Category: Government

Pritzker’s mask enforcement rule survives legislative panel

By Peter Hancock A legislative panel that oversees the State’s administrative rulemaking process voted along partisan lines to allow governor JB Pritzker’s emergency rule to enforce mask-wearing and other public health orders to move forward. That decision came from the General Assembly’s Joint Committee on Administrative Rules, or JCAR, a

Lawsuit seeks $450 million payment to ratepayers from ComEd, Madigan

By Rebecca Anzel A group of Commonwealth Edison ratepayers asked a federal judge Monday to force the utility company, House speaker Michael Madigan, and others to pay “at least” $450 Million to be split among all those affected by an alleged extortion scandal. The number of affected ratepayers could rise

What ever label, A-to-Z, results: Tyranny

By John W. Whitehead While America continues to fixate on the drama-filled reality show scripted by the powers-that-be, directed from the Nation’s Capital, and played out in high definition across the country, the American Police State has moved steadily forward. Nothing has changed. The COVID-19 pandemic has been a convenient,

Aid for struggling small businesses to start flowing

By Peter Hancock Financial aid is about to start flowing for Illinois businesses that have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity published emergency rules this week to implement the Business Interruption Grant program, or BIG. Those rules took effect July 21 when they

The ‘ComEd Way’ fuels culture of corruption

The recent admission by behemoth electric utility Commonwealth Edison that it repeatedly bribed minions of Illinois House speaker Mike Madigan for years (of course, Madigan knew nothing about all this; sure, right) was breath-taking for its brazenness. The bribery is a classic example of otherwise upright citizens fueling the culture

Request for equity at COW: LGBTQ, black police officers

By Jason Crane Several comments were made at the Aurora city government Committee of the Whole meeting Tuesday, through the Zoom video conferencing platform. Penelope Torres, Aurora resident and operations director for Aurora Pride, expressed concern about two points of inequality in Aurora. First, the mural project of Aurora Public

Kendall County State’s attorney Eric Weis at Aurora Navy Zoom meeting

The Aurora Navy League will hold a Zoom Meeting at 3 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 11 with Kendall County State’s attorney Eric Weis who will discuss the issues with COVID-19 lockdown. The meeting is at bit.ly/33nFHoy, meeting ID is 630 816 7612 and the password is 175209. The COVID-19 pandemic struck

All online classes huge issue

By Rick Lawrence Mayor Richard Irvin; The decision of Aurora’s school District’s announcement of 100% online school is a huge issue for Aurora. Given the diverse population of our districts, economically, language challenges, family situations, the ability for more than half of the students in West Aurora and East Aurora

Wary of police state’s long reach, COVID-19 an excuse?

By John W. Whitehead We have become one Nation under house arrest. You think we’re any different from the Kentucky couple fitted out with ankle monitoring bracelets and forced into a quarantine at home? We’re not. Consider what happened to Elizabeth and Isaiah Linscott. Elizabeth took a precautionary diagnostic COVID-19

State representative Mark Batinick Host to Telephone Town Hall for Area Residents

State representative Mark Batinick (R-Plainfield) will be host to a Telephone Town Hall for residents in his 97th District to talk about state issues and garner feedback from constituents. The call will be at 5 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 5, and the conversation will be focused on local questions and concerns.

Naperville mayor selected to participate in Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative

Naperville mayor Steve Chirico is one of 40 American mayors selected to participate in the Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative’s intensive leadership and management program. Mayor Chirico joins a class of dedicated mayors, who will attend immersing, online classes taught by faculty from Harvard Kennedy School and Harvard Business School

Award to Keith Wheeler for work in disabilities

State representative Keith Wheeler (R-Oswego) was honored with the Excellence in Advocacy award from Marklund Thursday, July 23 in recognition of his efforts on behalf of individuals and families of all ages with developmental disabilities and special health-care needs. “I am tremendously honored to receive this Excellence in Advocacy award