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Illinois Tag

Posted by Mary Chastain on July 17, 2018 31 Comments
Oh, Chicago. I love my home city so much, but it keeps giving me reasons to never move back! Now the corrupt city has decided to toy with universal basic income (UBI) because we all know Chicago has a ton of money to throw around. Except it doesn't.

Posted by Mary Chastain on June 26, 2018 20 Comments
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Illinois lost 37,000 residents aged 25 to 54 from July 2016 to July 2017. A total of 115,000 people left during that time period. Eight other states experienced population loss, but Illinois lost the most. How could this happen in a state that has bustling Chicago? Gee, maybe the bad economic policies?

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.
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