Jim Dey: “The Ammons is Titianna, daughter of state Rep. Carol Ammons and Champaign County Clerk and Recorder Aaron Ammons. … Following in her parents’ footsteps, Titianna was elected to the Champaign County Board in 2020, ran for but lost a contest for Urbana city clerk a year later and now is the county’s chief deputy circuit clerk. Whether the recent indictment for wrongfully collecting unemployment benefits while holding multiple jobs changes any of that remains to be seen.”

“Democrats want a pat on the back for 1.3 cents per gallon in relief at the pump and a two-week sales tax holiday on school supplies. That’s not tax relief. It’s spare change packaged as a policy victory while they pass the largest budget in state history.”

“Despite its constitutionally mandated flat rate, Illinois can still generate additional income tax revenue — and make state tax burden fairer — by increasing its rate, while simultaneously implementing a tax credit targeted to low- and middle-income earners, to offset any additional income taxes the rate increase would otherwise generate for them.”

Illinois lawmakers approved a nearly $56 billion state budget last week, but one measure backed by farm groups was left out. Supporters of the Family Farm Preservation Act said it would help keep family farms in family hands by reforming estate tax policies.

Analysis from Pew Research Center finds the Midwest alone is set to see a 64 percent increase in development, and overwhelmingly, the development is planned for rural areas. About two-thirds of planned data centers in the U.S. are located in rural communities.