Homicides are down 24%; the homicide clearance rate is up from 40% to 55%; domestic violence charges are up 100%. “None of us, not one of us, is ever going to retreat from that task. We will never surrender,” said St. Clair County State’s Attorney Jim Gomric. Certainly, there is a deterrent effect from the word being out on the street that violent criminals are being arrested. They are going to jail, but it’s about more than just arresting the bad guys, according to Kelly.

Illinois had the 13th worst economic contraction in the country, with gross output shrinking by over 11 percent during the pandemic.

The commission would be made up of nine people who have experience with the foster care system, appointed by the governor. It would serve as a third-party to DCFS.

Illinois’ unemployment rate improved for the eighth month in a row, falling to 4.5%.

Reverend Jesse Jackson officially launched Operation PUSH on Christmas Day in 1971. It later became the Rainbow PUSH Coalition. PUSH is an acronym for People United to Serve Humanity.

#6: Taxes. “Taxes might be at least one reason for Illinois’ aforementioned population decrease in recent years. From 2010 through 2019, Illinois’ population dropped by almost 169,000, the largest raw decline in the country.”

“These seven small towns — none with a population of more than 40,000 — all played a significant role in American history, if only for a day. The debate is still the biggest thing that’s ever happened in most of them, and remains a centerpiece of their identities.”