Thursday, May 9, 2013
Governor Pat Quinn has been touring affected counties and said that the results of the assessments will be used to request federal aid.
Officials from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the Illinois Emergency Management Agency (IEMA), the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) and local governing bodies began assessing flood damage in DuPage County (as well as in Cook and Lake counties) this week, according to a press release from the Illinois Government News Network. The assessments are critical to attempts to secure federal government aid for counties affected by the mid-April floods, including grants and low-interest loans for individuals, and such loans for businesses, affected by the rising waters. Next week, assessors will begin discussions with local governments as well, which are eligible for up to 75 percent aid for flood-related expenses. “These …
Thursday, April 11, 2013
The Chicago Tribune reported this week Gov. Quinn is looking for ways to tighten Illinois' impending conceal carry law.
Gov. Pat Quinn said earlier this week he thinks Illinois communities should be able to exert some local control when it comes to a state conceal carry gun law, according to a report in the Chicago Tribune. The state is working to create a concealed carry law by the June 9 deadline. A federal court ruled late last year that Illinois’ ban on conceal carry was unconstitutional. "I am not excited about this at all," the Tribune reported Quinn as saying. "If this has to happen, it has to have the proper restrictions and limitations... I think we should make sure it's very tight and I think local communities, wherever they are, should have the option to make it as tight as possible in their community." Quinn also has stated his opposition to …
Monday, April 1, 2013
The governor signed 87 orders of pardon and expungement on Friday, freeing and/or granting clemency to six persons convicted in DuPage courts.
Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn handled 222 clemency petitions on Friday that go back to 2005, granting 87 and denying 135, in the process clearing six persons convicted in DuPage courts as long ago as 1988. According to the Peoria Journal-Star, Quinn’s office says he is committed to working through a backlog of over 2,500 cases accumulated during the tenure of the now-jailed ex-Gov. Rod Blagojevich; he has granted 929 and denied 1,530 since taking office, his staff told the paper. The pardons for convictions in DuPage County went to: One of the most significant pardons, the Journal-Star reported, was of Peggy Jo Jackson, 57, who was convicted of murdering her husband in 1986 despite attorneys saying that she suffered horrible domestic abuse from…
Sunday, February 10, 2013
On Feb. 19 and Feb. 22, the state will stage public hearings to discuss a new concealed carry handgun law for Illinois.
Gun control hearings will convene before an Illinois House committee later this month, says Speaker Mike Madigan, and there will be much talk about a new concealed carry law. One hearing will take place in Chicago on Feb. 22, at the Michael A. Bilandic Building in Chicago. The other will be in Springfield on Feb. 19 at the Capitol. “In light of events in recent months in Illinois and in other parts of the country, it’s appropriate and necessary that we give a full vetting to proposed state legislation on this matter," reads a statement from Madigan. "These hearings will provide an opportunity for gun-safety advocates, gun-rights supporters and members of the law enforcement community to offer their views and argue their cases to …
Saturday, November 24, 2012
Jim Edgar tells Reboot Illinois that tax hikes, program cuts and leadership are desperately needed in Springfield. And Pat Quinn brings you Squeezy the Python.
With Democrats now holding a supermajority in the Illinois House and Senate as well as the governor's office, one might suppose a Democratic agenda would be a slam dunk in Springfield. As recent years have shown, however, single-party control doesn't guarantee the wheels of government grind smoothly. And former Gov. Jim Edgar, who served from 1991 to 1999, suggests that probably won't change anytime soon. In a wide-ranging interview with the new website Reboot Illinois, Edgar says Springfield is less dysfunctional when the two parties share power. "More times than not I think split government works pretty well. The reason is to make the tough decisions you need both parties. It’s hard to get one party to put up all the votes and take all …
Wednesday, May 30, 2012
Gov. Pat Quinn is expected to sign the bill that is designed to raise $800 million to help cover Medicaid costs. Check out how your local legislators voted.
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Wednesday, May 30, 2012
When Illinois smokers take a drag, more than tobacco will go up in smoke. They face a new $1-per-pack state tax in a bill that now goes to Gov. Pat Quinn to sign into law. The Illinois Senate on May 29 and the House on May 25 approved a cigarette tax increase to raise revenue to avoid even deeper cuts to health care for low-income people. No Senate Republicans voted for the tobacco tax measure. Four Democrats, primarily those representing districts on the state's borders, voted against it. According to the Chicago Tribune, the tobacco debate unfolded as House members appeared poised to take action on plans for a revamp of public employee pensions, which have been major drivers of spending in a state that can't pay its bills and has the …
Monday, August 29, 2011
Residents lose a few feet of ground with two new laws that give government entities the right to define frequent FOIA requestors and 'interested parties' in rezoning matters.
HB 1056 (public hearing procedure during rezoning) Shortly after the village of Lisle's planning and zoning commission approved changes to its public hearing process, Rep. Darlene Senger filed a new bill that allows Illinois municipalities with populations under 500,000 to set their own rules and define which 'interested parties' can participate in the hearing process. The Daily Herald spoke with the Citizen Advocacy Center's executive director about the governor's decision. What did she have to say? HB 1716 (FOIA) Do you regularly submit FOIA requests? According to a story from the Associated Press, Quinn also signed into law a bill that allows municipalities longer response times to those who make several requests to government bodies …
Thursday, July 7, 2011
Gov. Pat Quinn signs bill pushed by County Chairman Dan Cronin.
With the stroke of the governor’s pen, DuPage County’s oversight powers of appointed boards, agencies and commissions grew some teeth. On Wednesday Gov. Pat Quinn signed legislation granting counties with populations between 300,000 and two million to pass ordinances requiring units of local government to provide budget and financial information to the county board. It was legislation pushed by DuPage County Chairman Dan Cronin following financial scandals involving the DuPage Water Commission and the DuPage Housing Authority. Both organizations misspent millions of tax dollars. Federal audits revealed the DuPage Housing Authority failed to account for more than $10 million, while the DuPage Water Commission spent $69 million from reserves…
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
A lawsuit might not be far off.
Sen. Kirk Dillard (R-24th, Westmont) called political map drawing the root of all evil. Dillard, a Hinsdale Republican, was one of several legislators to speak to chamber of commerce members during a breakfast sponsored by the Elmhurst, Downers Grove and Lisle chambers. State lawmakers, including Dillard and fellow Sens. Ron Sandack (R-21st, Downers Grove), Christine Radogno (R-41st, Lemont) and John Millner (R-28th, Carol Stream), were joined by DuPage County Chairman Dan Cronin at the Double Tree Hotel in Downers Grove to discuss the Illinois budget and new political maps. The legislative panel, all Republicans, was critical of the map drawing process. Because the new maps heavily favor Democratic candidates, Sandack called the maps the…
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Vincent
7:04 pm on Friday, April 26, 2013
Jeff, look what popped up on the Patch: http://shorewood-il.patch.com/articles/dog-shooter-allowed-to-keep-his-firearms?ncid=newsltuspatc00000001 And the original article: http://shorewood-il.patch.com/articles/dog-shooting-leaves-minooka-family-distraught-man-in-a-nightmare I think that these articles (of the same incident) are perfect examples of how using a firearm can very much work to the … more ›