in some pension claims.

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Roskam on GOP proposed tax plan: 'You get nothing if you're chasing perfect'

By Glenn Minnis | Nov 20, 2017

U.S. Rep. Peter Roskam (R-Wheaton) counters all the criticism to the GOP proposed tax plan by arguing it hits its goal by doing the most common good.

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Illinois' unemployment dips below 5% but still lags nation

By Robert Hadley | Nov 20, 2017

Illinois’ October unemployment figures show modest year-over-year improvement, but the big news from the latest Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) report is that the state’s overall unemployment rate has reached a low it hasn’t seen in a decade.

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Analysis: University of Illinois is top choice for international students attending public Illinois universities

By LGIS Newsfeed | Nov 20, 2017

There are 25,114 international students attending Illinois’ 12 public universities on federal student visas, according to a Prairie State Wire analysis of F-1 visa data obtained from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

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Rauner sign off on tax credit to aid flood victims

By Angela Underwood | Nov 18, 2017

Despite the state's debt, Gov. Bruce Rauner recently signed a tax credit bill to aid residents and businesses who suffered severe 2017 flood damage that will cost Illinois approximately $4.5 million.

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Fall veto session comes to a close as lawmakers face challenges

By Justin Stoltzfus | Nov 17, 2017

In a busy fall veto override session, Illinois legislators overrode more than a dozen of Gov. Bruce Rauner's vetoes, nearly a third of total vetoes on record.

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Columnist: Harassment culture in Springfield needs to change

By Brent Zell | Nov 17, 2017

A victim-rights advocate's claim that she was harassed by a Chicago senator has highlighted what a policy analyst says is a culture of harassment in Springfield.

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CORRECTION Chicago high school tops peers with 100% passing rate on annual tests

By LGIS Newsfeed | Nov 17, 2017

Northside College Preparatory High School had the highest rate – 100 percent – of high school students who passed the annual state assessments this year, according a Prairie State Wire analysis of Illinois State Board of Education data.

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CORRECTION Analysis: Chicago boasts best performing elementary, middle school on annual tests

By LGIS Newsfeed | Nov 17, 2017

Decatur Classical Elementary School has the highest rate – 94.7 percent – of students who passed the annual state assessments this year among elementary and middle schools, according a Prairie State Wire analysis of Illinois State Board of Education data.

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CORRECTION Analysis: At top-scoring school in the state, 100% passed annual tests

By LGIS Newsfeed | Nov 16, 2017

At Northside College Preparatory High School, 100 percent of students scored well enough on this year’s annual state assessments to be considered ready for the next level, making it the top-performing school in the state, according to a Prairie State Wire analysis of Illinois State Board of Education data.

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Logan Square public housing project raising concerns for favoring LGBTQ community over others

By W.J. Kennedy | Nov 16, 2017

A public housing development advertised as LGBTQ friendly is about to break ground in Chicago's Logan Square neighborhood, and it is raising some eyebrows among public policy experts who say it favors one class of people over another.