By Grace Kinnicutt The Illinois House amended COVID-19 protocols Tuesday, March 8 to lift face covering requirements following weeks of pushback from Republican Party members who sometimes refused to wear masks and delayed the start of session on several occasions. In a 104-1 vote, the House passed House Resolution 717
The DuPage County Board voted Tuesday, March 8 to join a coalition of communities that are opposing the merger of the Canadian Pacific Railway and the Kansas City Southern Company. In October 2021, Canadian Pacific Railway and Kansas City Southern Company filed an application with the Surface Transportation Board seeking
By John W. Whitehead & Nisha Whitehead “Never has our future been more unpredictable, never have we depended so much on political forces that cannot be trusted to follow the rules of common sense and self-interest—forces that look like sheer insanity, if judged by the standards of other centuries.” —Hannah
By JERRY NOWICKIPETER HANCOCKBETH HUNDSDORFER& GRACE KINNICUTTCapitol News Illinoisnews@capitolnewsillinois.com Longtime Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan was indicted Wednesday by a federal grand jury on 22 counts for allegedly using his position as the top House Democrat to solicit “personal financial rewards” for himself and his associates, according to the U.S.
By Jerry Nowicki Illinois Department of Public Health director Dr. Ngozi Ezike will resign on March 14 after three years leading the agency and two years navigating a deadly pandemic that has claimed the lives of more than 32,000 Illinoisans. Ezike, who was appointed IDPH director in 2019, became a
By Peter Hancock Facial coverings are now optional in most public places in Illinois, including schools, after governor JB Pritzker issued new guidance Monday to comply with new U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines. “Across the state, Illinoisans are taking their masks off today knowing that most eligible
By Jason Crane At the Aurora city government Committee of the Whole (COW) meeting Tuesday, March 1, Council members discussed a proposed amendment to the code of ordinances pertaining to the licensure of retailers engaged in the business of selling certain vapor and alternate tobacco and nicotine products. Discussions centered
During and since my time as an active-duty officer in the U.S. Army, I have devoted much time and energy to protecting military service members from financial predators. Last year I focused on the passage of the Predatory Lending Prevention Act (PLPA), and the nationwide repeal of a Comptroller of
Several years ago, the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute was invited to join a dozen universities in the United States to promote bipartisan collaboration and productive discourse at the State and local levels. The Institute developed a plan to strengthen how congressional town hall meetings are conducted in Illinois. Our
By John W. Whitehead & Nisha Whitehead “No nation could preserve its freedom in the midst of continual warfare.” — James Madison War is the enemy of freedom. As long as the politicians of the United States continue to involve us in wars that bankrupt the nation, jeopardize our servicemen
By Jerry Nowicki In the first half-hour of the House of Representatives session Tuesday, Feb. 22 at the State Capitol in Springfield, the leaders of each party made calls for civility, two lawmakers recounted their recollections of a House floor altercation, and three Republicans were removed from the floor for
By Jason Crane At the Aurora city government City Council meeting Tuesday, Feb. 22, many individuals received the Mayor’s Award of Black Excellence: The award, which honors individuals who have gone above and beyond in the community, were presented to: • Pastor George Grant who founded New Jerusalem Church in
The City of Aurora government has opened its annual grant program for local events. Neighborhood and community groups planning a public event in 2022 can apply for a Neighborhood Festival Funding Grant through the City of Aurora’s Community Services Department. The application process is open. Funds of up to $1,500
The City of Naperville government is proud to announce that it has once again been awarded the highest bond rating available on the City’s General Obligation bonds by both Standard & Poor’s (S&P) Global Ratings and Moody’s Investors Service. Naperville has received the AAA rating from S&P and Aaa rating
This past month, a Cook County judge held the director of the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) in contempt of court, an unprecedented action. In this latest instance, two DCFS youngsters languished in mental health facilities months after they were ready to be discharged. What’s new? DCFS
By Al Benson Kane County Sheriff Ron Hain said Thursday, Feb. 17, Kane County taxpayers were saved $4,911,000 over the last three years by his Department. In remarks to the Aurora Noon Lions Club a Luigi’s Pizza and Fun Center in Aurora, Hain gave credit for the savings to his
By John W. Whitehead & Nisha Whitehead “In a time of deceit telling the truth is a revolutionary act.”— George Orwell The U.S. government, which speaks in a language of force, is afraid of its citizenry. What we are dealing with is a government so power-hungry, paranoid and afraid of
By Beth Hundsdorfer Republican lawmakers are calling for the passage of legislation that would allow Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) workers to carry pepper spray for self-defense when investigating allegations of child abuse. It comes weeks after the death of DCFS investigator Deidre Silas, who died while checking
By Jason Crane At the Aurora city government Committee of the Whole (COW) meeting Tuesday, Feb. 15, Council members viewed a presentation about ShotSpotter, a gunshot detection, alert and analysis service, that is used for timely notification to law enforcement. The City Council gave unanimous consent to the resolution and
By John W. Whitehead & Nisha Whitehead We are no longer free. We are living in a world carefully crafted to resemble a representative democracy, but it’s an illusion. We think we have the freedom to elect our leaders, but we’re only allowed to participate in the reassurance ritual of
