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Illinois Tag

Posted by Mary Chastain on March 03, 2018 18 Comments
Politico stated it perfectly: "Dan Lipinski is the kind of candidate Democrats need more of for the party to win the House in November. But the national Democratic Party is refusing to endorse him." Lipinski, a pro-life Blue Dog Democrat, has represented Illinois's 3rd district for seven terms. Activist Marie Newman, whom The Independent described as "a decidedly Bernie Sanders-styled progressive," has challenged him with a platform more aligned with the party. So why would the Democratic Party turn its back on an incumbent? The abortion industry? Purity tests? Either way, this move against a popular incumbent shows that the Democratic Party remains in disarray despite their talk of taking over the House.

Posted by Mary Chastain on September 29, 2017 9 Comments
Republican Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner has angered the party and conservatives after he signed a bill that will allow Medicaid and state employee insurances to cover abortion. The law will also keep abortion legal in Illinois is the Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade.

Posted by Mary Chastain on August 01, 2017 6 Comments
Republican Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner has vetoed the Democrat education funding bill because he viewed it as a major bailout for Chicago Public Schools (CPS). The Chicago Tribune reported:
Rauner rewrote the measure to take away a $250 million block grant that Chicago Public Schools has long received and also changed how the funding formula weights CPS pension funding when dividing up new money for schools.

Posted by Mary Chastain on July 29, 2017 18 Comments
Cook County Circuit Judge Daniel Kubasiak dismissed a challenge to the county's beverage tax as unconstitutional, which means the tax will go into effect on Wednesday. From The Chicago Tribune:
In the immediate aftermath of Friday's ruling, retailers and beverage industry groups lamented the setback, while health groups and county officials cheered. Cook County Circuit Judge Daniel Kubasiak also dissolved the temporary restraining order that had halted implementation of the tax, which originally had been set to take effect July 1 and applies to both sugar- and artificially sweetened drinks.

Posted by Mary Chastain on July 25, 2017 17 Comments
Chicago endured six homicides this weekend, which puts the city's homicides at almost 400 for 2017. The Chicago Tribune puts the number at 391:
There have been at least 391 homicides this year, four more than last year when violence reached levels not seen in two decades, according to data kept by the Tribune. The number of people shot, however, is down from last year: 2,112 compared to 2,337.

Posted by Mary Chastain on July 19, 2017 3 Comments
People rejoiced when the Illinois legislature passed a budget bill mainly aimed at education. I blogged about eduction funding for grades K-12 earlier this month. Public universities have their own problems. Yes, the state has its first budget in two years, but its the first budget in two years:
"You don't get one year's funding and have people say, 'Oh, Illinois is totally fixed now,' " said Rachel Lindsey, interim president of Chicago State University. "I don't think it would be in our best interest to think of ourselves as out of the woods just yet."

Posted by Mary Chastain on July 13, 2017 11 Comments
Last week, the left in Illinois celebrated when the Senate and House overturned Republican Governor Bruce Rauner's veto of the massive income tax hike and budget bill that concentrated on education. This is the first time in three years the cash-strapped state has a budget. Now Rauner and the Democrats will head back to the table to discuss education funding. The bill that passed the House and Senate already has faced criticism that it favors Chicago schools (shocking, right?) over others.

Posted by Mary Chastain on July 12, 2017 30 Comments
Officials in Cook County, the home of Chicago, have threatened to pass out 1,100 layoff notices since a judge delayed implementation of a soda tax. Circuit Judge Daniel Kubasiak placed a temporary hold on the tax until at least July 21. Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle said this move has forced her hand to fire people.

Posted by Mary Chastain on July 06, 2017 31 Comments
The Illinois House voted to override Republican Governor Bruce Rauner's veto of the income tax hike and budget bill. This is the first budget Illinois has passed in two years. The House voted 71-42, which is the bare minimum House Speaker Mike Madigan needed, after a security incident delayed the vote for two hours.

Posted by Mary Chastain on July 04, 2017 14 Comments
The Illinois Senate has just approved the massive income tax hike, two days after the House approved it. This bill will permanently raise the income tax 32% from 3.75% to a little under 5%. It also raises the corporate tax rate from 5% to 7%. Republican Governor Bruce Rauner vetoed the bill this afternoon. The Senate voted to override Rauner's veto 36-18. Now the bills go back to the House, which will vote tomorrow.

Posted by Mary Chastain on July 03, 2017 20 Comments
Just days after a judge demanded Illinois pay $293 million toward Medicaid bills, the state's House decided to permanently hike the income tax rate by 32%. 15 Republicans voted for the bill, which Illinois Policy documented on Facebook. But Republican Governor Bruce Rauner announced that he will veto the bill if it lands on his desk:
"Under Speaker Madigan's direction, legislators chose to double down on higher taxes while protecting the special interests and refusing to reform the status quo. It's a repeat of the failed policies that created this financial crisis and caused jobs and taxpayers to flee" Rauner said in a statement.

Posted by Mary Chastain on July 02, 2017 38 Comments
I've been blogging about the mess that is my home state of Illinois and just as I thought...it managed to find a way to make things worse. Illinois legislators cannot agree on a budget. It closed the "fiscal year $6 billion in the red." The state also has "unpaid bills to state contractors and vendors that's reached about $14.5 billion and roughly $130 billion in unfunded pension liabilities." S&P downgraded the state's credit rating to a step above junk. Then the state's GOP leader resigned on Friday. A judge has ordered Illinois to pay $293 million towards Medicaid bills just as the state entered its THIRD FISCAL YEAR without a budget.

Posted by Mary Chastain on June 21, 2017 28 Comments
The Illinois lottery may become a victim of the bankrupt state if lawmakers cannot agree and pass a budget. In a last ditch effort, the lawmakers have started a special session on Wednesday that can last for 10 days. From Fox News:
The state lotto requires a payment from the legislature each year. The current appropriation expires June 30, meaning no authority to pay prizes. In anticipation of a budget deadlock, the state already is planning to halt Powerball and Mega Millions sales.
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