McHenry Times

Ugaste: 'The safety of our residents should be a top priority for lawmakers every day'

By Karen Kidd | May 25, 2022

Democrat lawmakers are trying to play catch-up ahead of this year's elections after their law-and-order bill, passed last year, fell short, Chicagoland state representative said in social media post this week

McConchie on Madigan indictment: Illinois shouldn't need feds to 'continuously clean up the state's mess'

By Karen Kidd | Mar 25, 2022

The indictment of former state House Speaker Michael Madigan on federal corruption charges is "another step in the long process of cleaning up Illinois corruption," Sen. Dan McConchie (R-Hawthorn Woods) said in a news release

'He's missing in action': Reick, GOP lawmakers demand 'silent' Pritzker act for children failed by Illinois DCFS

By Karen Kidd | Jan 22, 2022

Gov. J.B. Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) share in the blame for failing abused children in state care, House Rep. Steven Reick (R-Woodstock) said during a recent news conference.

'Our state is failing': Weber, GOP lawmakers demand hearings, change as hundreds of children die under DCFS's watch

By Karen Kidd | Jan 22, 2022

Illinois House Rep. Tom Weber (R-Fox Lake) blames state officials, including the governor the state's  Illinois Department of Children and Family Services  (DCFS) director for failing abused children in their care

Impending departure of watchdog 'indicative of how hollow the ethics legislation is,' Sen. Wilcox says

By Karen Kidd | Aug 10, 2021

Illinois state lawmakers will have to find another watchdog to police them after Legislative Inspector General Carol Pope announced last month that she is leaving, but it hardly matters, Sen. Craig Wilcox (R-McHenry) told the McHenry Times.

DeWitte bill aims to create better balance between 'physical and social-emotional health'

By Karen Kidd | May 6, 2021

Bipartisan legislation that addresses social isolation experienced by nursing home residents passed the state Senate last week and now is in a House committee.

From Prairie State Wire

U.S. Senate Resolution: No bailing out Illinois

By Karen Kidd | 4 years ago

The Land of Lincoln is suffering a number of financial woes, fueled in large part by unfunded pension liabilities, but neither Illinois nor any other state should expect a bailout from Uncle Sam, according to a resolution introduced into the senate last summer.

From Prairie State Wire

'Dirty tricks' alleged in 2016 primary were not illegal, Team Madigan claims in Speaker's defense

By Karen Kidd | 5 years ago

Even if Illinois state House Speaker Michael Madigan (D-Chicago) used "dirty tricks" to fend off 2016 primary challenger Jason Gonzales, the strategy allegedly employed was not illegal, according to a re​cent court filing.

From West Central Reporter

Rep. Hammond renews call for fair maps, supports petition to end gerrymandering

By Karen Kidd | 5 years ago

A Republican Illinois House representative from the 93rd District earlier this week renewed her call for fair maps and pushed support for an independent map-drawing petition following a U.S. Supreme Court decision not to hear gerrymander cases.

Watchdog group's allegations against former Algonquin highway commissioner met with silence

By Karen Kidd | Mar 18, 2019

There may be – or there may not be – "ongoing investigation(s)" into an Illinois-based political activist group's latest allegations into fraud and other wrongdoing in the Algonquin Township Highway Commission.

Guzzardi rent control bill is well intended but 'will lead to unintended consequences,' Skillicorn says

By Karen Kidd | Feb 27, 2019

A Chicago Democrat lawmaker's second attempt to eliminate Illinois' statewide rent control ban is likely well-intended but will have "unintended consequences," state Rep. Allen Skillicorn (R-East Dundee) said during a recent interview.

McSweeney resolution would prohibit retirement income tax

By Karen Kidd | Feb 13, 2019

A bipartisan House Resolution to insure Illinois does not tax retirement income has been introduced by State Rep. David McSweeney (R-Barrington Hills) following a proposal by the Civic Committee of the Commercial Club to tax retirement income.

Skillicorn: Rent should be between tenant and landlord, not government

By Karen Kidd | Feb 13, 2019

Government has no business telling a landlord how much rent to charge a tenant, the state representative from Crystal Lake said during a recent interview about an effort to repeal a 22-year-old rent control law.

Rep Skillicorn: Pritzker 'does not have what it takes to reform'

By Karen Kidd | Feb 12, 2019

Illinois' financial crisis has been a decadeslong bipartisan effort and the state's Democrat Gov. J.B. Pritzker decision to blame his Republican predecessor isn't helping, the state House Representative from Crystal Lake said during a recent interview.

From Prairie State Wire

Illinios education officials want half the state's budget, Wirepoints warns

By Karen Kidd | 5 years ago

Illinois education officials are out to get half of the state's budget—and they just might—to the detriment of the state's taxpayers, according to an online Wirepoints newsletter issued earlier today.

From Prairie State Wire

IPI: FBI's secret Madigan recordings in affidavit reveal nothing new about speaker's operations

By Karen Kidd | 5 years ago

Illinois's powerful House Speaker Michael Madigan (D-Chicago), earlier today revealed to be a target in the same FBI investigation that led to an extortion indictment against a Chicago alderman, is not accused of anything new, a think tank reported.

From Prairie State Wire

Legislature overrides some Rauner vetoes, fails on others

By Karen Kidd | 5 years ago

Illinois's outgoing Republican governor saw a few of his vetoes overridden during the Fall Veto Session in Springfield and a few new laws have been passed, a QUAD city area lawmaker said in a summary recap released last week.

From Prairie State Wire

State facing huge debt for public-sector retiree health benefits, says Wirepoints

By Karen Kidd | 5 years ago

Illinois's "other debt disaster" is $73 billion in unfunded state retiree health insurance benefits and more than twice that amount owed over the next four decades, according to a special report issued this week by an online news outlet.

From Prairie State Wire

FY19 Budget: 'Not one penny should be spent on pork,' Ives says

By Karen Kidd | 5 years ago

Illinois Rep. Jeanne Ives (R-Wheaton) believes state lawmakers need to reject political pork spending that was hidden in the budget passed earlier this year.

From Prairie State Wire

Pro-economic liberty group launches campaign against soaring Illinois property taxes

By Karen Kidd | 5 years ago

Supporting a proposal to cut Illinois property taxes in half and a slate of political candidates who would help make that happen is part of Liberty Principles PAC's recently announced "Save Your Home" campaign.