“… (I)n other states—particularly New York, Illinois, and California—the political prospects for universal school choice seem bleak unless political power shifts from left to right in dramatic fashion.”

In 2022, Illinois voters approved what they likely thought was an innocuous ballot measure, the Illinois Workers’ Rights Amendment, also called Amendment One. Little did Illinoisians know, this constitutional amendment was being tested as a blueprint for unscrupulous union executives to consolidate power nationwide.

Johnson is asking for billions in state bailouts, and good luck with that. He and the Chicago Teachers Union have indicated they plan to blame Pritzker for the school district’s financial woes.

The 33-year-old is accused of punching the principal several times in the face, scratching his face and arms, biting him and using his tie to strangle him.

“Now, even Michigan Democrats who had touted the project as a source of jobs in the state’s rural western part are starting to distance themselves from Gotion, the U.S. subsidiary of Chinese battery company Gotion High-tech.”

Jim Dey: “Given the relative short duration of the SAFE-T Act, it’s difficult to make firm judgments on its impact on the courts and the public. Questions abound. How many released inmates committed new crimes? How many inmates returned to court for future hearings? How many defendants comply with newer and more lenient home-confinement rules? One thing is clear — the proponents of the new law are thrilled with their handiwork.”

“As more and more people choose to live in another state, the issue only gets worse,” said said Illinois Policy Institute’s Dylan Sharkey. “Imagine if you’re at a restaurant with friends and one person decided to dine and dash. The bill gets bigger for everybody who stays and the people who choose to stay are penalized more and more by public decisions made every day.”

Since the casino opened, it’s paid Danville $2.8 billion in gaming taxes, $350,000 in property taxes, $402,000 in sales taxes and another $45,000 in food and beverage levies. Since its debut, the casino paid $5.6 million in taxes to the state of Illinois and has purchased $420,000 worth of products from Danville businesses. Those are financial boons for Danville, which was banking on the gaming venue to lift it out of a public pension liability mess.

The Crime Bill of 1994 is the largest-ever crime bill in U.S. history, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. It provided 100,000 new police officers and allocated $9.7 billion for prisons and $6.1 billion for prevention programs. Demonstrators in Springfield expressed support for the Justice Reinvestment Initiative, which facilitates a collaborative process among stakeholders and system leaders to address incarcerations and recidivism.

Earlier this year, Gov. JB Pritzker signed a law to regulate carbon dioxide storage which requires corporations to provide an alternative drinking source if it becomes contaminated from CO2. State Sen. Paul Faraci and state Rep. Carol Ammons said the Mahomet Aquifer is a sole source of drinking water for many residents, so no company could provide an alternate source.

Jim Glasgow, Will County state’s attorney, has been a harsh critic of the law, and even filed a lawsuit against Gov. JB Pritzker and other top Democrats contesting the measure in September 2022. He now says most of his concerns have since been addressed. “Public safety is not in jeopardy as long as the state’s attorney has sufficient funding and staff to comply with the criteria.”