Illinois’ Health Care Right of Conscience Act is one of the nation’s broadest. It states: “It is the public policy of the State of Illinois to respect and protect the right of conscience of all persons who refuse to obtain, receive or accept, or who are engaged in, the delivery of, arrangement for, or payment of health care services and medical care.”

The Illinois Department of Public Health quietly filed the emergency rules with the Secretary of State’s office at the close of the first week under Governor Pritzker’s new vaccine mandate for health care workers.

Combined with the state’s pension debt, politicians who mismanaged the pension system dug a $219 billion hole that handed $45,151 in pension debt on average to each Illinois household.

A reprint of our Wirepoints column.

The Prairie State Promise envisions stopping tax hikes and slowing government spending on corporate tax breaks. In fact, they applaud Gov. JB Pritzker’s efforts to do that — if not much else.

Mary Tyler, transportation director with the Illinois Economic Policy Institute, explained, “The value of the motor fuel tax will continue to diminish in the future, largely a result of increased vehicle fuel efficiency and the increasing popularity of electric vehicles. Consequently, Illinois must continue to pursue innovative funding options to support necessary maintenance of the state’s infrastructure.”

At Jacksonville public schools, school Superintendent Steve Ptacek outlined the dilemma: “If we exclude staff that are not complying with Executive Order 2021-20, we assume substantial legal risk, but if we do not exclude employees, we are in defiance of an executive order.”

In Illinois, the average gain in home equity is $24,000, surpassing only Iowa, Oklahoma and Louisiana. In California, the average year-over-year equity gain per borrower is $116,000.

During the past decade, just over $2 million in county funds have gone to support the 97-year-old institution, which has received a property tax levy since 1964. The County Board voted Sept. 15 to end its association with the museum in Edwardsville as of Nov. 30 but also approved a parting gift of $300,000 for the museum.

“St. Clair County homeowners should be concerned that scarce resources are flowing to a project unable to turn a profit. They should also ask how bailing out the airport is affecting their property taxes and home values, especially the value of a rural home where people rarely see a sheriff’s deputy on patrol because that money is keeping an airport staffed.”

As of September 24, there are wastewater treatment plants submitting samples from 17 counties. The Illinois Department of Public Health and University of Illinois-Chicago Discovery Partners Institute are working to onboard treatment utilities in all 102 counties by the end of January.

Judge Robert Villa said the four plaintiffs failed to meet several of the legal requirements to get a temporary restraining order; They failed to show they would suffer irreparable harm if they took COVID-19 tests, and that there was no adequate remedy if they did suffer damages, the judge said. In addition, he said they failed to prove the order violated a “protected right.”

A Chevrolet Bolt EV’s starting cost is $31,000; a Tesla Long-Range Model S begins at $89,990. “Is a $4,000 rebate going to be enough to incite somebody to spend $35,000 to $40,000 on a new car? We’ll have to wait and see,” said Republican Sen. Don DeWitte, who voted against the bill.