Tag: Peter Hancock

Events Government

The Obamas break ground on Center in Chicago

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By Peter Hancock Former president Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama returned to their old neighborhood on Chicago’s South Side Tuesday to officially break grounad on the Obama Presidential Center, a project they hope will become a hub for the development of new leadership and an economic boost...

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Government

Governor Pritzker signs revised State district maps

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By Peter Hancock In spite of opposition from Republicans as well as reform groups, governor JB Pritzker Friday signed into law the revised State legislative district maps that lawmakers passed in August, which opens the door to almost certain court challenges. “These legislative maps align with the landmark Voting Rights...

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Government

State passes ethics bill, ready for governor’s signature

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By Peter Hancock The Illinois House Thursday, Sept. 9 voted to accept changes to an ethics bill that governor JB Pritzker had requested, paving the way for it to become law once the governor signs it Thursday’s vote came a little more than a week after an earlier attempt fell...

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Government

State lawmakers preparing new maps; Kendall growth great

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By Peter Hancock Voting rights advocates and minority community members urged Illinois lawmakers Thursday, Aug. 26 to take more time in redrawing legislative district maps so the general public can have more time to study whatever new maps will be proposed. “We’re joining other advocates today in asking for more...

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Education Government Health

State mask mandate of schools draws mixed reactions

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By Peter Hancock A capacity crowd packed into the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE)) room Wednesday, Aug. 18 and many more stood outside the building in Springfield to protest the State’s new indoor mask mandate in all public and nonpublic schools. “I’m so tired of hearing how resilient our...

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Government

Illinois Bill will assist school employees

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By Peter Hancock A new law in Illinois will make it easier for part-time school and college employees to receive paid family and medical leave. Governor JB Pritzker signed a bill Tuesday lowering the threshold for those workers so that most will be eligible for the benefit after one year...

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Government Health

Greater access to mental health services will start next year

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By Peter Hancock Illinois residents will soon have greater access to mental health services under measures Gov. JB Pritzker signed into law Friday. Starting January 1, most insurance companies doing business in Illinois will be required to provide their beneficiaries with timely and proximate access to treatment for mental, emotional,...

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Government

State politics: Call for reform

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By Peter Hancock Republican Party lawmakers in Illinois are renewing their call for ethics reform following the resignation Wednesday of the General Assembly’s top watchdog, Legislative inspector general Carol Pope. “Inspector Pope has proven to be a dedicated public servant representing the people of Illinois and their desire for a...

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Government

Schools large factor among 53 bills signed by governor

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By Peter Hancock Public high schools in Illinois soon will be required to teach students how to gain access and evaluate various kinds of news and social media they see online and elsewhere as part of their regular curriculum. That was among the 53 bills that governor JB Pritzker signed...

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Government

New State law augments Medicaid range of services

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By Peter Hancock Illinois residents who have health coverage through Medicaid now have access to a broad range of services, including mental health counseling, substance abuse treatment, smoking cessation and dental services. Governor JB Pritzker Tuesday signed Senate Bill 2294, which passed unanimously out of both chambers during the Spring...

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Government Money

State receives first credit rating upgrade in 23 years

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By Peter Hancock Illinois received its first credit rating upgrade in 23 years Tuesday when Moody’s Investors Services raised the State’s rating one notch, and cited “material improvement in the State’s finances.” Although the upgrade still leaves Illinois bonds rated just two notches above so-called “junk” status, governor JB Pritzker...

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Government Money

Illinois economy showed strong signs of first-quarter recovery

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By Peter Hancock The Illinois economy showed strong signs of recovery during the first quarter of this year when businesses continued to reopen from the pandemic and direct government payments flowed to businesses and individual consumers. Data released last week from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) showed the...

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Government

Multiple State agencies cut ties with NIA in Aurora

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By Peter Hancock Officials from multiple State agencies said Friday that they are cutting ties with a residential school that serves children in state care with mental and developmental disabilities after an independent review documented reports of mistreatment of youth at the facility. Northern Illinois Academy (NIA), in Aurora, is...

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Feature Government Health Money

State economy hit confirmed

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By Peter Hancock The Illinois economy shrank by four percent in 2020 as the COVID-19 pandemic wreaked havoc on many of its sectors, although there were signs of a recovery taking place late in the year. Those preliminary numbers, released last week by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of...

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Government

Transparency the call, Illinois legislative district maps

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By Peter Hancock Illinois congressman Rodney Davis joined his Republican colleagues in the General Assembly Monday in calling governor JB Pritzker to support legislation to form an independent commission to redraw congressional and State legislative district maps. “In the end, I think the public is demanding an open transparent process,”...

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Government Political

State changes proposed: Draw districts differently

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By Peter Hancock Republican Party members in the State General Assembly has introduced a new bill that would hand over the process of drawing new legislative and congressional district maps to an independent commission that would be required to use official U.S. Census Bureau, rather than survey estimates, to draw...

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Government Political

Redistrict lines by legislation?

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By Peter Hancock Republican Party members in the Illinois House said Tuesday that they hope to use legislation, instead of a constitutional amendment, to change the way State legislative and congressional district lines are redrawn every 10 years. The so-called “fair maps” proposal would authorize the General Assembly to set...

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Government

Illinois electors cast 20 ballots for president

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By Peter Hancock Illinois’ presidential electors officially cast their 20 ballots Monday for the Democratic Party ticket of Joseph R. Biden and Kamala Harris, marking the all-but-final step in a bitterly-contested presidential election that incumbent president Donald Trump has refused to concede. “Today, all over the country, electors just like...

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Health

First shipment of vaccines to State likely reduced

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By Peter Hancock The first shipment of COVID-19 vaccines to Illinois may be less than one-quarter of what officials had originally been told to expect. Department of Public Health Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike said Tuesday that the latest word from federal officials is that the first shipment may contain only...

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Government Political

Governor JB Pritzker calls on Mike Madigan to answer questions or step aside

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By Peter Hancock Governor JB Pritzker Thursday, Nov. 19 put his own pressure on house speaker, Michael Madigan, and said the Democratic leader needs to answer questions from the press and the public or else resign. The governor’s comments during his daily COVID-19 briefing in Chicago came one day after...

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