Prairie State Wire

ILLINOIS DEPARTMENT OF EMPLOYMENT SECURITY: Unemployment Rate Falls to Historic Low in August

By Press release submission | Sep 19, 2019

Illinois Payrolls Remain Stable, with 65,000 More Jobs than a Year Ago

Investigation into aborted remains in the hands of pro-life Indiana Attorney General Curtis Hill

By W.J. Kennedy | Sep 19, 2019

An Illinois pro-life leader said that he was encouraged that Will County authorities turned the investigation into more than 2,200 aborted remains discovered in abortion provider’s Ulrich Klopfer’s garage over to the Indiana Attorney General.

ILLINOIS DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS: IDVA and IDPH Report Negative Test Results for Legionella at the Illinois Veterans Home in Manteno

By Press release submission | Sep 18, 2019

The Illinois Department of Veterans' Affairs (IDVA) today announced negative test results for Legionella bacteria at the Illinois Veterans Home at Manteno (IVHM), where it responded to a single case of Legionnaires' disease on August 30.

ILLINOIS DEPARTMENT OF REVENUE: Announces Tax Amnesty Program

By Press release submission | Sep 17, 2019

Program begins October 1, 2019 and runs until November 15, 2019

More than half of Illinois' police and fire pension funds are underfunded, Wirepoints reports

By Amanda Smith-Teutsch | Sep 17, 2019

Financial decay is happening at all levels of Illinois state government, according to the president of state news aggregation and research site Wirepoints.

Panel of experts discusses Illinois pension reform

By Kyla Asbury | Sep 17, 2019

The City Club of Chicago held a panel last week to discuss the state's pension crisis and how to fix it.

ILLINOIS GOVERNOR'S OFFICE: Gov. Pritzker Names 2020 Census Co-Coordinators in Comprehensive Effort to Ensure Complete Count

By Press release submission | Sep 16, 2019

Governor JB Pritzker has appointed Oswaldo Alvarez and Marishonta Wilkerson to lead the state's effort to ensure an accurate and complete 2020 Census count for the state of Illinois.

EDGAR COUNTY WATCHDOGS: 15 years of Election finance violations; Illinois Auditor General Frank Mautino must resign

By Kirk Allen | Sep 15, 2019

On January 21, 2016, we broke the story regarding Illinois Auditor General Frank Mautino’s legislative campaign spending.

REEDER: I almost felt sorry for Blagojevich. Almost.

By Scott Reeder | Sep 15, 2019

Imagine the disappointment of getting ready to put on civilian clothes and walk out the prison gate and then being told, “Oh, never mind.”

Illinois Coal Association: Plants show strength

By Cindy Casey | Sep 13, 2019

The state’s coal mining industry is not showing any signs of slowing down, according to the Illinois Coal Association.

ILLINOIS DEPARTMENT OF INSURANCE: DOI Helps Illinois Life Insurance Consumers Collect More than $15 Million in 2019

By Press release submission | Sep 13, 2019

September is Life Insurance Awareness Month; If you think an insurance company failed to pay after a loved one passed on, the Illinois Department of Insurance is here to help.

Plea deal discussed for immigrant in country illegally charged in hit-and-run death of Normal’s Corey Cottrell

By W.J. Kennedy | Sep 12, 2019

The family of 39-year-old Corey Cottrell, the Normal resident who was struck and killed in June by a van allegedly driven by, Jose Rodriguez, who was in the country illegally, is alarmed that a plea deal could be in the works in the hit-and-run case.

ILLINOIS DEPARTMENT OF FINANCIAL AND PROFESSIONAL REGULATION: DFPR Announces Approved Cannabis Responsible Vendors

By Press release submission | Sep 12, 2019

The Department of Financial and Professional Regulation, Division of Professional Regulation, Cannabis Control Section has approved 26 businesses as "Responsible Vendors" authorized to provide mandatory health and safety training to cannabis dispensary agents often referred to as "budtenders."

From North Cook News

Illinois State Rifle Association appealing Cook County assault rifle ban to Supreme Court

By Glenn Minnis | 5 years ago

The Illinois State Rifle Association (ISRA) is taking its fight for gun rights to the courts.

ILLINOIS ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY: Illinois EPA Refers Devansoy, Inc to Attorney General for Enforcement

By Press release submission | Sep 11, 2019

Agency Cites Violations of the Environmental Protection Act, Illinois Pollution Control Board Regulations and Terms of Operating Permit

Illinois more in the red today versus 2011

By Dion M. Harris | Sep 11, 2019

Eight years after lawmakers approved the first of two large state income tax hikes, a new analysis shows Illinois' net position deficit quadrupled to $189.1 billion in 2018 from $43.6 billion in 2011.

Beware of Comptroller Mendoza’s 'phony budget' numbers, fiscal watchdog Mark Glennon says

By W.J. Kennedy | Sep 10, 2019

Recent fiscal news from the Illinois’ Comptroller Susana Mendoza, the overseer of the state’s finances, seemed to give Illinoisans a glimmer of hope that the state was finally emerging from its fiscal abyss. A positive-sounding statement from Mendoza’s office surrounding the Comprehensive Annual Financial Report (CAFR) for the fiscal year that ended June 2018 showed that the state’s general funds budget was still running a deficit, but it was a deficit reduced by half over the previous year.

From North Cook News

Toni Preckwinkle’s son found not guilty of misdemeanor assault

By Cindy Casey | 5 years ago

The son of Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle was recently found not guilty of misdemeanor assault.

ILLINOIS DEPARTMENT OF LABOR: School Visitation Law Promotes Parental Involvement in Education

By Press release submission | Sep 10, 2019

Many employers are required to provide time off for school meetings

ILLINOIS EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY: September is National Preparedness Month in Illinois

By Press release submission | Sep 9, 2019

Campaign will prepare residents, families and communities for emergencies or disasters