'Treating our values like a liability means selling them out, and Illinois can’t afford leaders who cave when it counts.'

Opinion from Scott Holland: If the veto session conversation involves sales tax reform, this issue absolutely must be incorporated. Modernizing the tax structure is overdue, including for the opportunity to resolve unintended consequences

In much the same way local governments (especially schools) must dance with the state as its dominant yet clumsy partner, Springfield’s steps are too often intertwined with those from Washington, D.C.

‘If I were the federal government, I’d strongly urge holding off until Thursday,’ she said of the plan to activate troops. But she added, it’s ‘up to them.’

The Illinois ag sector is vital to the local, state and national economies.

Opinion by Scott Holland: This project could be transformative beyond even bold predictions, but that degree of potential also drastically elevates the stakes of failing to deliver.

It’s important to remember that any development at this scale necessarily impacts public resources, even if just transportation infrastructure and emergency response.

Plenty of legislative proposals are perennial, some with the same diligent sponsors and a few that represent old ideas under new names. On rare occasions, one party claims the other’s idea as its own and runs it up a different flagpole. That won’t happen with HB 2827.

"Numeracy – like literacy – equips students to think critically, solve problems and make informed decisions in daily life."

Candidates should be motivated to increase turnout. But for elected officials, there are myriad better tweaks to enhance participation.

"To ensure DOJ receives a voter registration list that reflects this de-duplication and removal of out-of-state deceased, the agency will provide DOJ with an updated list once these efforts are complete."

I’ve been blessed over the course of my lengthy journalism career to observe and document these seasonal celebrations in many communities.

Energy subjects are especially interesting because they represent one of the few topics where typical political alliances are realigned.

Rep. Curtis Tarver II, D-Chicago, questioned the logic of introducing the tablets under the guise of drug smuggling prevention but starting by selling access to streaming content.

With four announced tickets so far, and plurality sufficing to advance to November, the winner needs to amass at least 200,050 votes if turnout remains consistent.

Illinois is uniquely violating the Constitution.

Public statements flowed forth Sunday evening, almost all of them glowing tributes to a dedicated public servant or, at the very least, sincere respect for someone who could cling to their principles without crossing the lines of decency and fair play.

'The question is, why is IDOC now saying it’s an emergency, right? What has changed?'

There’s always reason to be wary of bureaucrats seeking credit for the successes of private entities. But outcomes like this rely at least in some part on public investment.

It takes an awful lot of screen taps to get to that information from your average Instagram story slide, and that’s only if there’s a link in the first place.

Farming accounts for $1 in every $7 in the Alexander County economy. The school district enrolls about 300, fewer than the middle school I can see from my front porch.

Nerheim’s quote is directed at lawyers and detectives. Fair, given his background, but the lesson applies to everyone: presented reality is not always the truth.

Whether the subject is data centers or just about anything else outside of personal privacy concerns, NDAs where one party is funded by tax dollars seem to run directly counter to the ideal of government transparency.

A more valuable solution would be a nationwide approach to dictating Congressional district boundaries, as it has become untenable for so many states to operate under different conditions.

Opinion from Scott Holland: Hopefully I look back at those paragraphs in a year – or a month! – and see only unfounded hyperbole

Adopting a conciliatory tone is proper, but the way this story is developing provides little comfort to people who saw the red flags waving far ahead of the current situation.

Opinion from Scott Holland: Bail is for the accused, not the convicted, but “presumed innocent” as a legal concept is rarely relevant in the court of public opinion

Put another way: when everyone agrees there’s a loophole, why isn’t anyone tightening that string?

Political posturing invites holding a mirror to partisan talking points.

'The House is supposed to be the People’s House, and should represent all people equally across the whole country. House district sizes should be set by the population of the least populated state, so each state gets at least one representative'

It’s easy to picture a different state official next decade saying college enrollment isn’t a viable (or the primary) measure for the adequacy of secondary school classrooms.

Every time someone suggests consolidating or streamlining various public operations, there’s a counterargument regarding the importance of local versus state versus federal control and concerns about privacy, protection and simply letting subject-matter experts do their jobs.

Legislation billed as protective often amounts to enhancing penalties in hopes of protective or preventive effects. SB 1550 is different in that it does (subject to appropriations) create an actual pathway for physical protection of people and public property.

Despite the 78-40 Democratic control in the House and 40-19 Senate edge, it’s difficult to envision a scenario where the Bears cut in front of the Regional Transit Authority to access the same money pool. That’s true aside from other current and potential funding priorities.

“We want to protect our parks with action and investment,” said Jenny Vaughn, the Illinois Conservation Foundation executive director. “We believe parks are for the people, not for profit.”

While reserving the right to modify judgment once the program fully develops, at this early stage, it seems like another task piled on an already burdened infrastructure, especially if any of the onus goes beyond school nurses and psychologists or social workers.

After asking readers to share must-eat food stops throughout Illinois in 2021, I started focusing on cuisine at the State Fair, running through Aug. 17.

Certainly, at this point, I’ve spent enough to buy someone a new car. Or at least help the company with all its clever advertising and corporate sponsorships.

The current composition of Congress is the complete inverse of “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” – the general consensus is complete frustration with the status quo and no one seems remotely interested in exploring practical solutions.

It’s the feds who put away corrupt political figures, and county prosecutors taking on DCFS’ shortcomings. But in neither case do prison sentences seem to have the deterrent effect often presumed when gavels drop.

I was oblivious, but looking back at the pictures, there was my hero, watching my kid play his position.

I was much more compelled by the top AP headline from our current location: “Man with mental health issues found naked in Minnesota Capitol, raising new security concerns.”

The U.S. Constitution leaves almost everything related to elections up to individual states, but people who don’t like the outcomes are relentless in trying to use federal courts to reach their desired goals.

The agencies combine on a rental housing study titled Out of Reach, which this year determined a full-time worker in Illinois needs an hourly salary of $29.81 to afford the market price of a two-bedroom apartment.

The point of sharing isn’t to advocate for the report’s suggestions, but to present an opportunity to explore the groundwork lawmakers and lobbyists will reference as these concepts make their way into public remarks, committee meetings and eventually legislation.

“Illinois is the only state in the country that does not prohibit rates from being ‘inadequate, excessive or unfairly discriminatory,’ which means it has no authority to reject a rate filing on those grounds.”

Needless to say, things are a little bit more consequential for the medical care of almost 30,000 inmates, and being able to see the problem coming makes it that much more frustrating.

Invest In Kids was about private schools. Illinois Gives money is available to agencies that “provide charitable grants for the benefit of residents of Illinois or charities and charitable projects located in Illinois.”

All the legitimately interesting discussion from May 2024 seems unlikely to yield any fruit, or at the very least must be repeated should lawmakers ever try to restart the process.

Serving as a professional reference or suggesting a friend hire a friend is just networking. But knowing the job is a sham or lying about someone’s qualifications is never above board. The feds have long insisted McClain knew about quid pro quos.