Young America’s Foundation spokeswoman Kara Zupkus touted the youth conservative organization’s Campus Bias Tip Line as a resource for “students facing intimidation and bullying tactics from professors like this one…As our nation’s campuses become more polarized with left-wing activists parading as educators, it’s up to us to hold these leaders accountable for their viewpoint discrimination…”

It’s a department that’s been plagued by problems under Democrat and Republican governors. Governor JB Pritzker continues to support the DCFS director whose been held in contempt of court 12 times. They have an annual budget of over $1.5 billion.

“How can over 24 other states have a process in place for electronic filing, but not Illinois,” state Rep. Dan Brady said. “This service provides the release and filing of these documents electronically to help all the stakeholders involved as efficiently as possible, especially to the consumer.”

“We need to bring businesses back. We need to look at a property tax reduction. We need to look at pension reform for workers. We need to lower the corporate income tax,” state Rep. Adam Niemerg said. “It is time we start helping businesses and not stifling them.”

The Federal Communications Commission announced this week it is authorizing around $800 million for the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund for six providers to expand broadband in 19 states, including Illinois, which will receive the largest amount at $212 million.

“The term ‘blind trust’ is being used here as a thin shield to conceal the governor’s pursuit of personal profits,” said Bridget J. Crawford of Pace University’s law school. “This is not a blind trust in any meaningful sense of the phrase.”

Illinois Auditor General Frank Mautino’s team found IDES didn’t create an audit trail to document claims according to federal standards. He suggested the problem may have been much smaller if IDES implemented the unemployment insurance standards the state has used for years. “If you see 15 claims coming in from one house, the computer would normally kick that out and say, ‘flag it and take a look at this.’ That wasn’t there on the PUA side. And fraudsters and cyber criminals are ingenious.”

“Right now, they’re selling gas cheaper than Missouri,” one gas station owner said of the Godfrey Road Walmart gas station. “We should be 30 cents higher than Missouri because of taxes – we have a 30-cent higher tax than across the river.”

Jim Dey: “While the revenue numbers are up in the aftermath of the pandemic, Illinois’ casino revenues for the 2021-’22 fiscal year ($1.307 billion) failed to equal revenues generated in the 2011-’12 fiscal year ($1.641 billion). The good revenue news is that the $1.3 billion generated in 2021-’22 represents a strong increase over the pandemic-related revenue declines.”

State Sen. Jason Barickman worked on the bipartisan school-funding overhaul that passed five years ago. He said the next big policy challenge may be bolstering the teaching profession itself. “We all acknowledge that there’s a problem in our pension system. Challenges that are enormous. But the blame for years, by some people, was put on educators. And I think unfairly so.”

Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker issued a statement late Wednesday evening: “Illinois welcomes refugees, asylum seekers and immigrants and we are working with federal and city officials to ensure that these individuals are treated with respect and safety as they look to connect with their family and friends. My great-grandfather came to this country as an immigrant fleeing Ukraine in 1881. Immigrants just like my family seeking freedom and opportunity built this country. Illinois is and has always been a welcoming state.”

Taxpayers provided UIS with $46.3 million of funding in FY21. In return, they will benefit from added tax revenue, stemming from students’ higher lifetime earnings and increased business output, amounting to $127.1 million. For every dollar of public money invested in the university, taxpayers will receive $3.20 in return.

“Now, just over two months out from Election Day and weeks from early voting commencing, Illinois Republicans may need to hope for a course correction on the national climate. This would mean that the post-Dobbs effect of ginned up Democratic enthusiasm wears off and voters turn their attention to kitchen table issues like high gas prices.”