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Voting ends: Nov. 13, 2018 @ 12:00 AM
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State News
Hearing Tuesday on whether taxpayers should pay for a hat with questionable links to Lincoln
Nov 11, 2018
State representatives have conflicting goals headed into an Illinois House tourism committee hearing about a hat the private Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum Foundation bought and then sought tax dollars to foot the bill. More than a decade ago,...
Lower unemployment tax rates scheduled for Illinois businesses in 2019
Nov 11, 2018
Most employers in Illinois will see reduced payroll taxes in 2019 as unemployment continues to decline. The Illinois Department of Employment Security announced lowering unemployment insurance taxes for more than 90 percent of employers in 2019. Nearly 300,000 businesses will...
Small businesses in Illinois can't find enough workers to fill open positions
Nov 10, 2018
Small businesses in Illinois and across the country can't find enough workers to fill open positions. That’s the word from a recent national survey from the National Federation of Independent Business in which nearly 90-percent of respondents reported few or...
Illinois bicentennial voters picking the state's best leaders
Nov 10, 2018
Illinois' bicentennial best-of voters are looking for Illinois' best leader of the past 200 years, and it's tough. There are four presidents on Illinois' latest Top 200 list. Abraham Lincoln, Ulysses Grant, Ronald Reagan, and Barack Obama. Former First Lady,...
Numbers show a ‘brain drain’ in Kankakee; locals say there’s more to it
Nov 09, 2018
It’s no secret that Illinois is losing population, but a new report found that one Illinois town is losing its educated people at a faster clip than every other town in the nation except one. Local officials say the report...
Illinois officials seek to fight myths about organ donation
Nov 09, 2018
Illinois officials and religious leaders are hoping the National Donor Sabbath this weekend will convince people to look past some of the common misconceptions about organ donation. The National Donor Sabbath runs this Friday through the weekend. Illinois officials use...
Pritzker election opens door for legal weed
Nov 08, 2018
Governor-elect J.B. Pritzker said he wants to legalize marijuana for recreational use soon after taking office, but even advocates say won't fix the state’s budget problems. Michigan voters approved a referendum Tuesday to legalize it recreational marijuana use. State Rep....
Illinois among highest in nation for property tax on businesses, report says
Nov 08, 2018
In a measure of how much property owners pay in taxes, Illinoisans pay more than all but just a couple states in New England. In their annual <a href="https://taxfoundation.org/ranking-property-taxes-on-the-2019-state-business-tax-climate-index">business tax climate index</a>, the nonprofit Tax Foundation put’s Illinois at fifth...
As Chicago suburbs go blue, southern Illinois gets redder
Nov 08, 2018
In addition to giving Illinois a new governor, Tuesday's election gave Illinois a new political balance. Illinois' regional political balance has been slowly changing for years. Professor John Jackson with the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute at Southern Illinois University...
Op-Ed: Illinois’ richest governor, meet the nation’s most powerful state lawmaker
Nov 08, 2018
Illinois House Speaker Mike Madigan is about to see two things he’s never seen before. And given he’s been in the Statehouse since 1971, that’s saying something. The first is the strength of his majority. Democrats have never held more...
Two days after election, Pritzker forms budget working group
Nov 08, 2018
Illinois Governor-elect J.B. Pritzker announced Thursday that dealing with the state's financial problems will be a top priority. To that end, Pritzker said he created a Budget and Innovation Committee that will work to address the state’s dire finances before...
Illinois Democrats return to 'trifecta' government with near total control
Nov 08, 2018
Illinois Democrats have returned to what experts call a “trifecta government” that can push through policies with little more than protest votes from a marginalized Republican Party. Democrats defeated Gov. Bruce Rauner and all other statewide Republican candidates. In addition,...
Pritzker inherits fiscal mess while groups warn of disaster
Nov 07, 2018
The incoming administration inherits a fiscal mess that some experts have said is beyond repair. “One metaphor that comes to mind is some people have the best seats on the Titanic,” said Bill Bergman, research director at Truth in Accounting....
Op-Ed: State government faces idea shortage now that it returns to one-party rule
Nov 07, 2018
As if Illinois taxpayers didn't have enough meaningful concerns heading into Tuesday's midterm election, they'll have new ones come January. Now that the votes are counted and the races decided, the threat of an idea shortage at the top of...
Just how big was the blue wave of voter turnout in Illinois?
Nov 07, 2018
Voters in Illinois showed up yesterday in a way that they hadn’t since they were voting for Jim Edgar’s first term. The final vote tallies won’t be locked in until December 3rd, but preliminary voting totals show 54 percent of...
Gov.-elect Pritzker picks transition team
Nov 07, 2018
Governor-elect J.B. Pritzker has selected his transition team. The team includes a former governor, a union leader, a social services professional and others. “I am honored to be chairing the transition committee with a remarkable group of leaders who represent...
