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.

State Sen. Patrick Joyce, D-Essex, shares information on opportunities within the 40th district, and what he's been up to in Springfield.

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."