To the Class of 2023: As we picture you today in your colorful matching caps and gowns, walking to the familiar strains of “Pomp and Circumstance,” we acknowledge that your road to graduation was far different from our own.

Opinion: There are, however, steps the state can take to disincentivize misbehavior. They involve eliminating the flexibility politicians have to monetize their public offices and raising the costs of getting caught.

Opinion: As Illinois continues to wrestle with burgeoning costs of Medicaid for citizens and non-citizens alike, another struggle persists for the hospitals called on to serve them.Legislation presently simmering in a Senate committee seeks to help.

Opinion: Keeping carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere is an important goal. But it needs to be done in a way that is safe for people and the environment.

Opinion: While we welcome business opportunities from the EV boom, we also know the Midwest has a lot to lose as the game changes. Legacy automakers and their suppliers provide some of the best blue-collar jobs around and make high-impact contributions to local economies.

Opinion: The road to budget hell is paved with good intentions, especially if the pavers are oblivious to or ignorant of actual costs.

Opinion: Sadly, we have yet to hear when Democratic leaders will take that next step to fight corruption.

Opinion: Most in Arlington Heights and surrounding suburbs have reacted enthusiastically to the prospect of the Bears coming to their patch of the Chicago region. What they’ve been less enamored with is the Bears’ insistence that taxpayers subsidize nonstadium components.

Opinion: In Illinois, it’s illegal to have your graduation tassel, a rosary, a COVID mask, a pair of fuzzy dice or something as benign as a pine-scented air freshener hanging from your rearview mirror.