Democrats take over Illinois state government on blue wave
Nov 07, 2018
Voters handed Gov. Bruce Rauner a decisive rebuke Tuesday, turning the governor's mansion to Democrat J.B. Pritzker and giving Democrats even more power in Springfield. Democrat J.B. Pritzker rode the wave of significantly higher turnout, with many pollsters calling the...
Chinese tariffs slash profits from Illinois soybean harvest
Nov 07, 2018
Illinois farmers are dealing with the effects of a retaliatory tariff imposed by China on soybean imports. A 25-percent Chinese tariff on American soybeans was imposed by the country in response to the Trump administration’s steel tariffs on China. For...
Kwame Raoul wins race for Illinois Attorney General
Nov 07, 2018
Illinois' new attorney general is talking about his role both in and outside of the state. In his victory speech Tuesday night, State Sen. Kwame Raoul spoke about his new job as Illinois Attorney General not just being limited to...
Democrats maintain control of Illinois General Assembly
Nov 07, 2018
It’s not just all the statewide constitutional offices that Democrats now control. They also maintain control of the Illinois General Assembly. Preliminary numbers were still being crunched into the night Tuesday, but Democrats are expected to maintain a majority, if...
Mixed bag for Illinois’ contested U.S. House races
Nov 07, 2018
It was a mixed showing for Illinois Republican members of the U.S. House. U.S. Rep. Peter Roskam, R-Wheaton, fell to Democratic challenger Sean Casten. U.S. Rep. Mike Bost, R-Murphysboro, beat two challengers in Illinois’ 12 Congressional District. Two races went...
J.B. Pritzker rides blue wave to governor mansion in Illinois
Nov 07, 2018
Voters handed Gov. Bruce Rauner a decisive rebuke Tuesday, turning the governor's mansion to Democrat J.B. Pritzker and giving Democrats even more power in Springfield. Democrat J.B. Pritzker rode the wave of significantly higher turnout, with many pollsters calling the...
Live updates: Casten, Kelly ride blue wave in Illinois; Pritzker takes governor's mansion
Nov 06, 2018
10:18 p.m.: U.S. Rep. Mike Bost: "I'm incredibly proud of the campaign we put together. We fought hard, focused on the issues, and always made Southern Illinois values our top priority. I congratulate Brendan Kelly on a hard-fought campaign. It's...
Up to $1 billion in pension buyouts to be offered next year
Nov 06, 2018
The state’s largest public employee pension system, the Teachers’ Retirement System, is moving forward with a $1 billion buyout option for eligible pensioners. Lawmakers included a $1 billion pension buyout plan in the state's budget, which was passed in May,...
Election Day Roundup: Where and how to vote
Nov 06, 2018
Today is Election Day in Illinois. Those who have not registered to vote in Illinois still have time. With the exception of all but the most rural counties, Illinois State Board of Elections Spokesman Matt Dietrich said it only takes...
Political reform advocates: Big money in politics threatens candidate independence
Nov 06, 2018
A political reform advocacy group says it has grave concerns about the amount of big money in Illinois elections. Alisa Kaplan, policy director for Reform For Illinois, said Illinois’ gubernatorial candidates have raised $284.5 million. “I use the term raise...
Half of Illinois' statehouse races are uncontested
Nov 05, 2018
Two candidates for the Illinois General Assembly who don’t face an opponent in Tuesday’s election have different explanations for why there are so many uncontested statehouse races. In the state Senate, races for 20 of the 39 seats are uncontested....
Illinois DNR: EHD kills more than 400 deer
Nov 05, 2018
The troubling deer disease outbreak in Illinois has already claimed more than 400 deer. EHD, or epizootic hemorrhagic disease, has been a problem in Illinois for years. The state's Department of Natural Resources says it's a growing problem this year...
Video leak shows Susana Mendoza saying 'I'm running for mayor of Chicago'
Nov 05, 2018
Just days before voters head to the polls, a leaked campaign video shows Illinois Comptroller Susana Mendoza saying she is running for mayor of Chicago. Mendoza had been dodging questions about a run for mayor since reports surfaced that supporters...
Election outcome to shape how state handles pension problem
Nov 05, 2018
Tucked away in nearly all public debates between Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner, a first-term Republican seeking a second term, and Chicago entrepreneur J.B. Pritzker, a Democrat seeking his first elected office, is the $130 billion question: What is the state...
Retiring superintendent fired for allegedly trying to fraudulently spike pay by $1.7 million
Nov 04, 2018
A school board has fired the state's highest-paid superintendent for allegedly falsifying his own pay and attendance records to get a $1.7 million end-of-career payout. The Calumet City School Board fired Superintendent Troy Paraday just days before he was set...
