The shift comes as federal COVID recovery money dries up, and local education advocates fear that the recent addition of $350 million to the state’s education budget isn’t enough to match the needs of schools

Last month, the U.S. Supreme Court redefined the federal bribery statute after it reversed a lower court’s opinion in an appeal filed by a former Indiana mayor who’d been convicted of bribery after he accepted $13,000 from a local towing company after steering a city garbage truck contract to that business. The court’s ruling means the federal statute will still criminalize quid pro quo bribery, but won’t extend to cover gratuities — which are payments made in recognition of actions a state or local official has already taken or has committed to take, without any quid pro quo agreement in

Asked if he had concerns about Mr. Biden being on the ticket, U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin said, “Of course I do. … I think he’s aware of the fact that what happened to that debate was disastrous.” When asked what his specific concerns were, Durbin said, “Concerns is whether or not that was a one-off situation, or there is more to the issue.”

Ridership numbers plummeted during the COVID-19 pandemic and have never recovered. Still, Kirk Dillard, chairman of the RTA board of directors, said public transit plays a key role in the Illinois economy. “The RTA service area represents 74 percent of all the economic activity in Illinois, and the system has enormous economic impacts despite being underfunded for decades,” said Dillard.

In June, nine Illinois companies announced a total of 1,017 jobs affected by mass layoffs. According to the Illinois Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act report, in May, more than 1,100 jobs were slated to be lost in Illinois.

Gov. JB Pritzker, who is frequently named as a potential Biden replacement should the campaign reach that point, will speak at the Indiana Democratic Party’s Hoosier Hospitality Dinner in Indianapolis Friday before heading at the Ohio Democratic Party’s Family Reunion in Columbus Saturday. And he said he wouldn’t engage in “hypotheticals” when asked if he’d be interested in replacing Biden should he drop out of the race.

Eddie Caumiant, a regional director with AFSCME, who helped coordinate the event in Chester, said the union is also concerned about the impacts of Gov. JB Pritzker’s plan to close Stateville Correctional Center, a maximum-security men’s prison in Crest Hill, while a replacement facility is built.

In Illinois, local school boards have control over curriculum and other policy decisions. Therefore, creating a curriculum transparency policy falls directly under their authority.

Sam McCann said he was “thankful” for his time in jail because he was coming to understand how some of the votes he took during his eight years in the General Assembly translated to real-world policy that contributed to his fellow detainees’ involvement with the criminal justice system. “I’d trust these men more than some of my colleagues in Illinois government,” McCann said of his fellow detainees.

“The fighting spirit, and pride, and courage that served the country so well four years ago and helped Joe Biden win will bring the ticket down this time,” Quigley said. “A dismissive letter is not going to change any minds.”

Senate Bill 3606 was signed by the governor earlier this month and seeks to allow school districts to be reimbursed when sending troubled students, with an Individualized Education Plan, to either private day care centers or public day care centers. Some raised concerns about the potential for an additional $120 million cost to the taxpayers.

Illinois’ land use policy is the second-most restrictive in the Midwest, behind only Minnesota. One consequence is Illinois has produced 113,000 fewer units than it might have.

Jim Dey: “State Treasurer Michael Frerichs is one of a number of ambitious Democrats itching for a chance to move up the political ladder.”

Illinois Corn Growers Director of Biofuels Dave Loos contends the rules could harm the prospects of ethanol, an often corn-derived compound that can reduce the emissions of gasoline vehicles when incorporated into fuel. Loos and the lawsuit itself contend the EPA has exceeded regulatory authority in the new rules.

The billboards near Wisconsin’s largest city were placed early this month and will be up through the convention, according to Christina Amestoy, a spokeswoman for Think Big America. One of them reads: “MAGA extremists are in town this week to nominate a president who wants a national abortion ban. Stop them. Vote.”

“Last year, Catherine Buni of NiemanReports found ‘state-level experiments designed to support local journalism as a crucial public service are expanding, from New Jersey to California, New Mexico to Wisconsin, Illinois to Washington, and beyond.’ None are yet as ambitious as the New York effort, but all represent a move toward divorcing journalism outlets from a need to serve readers and listeners to remain financially afloat.”

“…but he added he would withhold judgment until hearing from colleagues.”