Illinois Capital News
Task force considers changes to qualified immunity for Illinois law enforcement officers
Court doctrine grants police protection from civil lawsuits for certain discretionary actions By JERRY NOWICKI Capitol News Illinois jnowicki@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – A new state task force continued discussions Thursday, October 7, as to what changes could be made to the way state law approaches qualified immunity for law enforcement officers. Qualified immunity is a court…
Read MorePlaintiffs: New legislative maps dilute Latino vote
Amended complaints comes as lawmakers begin congressional redistricting By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois phancock@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – Plaintiffs in two lawsuits challenging the state’s legislative redistricting plan have filed new complaints in federal court charging that the district maps that lawmakers approved in August dilute Latino voting power and thus violate the U.S. Constitution and…
Read MoreState tax dollars benefit downstate region more than others
By KAY SHIPMAN FarmWeek Illinoisans living outside of Chicago and the collar counties receive a higher return on their state tax dollars – as much as $2.88 for every $1 paid – according to a recent study from Southern Illinois University’s Paul Simon Public Policy Institute. SIU Public Administration Professor John Foster and John Jackson,…
Read MoreProposed Illinois legislative maps fail compactness test
By JIM NOWLAN Democratic mapmakers in Springfield have crafted new legislative district lines that are so laughably offensive to the Illinois Constitution that the state Supreme Court will either have to reject them outright, or confirm the court’s reputation for partisan political corruptness. You decide this one for yourselves, readers. The state charter is crystal…
Read MoreCover crops deliver big bang for the buck
By KRIS REYNOLDS Midwest regional director, American Farmland Trust Illinois is blessed with the black gold that feeds America: rich, deep soils that make it one of the highest producing regions in the world. Agriculture is the largest economic sector in the state, and Illinois is among the top producers of corn and soybeans in…
Read MoreState lawmakers consider lifting ban on betting on in-state colleges, universities
By JERRY NOWICKI Capitol News Illinois jnowicki@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – State lawmakers are considering a number of changes to Illinois gambling laws, including a measure that would lift the prohibition on gambling on in-state colleges and universities. Other measures discussed by the House Executive Committee Wednesday, April 28, would legalize and regulate certain internet gambling programs,…
Read MoreHigh court: Petition circulators confined to gathering signatures for one party
Cannot serve one party in primary then an independent in general election By SARAH MANSUR Capitol News Illinois smansur@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD — An Illinois Supreme Court decision Wednesday clarified that the state election code prohibits a person from collecting signatures for both a party candidate in a consolidated primary and an independent candidate in the consolidated…
Read MoreState drops most child support interest charges
By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois phancock@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – The state is no longer charging interest on late child support payments that are made through the Department of Healthcare and Family Services unless it’s ordered by a court, and all of the outstanding interest charges that those parents owed have been zeroed out. A spokesman…
Read MoreLame Duck Look Back: Education bill to revamp social studies classes
By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois phancock@capitolnewsillinois.com Editor’s note: This story is part of an ongoing “Lame Duck Look Back” series in which Capitol News Illinois is following up on the major bills that passed both chambers of the General Assembly in the January 8-13 lame duck session. SPRINGFIELD – Social studies classes in…
Read MoreLame Duck Look Back: The end of cash bail in Illinois
By RAYMON TRONCOSO Capitol News Illinois rtroncoso@capitolnewsillinois.com Editor’s note: This story is part of an ongoing “Lame Duck Look Back” series in which Capitol News Illinois is following up on the major bills that passed both chambers of the General Assembly in the January 8-13 lame duck session. This is one of several stories examining…
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