Illinois dairy farmers are feeling the effects of the ongoing trade wars
Nov 03, 2018
Illinois dairy farmers are among those feeling the effects of the ongoing trade wars. The chairman of the National Milk Producers Foundation recently requested more cash aid for dairy farmers across the country, who he said have missed out on...
Lawmakers could pick new legislative watchdog before end of veto session
Nov 02, 2018
The new chairwoman of a committee designed to hold state lawmakers accountable for wrongdoing said she expects a new legislative inspector general to be approved by lawmakers this month. A multi-year vacancy in the legislative inspector general’s office was revealed...
200 Illinois veterans to be honored at bicentennial celebration
Nov 02, 2018
The Illinois Department of Veterans’ Affairs and the Illinois Bicentennial Office have announced that 200 veterans that will be honored during the state’s bicentennial celebration. “We are throwing a big birthday bash at the United Center and have all kinds...
New program aims to help comply with smoke alarm mandate
Nov 02, 2018
As residents set their clocks back an hour this weekend, Illinois’ State Fire Marshal wants them to check on smoke alarms as well. State Fire Marshal Matt Perez said daylight saving time should serve as a reminder to check not...
Teachers’ Retirement System to ask for $350 million more in next state budget
Nov 01, 2018
Not enough money from the state or unaffordable benefits, there’s a difference of opinion as to why the Illinois Teachers’ Retirement System is only 40 percent funded as the fund prepares to ask taxpayers for more money. The Illinois Teachers’...
Watchdog: Pritzker's spending promises would raise taxes on middle class
Nov 01, 2018
If Illinoisans were to take Democratic candidate and likely future governor J.B. Pritzker at his word, additional spending on his campaign pledges would either require households making more than $150,000 to have the highest state income tax rate in America...
Early midterm voting on pace with 2016 presidential election
Nov 01, 2018
Early voting for the upcoming midterm election in Illinois has already eclipsed that of the 2014 midterm statewide, but just what that means for overall turnout is to be determined. The Illinois State Board of Elections said nearly 840,000 early...
New options for individuals, including short-term health insurance plans, available during open enrollment
Nov 01, 2018
Open enrollment for health insurance plans set to start in the new year is underway with new coverage options. Congress got rid of the penalty for not having insurance – essentially removing the individual mandate of the Affordable Care Act,...
Op-Ed: Cake walk: Nearly half of Illinois House candidates face no opponent
Nov 01, 2018
There are 118 seats in the Illinois House of Representatives. But before a single vote is cast on Election Day, nearly half of those seats will have been filled. That’s because 54 candidates are running unopposed. House members’ titles as...
IRS: Tax code changes could mean more money in farm checkbooks
Nov 01, 2018
The Internal Revenue Service is telling farm families to check up on their business to see if they’re getting the most out of the newly-overhauled tax code for small businesses. Last winter’s sweeping tax overhaul included a number of changes...
Central Illinois businesses denied again in unfair taxation suit against county
Oct 31, 2018
A business owner who sued an Illinois county claiming officials singled him and other local business owners out for tax hikes plans to continue the legal fight despite another setback. A panel of federal appellate judges in Chicago <a href="http://media.ca7.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/rssExec.pl?Submit=Display&Path=Y2018/D10-11/C:17-3615:J:Flaum:aut:T:fnOp:N:2232520:S:0">denied</a>...
Sterigenics says lives at risk if its Illinois medical sterilization operations stop
Oct 31, 2018
After being sued over allegations it polluted the air with a cancer-causing chemical, a sterilization company said that if operations at its Willowbrook facility are interrupted, medical surgeries would be delayed and patients' lives would be put at risk. Illinois...
Diabetes research fund hopes millions for Illinois research lowers medical costs overall
Oct 31, 2018
November is National Diabetes Awareness Month and there’s big money from a research fund pouring into Illinois to work toward a cure, and to help drive down the medical costs of diabetes. The American Diabetes Association says 1.5 million Americans...
Retaliation case against Speaker Madigan moves forward with discovery
Oct 31, 2018
A lawsuit filed by a former campaign worker against the Democratic Party of Illinois alleging harassment and retaliation is moving forward after a judge denied the party's motion to dismiss the case. In March, former campaign worker Alaina Hampton sued...
Op-Ed: As a registered voter you have one job. Do it.
Oct 31, 2018
Voter apathy has been a problem in the United States for, well, much of this country's existence. Turnout rarely has been as high in the U.S. as in other democracies, but over the past few decades, it's been downright pathetic....
Does a real estate agent have to tell you a home is haunted?
Oct 31, 2018
If you’re looking to snag the perfect house at the end of the buying season, know that your real estate agent isn’t required to find out if the house is haunted for you. There’s no law in Illinois that requires...
