Jenny Thornley faces criminal charges alleging overtime fraud from her time at the Illinois State Police Merit Board. Documents show Raoul’s office giving different reasons why they’re not prosecuting the case. Wednesday, at the Illinois State Fair, Raoul doubled down on the latest reason. “We are conflicted out,” Raoul said. “There’s only so many times I can say that.”

According to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, the bill will end up forcing working-class Americans to pay billions of dollars in new taxes. An analysis by the CBO estimates those earning less than $400,000 will pay an estimated $20 billion more in taxes over the next decade.

“Let’s say that we’re going to be middle of the road and say it’s a fair question as to whether or not he had the power – it wasn’t, he didn’t have it. But let’s say it’s a fair question,” downstate attorney Thomas DeVore, now the GOP nominee for attorney general, told the gathering, speaking of Pritzker’s executive order authority.

Jim Dey: “Even though theoretically illegal, it’s hard to imagine Illinois without patronage in government at all levels. Politicians in both parties have embraced it as a means of rewarding loyalists with public jobs and maintaining their elective offices.”

“Don’t take my word for it. Rather, consider what Shakman monitor Noelle Brennan reported earlier this year. In a January court filing, Brennan pointed to shortcomings at the Illinois Capital Development Board, a key player in Pritzker’s $45 billion Rebuild Illinois infrastructure plan…Then, in a February response to the state’s effort to vacate its Shakman decree, Brennan accused the governor’s office of limiting her ability to communicate with state agencies…The report found widespread overuse of personal services contracts, too, as an alternative to hiring that complies with Shakman restrictions.”

“And we know that housing is a basic human right it shouldn’t be a privilege it shouldn’t be something that only those who have the funds to secure have that’s just a basic fundamental right,” said Senator Cristina Pacione Zayas.

Moody’s upgrade was in part based upon the state’s plan to put $1 billion “into its financial reserves, such as its ‘rainy day’ fund.” Sheila Weinberg said the state is misusing those funds. “My point would be if we have extra money to put into the rainy day fund, why wouldn’t you just use that money instead of having to borrow money taxpayers will have to pay back with interest.”

Over the years, there have been a number of big moments at state fair political days. Here, some current and former Illinois political reporters share the moments that stuck out to them.

In a letter sent Friday to Democratic Senate President Don Harmon, Hastings noted that Harmon requested the resignation. The Frankfort resident resigned as the unpaid whip for the Democratic Majority caucus, but he did not step down from his post as chair of the Senate’s Energy and Public Utilities Committee. That role pays him more than $11,000.

Beginning September 1, the ATV-related ordinances that will go into effect include that non-highway vehicles are declared nuisances and reinforced that they are illegal on public streets, and that Officers will legally have the right to impound unregistered vehicles from public and private properties.

Gov. JB Pritzker said he believed in working with “people with different viewpoints to build a better, less rancorous political climate. We owe that to our children and our grandchildren.” But on a day traditionally reserved for unbridled partisanship, he and other leading Democrats exuberantly assailed Republicans. “The lunatic fringe has taken over their party and they’ll say anything, do anything, destroy anything to get elected.”