Collins’ name has surfaced repeatedly at the Dirksen Federal Courthouse over the years, including in two 2023 corruption trials. Her own trial revealed that she was caught while working at an insurance company submitting policies for people who did not apply for them or “did not exist.”

“Also, people who spend their lives yelling ‘No!’ and trying to tear things down rarely, if ever, learn to say ‘Yes’ and build things up. It’s no accident that the state party has had 10 different chairpersons in the past 23 years. When you look around the country, though, it’s kind of amazing that the Republican powers that be have held on this long. Most members of that once-powerful donor class have passed away, retired and/or left Illinois.”

A measure that didn’t make it out of the General Assembly would allow the sale of hemp products, but only by businesses licensed under the current cannabis law. Industry experts said hemp drinks have been a lifeline for struggling breweries still trying to recover from the pandemic.

A bill on the governor’s desk seeks to give the Illinois Department of Transportation the authority to create and implement a highway traffic noise suppression program. The program is subject to appropriation, but it could cost about $200 million in taxpayer money.

Illinois State Police say an automated license plate reader program has helped the agency identify witnesses or suspects in 82 percent of highway shooting cases this year, including all eight that resulted in a death. But a lawsuit contends the program violates the plaintiffs’ search, seizure and due process rights under the 4th and 14th amendments to the U.S. Constitution.

Justin Hansford, of the National African American Reparations Commission, rejected Judicial Watch’s interpretation of Evanston’s reparations programs. “Jim Crow was based on race, redlining was based on race, housing segregation was based on race,” Hansford said. “In all those situations you had a community that was harmed based on race. So now when you’re trying to give that community justice, you are going to naturally give it to the same group.”

Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul previously led a group of state leaders across the country in filing an amicus brief in the case in April. Now, he said the decision was a win for public safety. “I am very pleased to see the U.S. Supreme Court uphold these longstanding, commonsense tools that protect victims of domestic violence and prevent gun violence.”

“Pediatric clinicians, in particular, have a unique opportunity to incorporate crucial conversations about race and racism into clinical visits…. Consensus was reached on the necessity for pediatric clinicians to have a thorough understanding of the systemic nature of racism and the importance of both learning from patients and addressing intersectionality during these conversations.”

This month, Reps. Becca Balint and Jesús “Chuy” García introduced a bill that would “prohibit the use of algorithmic systems to artificially inflate the price or reduce the supply of leased or rented residential dwelling units.”

The attorneys general emphasize the popularity of diversity efforts, evidenced by consumer behavior and expectations. Attorneys general from California, Colorado, Connecticut, the District of Columbia, Delaware, Hawaii, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington have joined forces with Raoul.

Former House Minority Leader Jim Durkin, who quit for reasons similar to Don Tracy’s, believes the grassroots elements of the party simply want to cause trouble. “They don’t do anything to help anyone get elected, they don’t contribute financially, they’re nowhere to be found,” Durkin said. “Their bark is worse than their bite, but their bark is getting louder.”

Gov. JB Pritzker says that while he’s proud of his accomplishments over the last five years in making Illinois “the most LGBTQ+ friendly state in the country,” there’s more work to be done.

House Bill 2154 prohibits local governments from requiring a permit before installing a battery-charged fence on nonresidential property. The measure, if enacted, would apply to both electrified fencing for agricultural use and electrified security fencing to prevent trespassing.

“According to the Illinois Department of Commerce, the state has nine primary workforce development programs that each administers dozens of additional opportunities and services. Managing workforce services more effectively can help empower more people to lift themselves out of poverty…”

“There’s no hiding the facts. Asian Americans fear that hate crimes are rising. One in three of us faced racial abuse last year. A recently signed law prohibits Chinese nationals from purchasing property in parts of Florida. And a recent House spending bill almost revived a controversial Department of Justice program that targets Chinese academics.”