Scott T. Holland

The more power the state gives local governments to generate their own revenue, the less the municipalities would need to rely on getting a cut of income taxes.

More than 100 vendors will be present, many offering free samples of their locally produced food and beverages. Tickets are just $5, but admission is free for kids 10 and younger, as well as veterans and active-duty military members, teachers, and first responders.

'Affordable housing' is somewhat of a nebulous concept for people who aren’t in the market as buyers or sellers.

Medication is only one piece of the health care puzzle. There are people who choose between an X-ray and new shoes for the kids. Or those who go to work sick because they can’t make ends meet without every last hour on the time card.

On one level, this entire debacle sheds useful light on the legislative process to taxpayers and voters who rarely spare a thought for Springfield.

Are you willing to lose out on restaurant loyalty rewards tied to your phone number or email address? Would you get a test your doctor recommended if you thought that might make your grandkids ineligible for basic medical coverage?

Kudos to all involved, including teacher Paul Ritter, and here’s hoping more students and lawmakers have productive conversations about a better future for everyone in Illinois.

It beggars belief how any lawmaker could sign off on transportation projects only necessary in the name of a private development in one tiny part of Illinois while broader efforts like the School Construction Grant Program have simply gone unfunded since fiscal 2004.

Where the government actively drives up prices, it’s possible (but not guaranteed) that changing a rule actually changes consumer costs. But in far too many cases, the underlying economic truth is that people struggle to afford things when incomes lag behind rising costs.

All these years later, I recall the lack of pretension or appearance of celebrity. That was just the work of Jesse Jackson’s life, the same as it was in Peru in 2021 or in Decatur in 1999.

Unsurprisingly, given his political leanings, Pritzker spoke to the importance of investing in state efforts as a means of mitigating long-term expenses. He also called for ensuring "we are focused on truly managing and measuring the real results of state programs."

A plan to give the state Department of Insurance new influence over rate increases passed the Senate in the fall veto session before falling four votes short in the House. But the proposal can resurface during the spring session.

The proposal resulted from "several issues" Joint Committee on Administrative Rules members discussed during their meetings.

"The report points out there are numerous ways well operators can avoid that responsibility, and it suggests IDNR has frequently been unable or unwilling to take strong enforcement action."

General election campaigns draw considerably more interest than primaries, but when facing crowded fields of candidates who carefully manage messages and appearances, bank accounts can be revealing.