Saturday, January 5, 2013
Cardinal Francis George releases a strongly worded letter as the State Legislature moves closer to a vote on gay marriage.
As gay marriage moves closer to a vote in the Illinois General Assembly, Cardinal Francis George has released a letter attacking the notion of same-sex marriage itself and urging Catholics to voice their objections. UPDATED: Illinois State Senate members went home on Thursday without voting the bill up or down in the final days of the veto session, although a senate committee did vote in favor of the bill to allow same-sex marraige. Supporters are hoping the bill will be passed after new lawmakers are sworn in on Jan. 9, however, it may be weeks before the bill goes before the state senate for a full vote. The marriage equality bill's failure to go before the senate for a full vote on Thursday was credited to pushback from the Catholic …
Saturday, December 22, 2012
The bad news: Job growth in Illinois is too slow, and prison inmates probably watch better TV than you. The good news: Your lawmaker is one of the highest paid in the nation.
Feeling all warm and full of good cheer? Bah! Here's a little something to satisfy the Scrooge in you before the spirit of Christmas takes hold. We Need More Jobs: At 8.7 percent, the Illinois unemployment rate is 1 percent above the national rate. And job creation is improving at a faster clip all around us, in Wisconsin, Indiana, Kentucky, Iowa and Missouri, on average, according to Ted Dabrowski and John Klingner at the Illinois Policy Institute. "The reality is Illinois’ poor policies aren't allowing the state to participate fully in the national recovery. If only Illinois’ unemployment rate were equal to the average of its neighbors, 100,000 more Illinoisans would be working. Yes, jobs are slowly returning to the state, but that’s …
Saturday, December 15, 2012
The representatives and senators leaving office in January 2013 will see millions of dollars in pension payments, figures far more sizable than they would've seen in the private sector.
Are you worried about your own retirement? With the downturn in the economy, did your 401k and savings take a big hit? If so, you're like millions of other Americans forced to confront a dramatically different outlook for their post-work years. But one group of pensioners is largely insulated from such concerns — outgoing Illinois lawmakers. The retirement benefits Illinois legislators receive are far more generous than those most of their constituents could collect working full-time jobs, reports Scott Reeder of the Reeder Report, using data from an Illinois Policy Institute analysis in a piece published on Watchdog.org. The anticipated pension benefits of the 34 lawmakers who will depart the state legislature in January show these …
Thursday, June 14, 2012
The five-year financial forecast is provided to District 122 administrators and board members twice a year, once in the winter and again in the summer, to provide context to the decisions they make.
With declining state aid and possible changes to transportation and pension funding ahead, the New Lenox school board got an updated financial forecast that administrators said is "bad, but not horrendous." The five-year financial forecast is provided to District 122 administrators and board members twice a year, once in the winter and again in the summer, to provide context to the decisions they make. You can view the entire document, which is attached to this article as a PDF. "When we met in January, things were looking good," business manager Harold Huang said. "We sounded rosy. Well, since January, I think it just went like this," he said, motioning his hand downward. The reasons, explained by Howard Crouse of the PMA Financial …
Monday, June 11, 2012
New Lenox trustees expressed concern with video gambling machines, but a couple of establishments said it would help their business.
New Lenox Mayor Tim Baldermann said at the last Village Board meeting that if the only issue surrounding video gambling was the increased revenue for businesses, it would be a "no-brainer" to allow it. But it's not that simple. The Village Board is considering an ordinance that would prohibit video gambling machines in all establishments. You can read more about it here, but this gist is this: VOTE: Should New Lenox allow video gambling? The board will vote on the matter at its next meeting, which is 7 p.m. June 11 at Village Hall. At a previous Village Board meeting, Bill Walter from the VFW Post 9545 and White Horse Inn owner Jim Potter said their establishments would benefit from continuing video gambling. "What difference is there …
Friday, June 1, 2012
Under pressure from Illinois Republicans and Gov. Pat Quinn, House Speaker Michael Madigan announced he's dropping his proposal to shift teacher pension costs to local school districts.
Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan (D-Chicago) on Wednesday dropped his controversial proposal to shift the costs of teacher pensions from the state to local school districts, universities and community colleges. The announcement came after two days of spirited debate over pension reform in both the House and Senate. Madigan's plan, which was part of Senate Bill 1673, was widely criticized by Republicans, and threatened to derail other legislation to address the state's massive pension shortfall. Madigan said he reached the decision after Gov. Pat Quinn asked him to drop the amendment, the Associated Press reports. “He agrees with the Republicans. He thinks that we ought to remove the issue of the shift of normal cost out of the bill…
Monday, May 28, 2012
At next week's meeting, the Village Board could discuss whether to allow businesses to have video gaming machines, which could raise money for the state, village and host business. But should they be allowed?
Originally published May 17 New Lenox trustees will soon decide whether to allow video gambling in bars and restaurants, but Mayor Tim Baldermann said his biggest concern is working with the state. In 2009, the Illinois General Assembly legalized video gambling machines with plans to fund construction projects with the revenue. As part of the bill, individual communities can decide whether to allow video gambling, which features games such as blackjack and poker. Homer Glen trustees voted to ban video gambling earlier this month, fearing they would be responsible "for all the problems" it may bring, according to TribLocal. Frankfort officials banned it in 2010, saying gambling brings with it social problems they don't want in the …
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
Illinois has been one of only three states in the country to offer free health care to some retirees. This legislation affects retired state employees but does not include retired teachers.
Editor's note: The following was submitted by Renee Kosel as a letter to the editor Assistant Republican Leader/Illinois State Rep. Renėe Kosel (R-New Lenox) made a tough vote in favor of Senate Bill 1313, which will change the costs for retiree health care benefits. Illinois has been one of only three states in the country to offer free health care to some retirees. This legislation affects retired state employees but does not include retired teachers. It does not take benefits away from retirees but puts a mechanism in place that allows the Director of Central Management Services to determine the State’s premium payments on behalf of retired employees of the various State systems, including members of the State Employee Retirement …
Thursday, May 3, 2012
Illinois is considering changes to the way it funds mandated busing for local school districts. At a recent Lincoln-Way school board meeting, Supt. Lawrence Wyllie said transportation is something the district needs to look at.
Local school districts have been forced to consider transportation costs in the face of declining state aid, and if the state Board of Education has its way schools here could face even more issues. The Illinois State Board of Education is considering legislation that would eliminate a mandate for school districts to pay for some transportation costs. "If they do that and they cut off the funding entirely, we’re going to need to make a decision about whether we bus our kids or not," said Supt. Lawrence Wyllie, of the Lincoln-Way High School District 210, at a recent school board meeting. Currently, most districts are required to fund the busing costs for students who live more than 1.5 miles away from their school. The state reimburses …
Wednesday, April 4, 2012
Bills proposed in the state legislature would ban customers younger than 18 from using indoor tanning salons, something that isn't making those businesses happy. What do you think? Is this a good idea?
The incoming weather doesn't just signal the arrival of spring, but it also marks the busy season for tanning salons as winter hibernators flock to the boutiques to add some color to their otherwise pale skin. And a large portion of those tanners heading to the salons will be high school-aged girls preparing for their upcoming proms. But bills in the Illinois House and Senate could pull the plug on that customer base, making it illegal for minors to use tanning beds, the Chicago Tribune reports. The proposed measures come on the heels of a Mayo Clinic study showing an increase in melanoma cases among girls, as well as claims by dermatologists linking tanning beds to skin cancers, the report stated. The authors of the study, which was …
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Brian H
7:12 pm on Monday, January 7, 2013
Allow? Here's the thing, it's not up to you to ALLOW consenting adults to have sex in whatever manner of their choosing. Animals can't consent and you're comparing gay sex to murder? Wow! I'm just happy that people with this mentality are in the minority now. I guess society is becoming more enlightened, even if some people don't keep up with evolution. more ›