Category: Government

The next school reform push in Illinois: testing and accountability Local officials say grading systems need fresh overhaul

By Peter HancockCapitol News Illinoisphancock@capitolnewsillinois.com Education officials from five statewide organizations are pushing for fundamental changes in the way student achievement is measured each year and how schools are held accountable for meeting the state’s academic standards. In a new report entitled Vision 2030, organizations representing local school boards, superintendents,

Divide and Conquer: Political Riptides Threaten to Overwhelm

By John & Nisha Whitehead Once again we find ourselves approaching that time of year when, as George Washington and Abraham Lincoln proclaimed, we’re supposed to give thanks as a nation and as individuals for our safety and our freedoms. But how do you give thanks for freedoms that are

Auroran Jaylen Lockhart honored at Aurora City Council; Council agenda

By Jason Crane The Aurora City Council honored USPS mail carrier and Aurora resident Jaylen Lockhart at the Tuesday, November 26 Aurora City Council meeting. Lockhart, 26, was doing his routine mail delivery service recently when he noticed a senior citizen walking his dog seemed a bit unsteady. As he

PPP loan fraud in Illinois

By Amalia Huot-MarchandMedill Illinois News Bureaufor Capitol News Illinoisamaliahuor-marchand2025@u.northwestern.edu A state watchdog has identified at least $7.2 million in fraudulent claims and more than 275 instances of misconduct by state employees accused of bilking a federal program designed to help businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic. Since 2022, the Office of

Bill to phase out subminimum wage for disabled workers

By Ben SzalinskiCapitol News Illinoisbszalinski@capitolnewsillinois.com A long-awaited bill to stop Illinois organizations from paying subminimum wage to workers with disabilities will soon head to governor JB Pritzker’s desk after being approved by the Senate Thursday. The Senate took a bipartisan 43-11 vote to pass the legislation that supporters dub the

Reader’s Voice: Trump won; needs to be kept in line

November 19, 2024Dear editor; First, as one who supported DeSantis in the primaries, let me congratulate president-elect Donald Trump and his supporters on their victory. But then let me bring high-flying Trump supporters back to reality. Because Harris, Walz, and the Democrats were so bad, Americans elected a man weighed

U.S. Supreme Court asked to review Illinois late mail-in votes

By Ben SzalinskiCapitol News Illinoisbszalinski@capitolnewsillinois.com The conservative group Judicial Watch is asking the U.S. Supreme Court to review a case filed by U.S. representative Mike Bost, R-Murphysboro, challenging Illinois’ law allowing mail-in ballots to be counted 14 days after the election. Under Illinois law, ballots postmarked by Election Day can

How it begins: Deep State wants to terminate the constitution

By John & Nisha Whitehead This is how it begins. This is how it always begins, justified in the name of national security. Mass roundups. Raids. Indefinite detentions in concentration camps. Martial law. The erosion of habeas corpus protections. The suspension of the Constitution, at least for select segments of

Illinois Democrats brace for Trump administration return

By Peter HancockCapitol News Illinoisphancock@capitolnewsillinois.com During Donald Trump’s first term as president, Illinois governor JB Pritzker and Democrats in the Illinois General Assembly spent much of their time enacting laws and policies in direct opposition to the conservative agenda they saw coming from the White House. Those included the 2019

State electric vehicle chargers in Joliet, many more to come

By Andrew AdamsCapitol News Illinoisaadams@capitolnewsillinois.com With nearly half a million dollars of state funding, a new electric vehicle charging station opened in Joliet on Monday. It is the first of hundreds of charging stations set to be installed over the next 18 months as part of a state-funded grant program.

City of Aurora seeks to use survey platform among residents

By Jason Crane The Aurora City Council is considering a Resolution to approve a one-year amendment to the existing agreement with Zencity Technologies US Inc. for the Zencity Pulse Survey platform in the amount of $45,000. City government of Aurora documents show Zencity is a platform for understanding individuals in

Project 2025 and Trump’s cabinet choices

November 18, 2024Dear editor; Are you seeing what Donald Trump’s Project 2025 has in store for all of us even before he’s in office? “America first” means America alone, but we have relationships in this world who depend on us as an international leader in economics, defense, and climate change

State reps. to hear from Illinoisans about public transport

State representative Barbara Hernandez, D-Aurora, will join with State representatives Matt Hanson, Eva-Dina Delgado, Anna Moeller and Kam Buckner to hold a listening session to hear from Illinoisans about their questions and concerns related to Illinois’ public transit system. The event will be held Thursday, Dec. 12, from 6 p.m.

Definition of tyranny: A dictatorship disguised as democracy

By John & Nisha Whitehead Power corrupts. Absolute power corrupts absolutely. Unadulterated power in any branch of government is a menace to freedom, but concentrated power across all three branches is the very definition of tyranny: a dictatorship disguised as democracy. When one party dominates all three branches of government,

Reader’s Voice: Mindless politicians send our youths to war

November 11, 2024Dear editor; Why have we allowed mindless politicians in Washington, D.C. to send thousands of our youth and innocent noncombatants to their death for senseless wars that we cannot win and are not a threat to our national security? Our so-called leaders should never have committed troops and

Pritzker’s budget office projects $3.2B deficit

By Jerry NowickiCapitol News Illinoisjnowicki@capitolnewsillinois.com The first extensive public look at next year’s State finances contains a warning to lawmakers from the governor’s office: “The ability to fund new programs will be severely limited” next fiscal year. That comes from the Governor’s Office of Management and Budget, which projected a