Illinois traffic safety officials learn from Minnesota efforts to reduce roadway deaths
Oct 31, 2018
Illinois transportation officials heard from Minnesota officials about a campaign working “Toward Zero Deaths.” Nearly 1,100 people died on Illinois roads last year, the eighth-highest total in the country and a 2 percent increase from the previous year. Motor vehicle...
Raoul, Harold highlight differences in final face-to-face before election
Oct 31, 2018
In their final face-to-face meeting, the major party candidates for the open Illinois Attorney General seat showcased different priorities, but said they would remain independent even after their campaigns were largely funded by the two rich men running for Illinois...
Minimum wage report may be excluding rural Illinois, expert says
Oct 31, 2018
A report from a suburban-Chicago nonprofit group recommends the state gradually increase the minimum wage to $15 by 2024 because the benefits far outweigh the costs. The author of a now-famous study on Seattle’s minimum wage said such a hike...
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Sports
NBA commissioner Adam Silver supports players' tribute to mass shooting victims
7 hours ago
Allen Berezovsky/Getty Images(LOS ANGELES) -- NBA teams are honoring the victims of the nation's latest mass shooting, and the league commissioner Adam Silver is standing behind them. Silver showed his support from the stands Sunday as the Los Angeles Lakers...
Scoreboard roundup -- 11/11/18
11 hours ago
iStock/Thinkstock(NEW YORK) -- Here are the scores from yesterday's sports events:NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATIONCharlotte 113, Detroit 103Houston 115, Indiana 103Orlando 115, NY Knicks 89Milwaukee 121, Denver 114Portland 100, Boston 94L.A. Lakers 107, Atlanta 106NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUEMinnesota 3, St. Louis 2Florida 5,...
NFL games could be affected by raging wildfires in California
Nov 11, 2018
iStock/Thinkstock(LOS ANGELES) -- As wildfires in California rage on, three National Football League games are scheduled to take place in the state between Sunday and Monday, but plans could change as the NFL monitors concerns over air pollution due to...
In a first for Iran, hundreds of women attend a major soccer match in Tehran
Nov 11, 2018
Amin M. Jamali/Getty Images(NEW YORK) -- After a nearly forty-year ban, hundreds of Iranian women were allowed to attend an international soccer final at a stadium in Tehran on Saturday, where they managed to secure nearly one percent of the...
Scoreboard roundup -- 11/9/18
Nov 10, 2018
iStock/Thinkstock(NEW YORK) -- Here are the scores from yesterday's sports events: NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION Final OT Philadelphia 133 Charlotte 132 Final Orlando 117 Washington 108 Final Detroit 124 Atlanta 109 Final Indiana 110 Miami 102 Final Brooklyn 112 Denver 110 Final Utah 123 Boston 115 Final Sacramento ...
Stephen Curry to have MRI following adductor strain
Nov 09, 2018
Anthony Causi / ESPN Images(OAKLAND, Calif.) -- Golden State Warriors' Stephen Curry will undergo an MRI Friday to evaluate the severity of an injury he sustained during Thursday night's game against the Milwaukee Bucks. The team's star guard didn't return...
New ESPN documentary explores basketball's impact in racial injustice, gender equality and other key moments of history
Nov 09, 2018
ABC News(NEW YORK) -- A new film series is exploring the impact of basketball -- both on the court and off -- and through the eyes of those closest to the game.ESPN’s epic 20-hour documentary Basketball: A Love Story, from...
Scoreboard roundup -- 11/8/18
Nov 09, 2018
iStock/Thinkstock(NEW YORK) -- Here are the scores from Thursday's sports events:NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATIONOklahoma City 98, Houston 80OT Boston 116, Phoenix 109Portland 116, L.A. Clippers 105Milwaukee 134, Golden State 111NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUEVancouver 8, Boston 5Florida 4, Edmonton 1OT Philadelphia 5, Arizona...
Mayweather pulls out of Dec. 31 fight, says he ‘never agreed’ to bout
Nov 08, 2018
Kohjiro Kinno / ESPN Images(NEW YORK) -- Floyd Mayweather Jr. won’t be stepping out of retirement in time for the New Year after all.The 41-year-old retired boxer said in an Instagram post Wednesday that the fight between him and 20-year-old...
Scoreboard roundup -- 11/7/18
Nov 08, 2018
iStock/Thinkstock(NEW YORK) -- Here are the scores from Wednesday's sports events:NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATIONDetroit 103, Orlando 96Oklahoma City 95, Cleveland 86N.Y. Knicks 112, Atlanta 107Miami 95, San Antonio 88Philadelphia 100, Indiana 94New Orleans 107, Chicago 98Memphis 89, Denver 87Utah 117, Dallas...