Illinois Quick Hits: Corn growers express concern as farm bill stalls | Illinois
(The Center Square) – Illinois Corn Growers Association President Mark Bunselmeyer says it is disappointing that the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry did not advance a farm bill on Thursday before the August recess. The ICGA said in a statement that Illinois farmers and the agriculture industry are left with uncertainty as […]
Calls increasing for heavier IDOC oversight | Illinois
(The Center Square) – Reports of prisoner mistreatment, intentionally set fires and prisoners setting themselves on fire at a Joliet correctional facility have sparked state lawmakers to demand oversight of state corrections. Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker declined to address the facility’s conditions this week. According to a recent investigation by The Marshall Project, in the […]
Indicted Ammons won’t seek delay of House investigation | Illinois
(The Center Square) – On the heels of a controversy stemming from an investigation into a former state representative over sexual harassment, a special investigating committee is scheduled to meet this week to inquire about alleged financial misconduct of another state lawmaker. State Rep. Carol Ammons, D-Champaign, and her husband Aaron Ammons – who serves […]
Illinois Quick Hits: Man charged after triple-fatal crash in Kendall County | Illinois
(The Center Square) – State police have arrested a Sugar Grove man in connection with a Kendall County crash that killed three people from Des Moines, Iowa Friday night. Carson M. Rehkopf, 22, is charged with eight aggravated DUI counts along with other offenses after a head-on collision on Illinois Route 71 claimed the lives […]
Grocery store closures reignite debate over taxpayer-funded food access | Illinois
(The Center Square) – The closure of seven Save A Lot grocery stores on Chicago’s South and West sides has renewed debate over whether government subsidies can effectively address food access in underserved neighborhoods, with one free-market policy expert arguing the shutdowns highlight the limits of public intervention. The stores, operated by Yellow Banana, closed […]
Parental rights concerns raised after Illinois expands minors’ access to birth control | Illinois
(The Center Square) – An Illinois conservative advocacy group is criticizing a new state law that allows minors to obtain birth control, including implants and IUDs, without parental consent or notification, arguing the measure undermines parental rights and medical oversight. Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed SB 3341 into law, allowing minors to independently access contraceptive services, […]
Investigation report into former rep’s sexual harassment released | Illinois
(The Center Square) – After months of investigation and leadership discussions, an investigation report on a former Illinois state lawmaker was released Friday, detailing sexual harrassment allegations. However, one of the female complainants said the report has a number of factual inaccuracies. Following the unanimous vote from the Illinois Legislative Ethics Commission to release Legislative […]
Illinois Quick Hits: New laws signed to protect vulnerable residents | Illinois
(The Center Square) – A package of different laws aimed at creating more protections and independence for vulnerable residents of Illinois was signed into law Thursday. The package of legislation includes laws with bipartisan support, including one that will allow courts to file temporary restraining orders on behalf of elderly adults who are suspected of […]
Privately-funded program launched to address help poverty | Illinois
(The Center Square) – A new program funded by private philanthropy is aimed at asset building for people receiving Low-Income Housing Tax Credits. Build Your Nest is a three-year pilot that allows residents at three affordable housing properties in Chicago to earn up to $1,200 per year in savings. Under the program announced last week […]
Illinois joins $1B lawsuit over DHS election rules, FEMA aid | Illinois
(The Center Square) – With a coalition of 26 states, Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul has joined a lawsuit against the federal government to secure more than $1 billion in funds previously appropriated to Illinois by Congress. The money is intended for national security and disaster relief. The core complaint of the lawsuit is against […]