Prairie State Wire

Prairie State Wire

Friday, January 24, 2020

Latest News

Medium surs staff

State Government

Illinois House passes bill to require race and ethnicity-based quotas at state universities pension system

By LGIS News Service | May 1, 2018

Illinoisans of Italian, Mexican, French and Eastern European descent could be in line for top management jobs with one of the state's largest public pension systems if a bill becomes law.

Medium bettergovlogo

State Government

BetterGov- Rauner and his VW package sets off lawmakers

By LGIS News Service | May 1, 2018

BetterGov assesses Gov. Bruce Rauners $109 million pact with Volkswagen and whether it is a political grab for re-election

Medium generalcourt4

State Government

Proposal would allow criminal charges to be expunged immediately in cases of acquittals

By Glenn Minnis | May 1, 2018

Rep. La Shawn K. Ford (D-Chicago) is proposing changes to the Criminal Identification Act to allow individuals acquitted or who have criminal charges against them dismissed with prejudice to immediately move to have the proceedings expunged from their records.

Medium health

State Government

Ford introduces bill to expand alcohol, drug addiction recovery services

By Glenn Minnis | May 1, 2018

Rep. La Shawn K. Ford (D-Chicago) introduced House Bill 5868 in the House last week to amend the Insurance Code to include services to people suffering alcoholism or other drug addiction.

Medium springfield il

State Government

House backs greater transparency in meeting postings, rejects measure aimed at school district statements

By Angela Underwood | May 1, 2018

Open and transparent government was a priority for Rep. Brad Halbrook (R-Shelbyville) and Rep. Dave Severin (R-Benton) during House debate April 20.

Medium springfield illinois4(1000)

State Government

GOP lawmakers join gun-rights advocates at Springfield rally

By Angela Underwood | May 1, 2018

GOP lawmakers and thousands of Illinois State Rifle Association (ISRA) members rallied last week for gun rights in front of the Capitol in Springfield.

Medium springfield il

State Government

GOP lawmakers demand budget revenue estimate from Democrats

By Angela Underwood | May 1, 2018

GOP legislative leaders want a budget revenue estimate introduced and certified by the Democrats now.

Medium illinois capitol(1000)

State Government

House backs bill to prohibit governor's office from paying its employees from other agencies' budgets

By Angela Underwood | May 1, 2018

The House voted 110-0 on April 19 to approve legislation to end offshore staffing accounts in Gov. Bruce Rauner’s office.

Medium teacher pensions

State Government

Illinois powerful public school lobby kills measure to rein in borrowing

By LGIS News Service | Apr 27, 2018

Illinois' powerful public school lobbying groups mobilized to beat back a measure that would have reined in massive school district borrowing, often concealed from taxpayers.

Medium springfieldcapitol

State Government

General Assembly doesn't need to be involved in generic drug pricing, Reick says

By Angela Underwood | Apr 27, 2018

The price of prescription drugs is not the General Assembly’s business, according to Rep. Steven Reick (R-Woodstock).

Medium morninganswer

State Government

Morning Answer - Adam Schuster from Illinois Policy Institute talks state budget

By LGIS News Service | Apr 27, 2018

Morning Answer - Adam Schuster from Illinois Policy Institute talks state budget

Medium books

State Government

Ford proposes lottery scratch-off to fund adult literacy programs

By Glenn Minnis | Apr 27, 2018

The Illinois Lottery Law could soon be amended to fund adult education through a special instant scratch-off game.

Medium illinois capitol(1000)

State Government

Wheeler says Blue Collar Jobs Act is aimed at aiding middle-class

By Angela Underwood | Apr 27, 2018

The Blue Collar Jobs Act, HB5864, will give middle-class families a fighting chance by creating jobs, according to Rep. Keith Wheeler (R-Oswego).

Medium pension7

State Government

Bennett introduces pension code reform measure

By Glenn Minnis | Apr 27, 2018

Rep. Thomas M. Bennett (R-Gibson City) recently introduced a bill in the House that would alter the Public Pension Funds Article of the Illinois Pension Code to require the Public Pension Division of the Department of Insurance to make resources available to assist each municipality.

Medium budget 02

State Government

State's vendor debt drops below $7.4 billion

By Glenn Minnis | Apr 27, 2018

Illinois’ unpaid vendor debt dipped to $7,354,609,302.74 during the week ending April 24, a drop of nearly $1.5 billion from last week’s debt load of almost $8.9 million.

Medium finance

State Government

Richland County clerk doesn't see transparency provided by HB4395 as being 'high in importance'

By Robert Davis | Apr 26, 2018

Richland County's Clerk and Recorder Alice Mullinax sees nothing wrong with HB4395, but says for a county like hers without its own website the bill may not make much of a difference.

Medium taxes

State Government

Privilege tax on investment services would do more harm than good for state, banker association exec says

By Kasey Schefflin- Emrich | Apr 25, 2018

Debbie Jemison, vice president of communications/marketing at the Illinois Bankers Association (IBA), said proposed legislation involving a privilege tax on investment services would have a negative impact on the state.

Medium springfield il

State Government

House backs bill allowing medical marijuana to be administered on school grounds

By Angela Underwood | Apr 25, 2018

GOP lawmakers helped push a bill through the House that allows medical marijuana be administered on school premises.

Medium budget 05

State Government

State's budget deficit is masked by questionable accounting, report says

By Robert Davis | Apr 25, 2018

Illinois is in deep financial trouble, and state legislators are using some questionable accounting practices to conceal the problem's depth, according to a report published by the Illinois Policy Institute.

Medium shutterstock 402776380

State Government

Sources: Winchester retains counsel to challenge voting procedures in GOP Central Committee race

By W.J. Kennedy | Apr 24, 2018

Sources have told Prairie State Wire that Bob Winchester has retained counsel to challenge the voting procedures used in his race for Republican State Central Committee in the 15th Congressional District, which the Illinois Republican Party claims was won by Sen. Chapin Rose (R-Mahomet).