Illinois in Focus

Recent rulings from the U.S. Supreme Court impacting firearms has those in Illinois’ gun control debate declaring their sides are bolstered. In the case Garland v. Cargill, the majority opinion said federal government agencies cannot create laws through rulemaking, as was done with the ATF banning devices that can connect to a semi-automatic rifle to increase the rate of fire. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com

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Greg Bishop reviews some of the reaction from Illinois Democrats and Republicans to Thursday evening's presidential debate between incumbent President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump.

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A ruling from the U.S. Supreme Court about a federal bribery statute is expected to impact the high profile trial of former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan as a defense attorney for the ComEd Four found guilty last year expects a retrial. Madigan was charged with 22 counts of corruption in 2022 in a case federal authorities called “Madigan Enterprise.” They alleged over nearly a decade, Madigan used his position as House Speaker to steer contracts and no-show jobs from Commonwealth Edison to his associates in exchange for legislation favorable to the utility company. 

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Beginning July 1, Illinois will have a new state agency set to roll out over the next three years to handle all things early childhood development. Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed Senate Bill 1 Tuesday in Chicago. He said transferring early childhood services from three different state agencies to a new one will streamline things for parents. “The Department of Early Childhood, our first ever unified state agency dedicated to supporting Illinois’ youngest children and their parents,” Pritzker said. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com

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Former Chicago Alderman Ed Burke was sentenced to prison on corruption charges Monday. The judge gave the 80-year-old a two-year sentence and $2 million dollar fine. Federal prosecutors said Burke corruptly sought to steer tax-appeals work to his private law firm by pressuring developers of the Old Post Office, the owner of a Binny’s Beverage Depot, and a Burger King in his district.

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More than 140,000 Illinois government-sector workers and retirees received more than $100,000 in annual compensation in 2023, according to a new report from Wirepoints. Wirepoints President Ted Dabrowski said Illinois residents are forced to pay among the nation’s highest property taxes, and one of the highest tax burdens overall, to fund the $100,000-plus government salaries and pensions of the public sector. Dabrowski explained how taxpayers paying these large salaries for a growing number of government workers is unsustainable. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com

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The state is moving ahead with plans to tear down and reconstruct Stateville Correctional Center in Will County. The facility was built in 1925, but conditions were described as “decrepit, unsafe and inhumane” by the prison watchdog group John Howard Association. During a Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability meeting Tuesday night in Joliet, Department of Corrections Acting Director Latoya Hughes said Stateville is too far gone to be repaired. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com

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A Sangamon County Circuit Court judge made a temporary injunction permanent, finding that enforcing a recently signed law that eliminates “slating” for General Assembly races in the 2024 election is unconstitutional. Last month, the Illinois General Assembly gutted and replaced a child welfare bill with changes to election law. They prohibited the slating of candidates for the November general election ballot if that candidate did not run in the March primary. Within three days of the idea surfacing and passing both chambers, Gov. J.B. Pritzker enacted the measure. 

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Full stories:

https://www.thecentersquare.com/illinois/article_f4e10c0a-2377-11ef-bc2a-0f8e13d8773e.html

https://www.thecentersquare.com/illinois/article_50683a1a-2370-11ef-a0a3-d796345f8613.html

https://www.thecentersquare.com/illinois/article_8b05a132-22b0-11ef-a703-cfc82236aa4a.html

https://www.thecentersquare.com/illinois/article_a6445ae8-2282-11ef-9386-3751a7f37c51.html

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Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker is heralding a budget that Republicans say was crammed down taxpayers throats in the dead of night. After the Senate approved the state budget package late in the evening Sunday, the House took the measure up in the early morning hours Wednesday. The measure spends $53.1 billion and increases a variety of taxes on businesses by about $730 million. State Rep. Patrick Windhorst, R-Metropolis, called out Democrats in the supermajority for violating their own rules by attempting to concur on one of the measures three times when rules only allow two attempts. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com

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With the final scheduled session day on Friday, Illinois taxpayers remain in the dark about how state lawmakers plan to spend billions in taxes. Earlier in the day Thursday, at an unrelated event in Pontoon Beach, Gov. J.B. Pritzker gave scant details about the budget. But he was asked about his proposed tax increase on sports betting companies. “Most of the pushback of course is by the sportsbook companies that have made literally tens of millions of dollars from the state of Illinois and all we’re asking is they pay a little more of their fair share,” Pritzker said. “It keeps our tax rate at below the other of the top sportsbook states in the country, New York and New Jersey.” Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com

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