For her August local business spotlight, State Rep. Jackie Haas recognized GrannyMa’s Kitchen in Monee. Rep. Haas spent time touring the business and presented the owner with a certificate of appreciation for their contributions to the community. “For my August local business spotlight, I am honored to recognize GrannyMa’s Kitchen in Monee,” said Rep. Haas. […]
Category: State News
Posted in1-Draft, State News
East St. Louis forum to tackle persistent childhood poverty
By MOLLY PARKER Capitol News Illinois mparker@capitolnewsillinois.com Illinois has the potential to eradicate childhood poverty, but it will require a concentrated, sustained effort in partnership with families and disadvantaged communities, says Tasha Green Cruzat, president of Children’s Advocates for Change, a Chicago-based nonprofit focused on childhood wellbeing. This hope drives the focus of the policy […]
Posted in1-Draft, State News
Capitol Briefs: Secretary of state enlists high schoolers to encourage organ donation
By ANDREW ADAMS Capitol News Illinois aadams@capitolnewsillinois.com CHICAGO – The secretary of state’s office is launching a new program to enlist Illinois high schoolers to promote organ donation. The organ and tissue donation registry, a voluntary database administered by the secretary of state, catalogs peoples’ wishes regarding organ donation after death. On Tuesday, Secretary of […]
Posted in1-Draft, State News
State law banning concealed carry on public transit ruled unconstitutional
By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois phancock@capitolnewsillinois.com A federal judge in Rockford has declared a state law banning concealed firearms on public transit systems unconstitutional – at least as it applies to four individuals who challenged it in court. But the law remains in effect for everyone else as the parties in the case consider […]
Posted in1-Draft, State News
Coroner’s affidavit shows as many as 800 human remains could have been misidentified
By BETH HUNDSDORFER Capitol News Illinois bhundsdorfer@capitolnewsillinois.com As many as 800 families across the country who patronized a Carlinville funeral home may never know if the remains on their mantles belong to their loved ones, according to an affidavit signed by Sangamon County Coroner Jim Allmon. The affidavit was filed in a lawsuit pending against […]
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Federal judge rejects Illinois’ bid to end court oversight of disability programs
By MOLLY PARKER & BETH HUNDSDORFER Capitol News Illinois mparker@capitolnewsillinois.com bhundsdorfer@capitolnewsillinois.com A federal judge on Friday denied Illinois’ request to end court oversight of its disability services. Judge Sharon Johnson Coleman, with the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, agreed with legal advocates who argued that the state still hasn’t met its […]
Posted inBourbonnais, Bradley, Crete, Frankfort, Kankakee, Manhattan, Manteno, Monee, New Lenox, South Chicago Heights, State News, Steger
Investing in Our Workforce, Our Infrastructure, and Our Success
One of my top goals as State Senator is to create opportunities throughout our region. Families need good jobs, communities need strong infrastructure, and our future generations need the skills and pathways to call this area their home for many years to come. Earlier this month, I was proud to join the Illinois Department of […]
Posted inBourbonnais, Bradley, Crete, Frankfort, Kankakee, Manhattan, Manteno, Monee, New Lenox, South Chicago Heights, State News, Steger, Vedette Schools
Joyce Announces $11M-plus in Evidence-Based Funding for Local Schools
State Sen. Patrick Joyce announced 20 school districts across the 40th District will receive more than $11 million in funding to help address the financial challenges of recent years. “Evidence-based funding continues to show our state’s testament to provide quality education to our students,” said Joyce. “This funding helps provide schools with the best resources […]
Posted in1-Draft, State News
Massey’s death underscores state delay in launching mental health response program
By BETH HUNDSDORFER Capitol News Illinois bhundsdorfer@capitolnewsillinois.com An Illinois law intended to help people with mental illness avoid confrontations with police had been on the books for three years when Sonya Massey was shot by a Sangamon County Sheriff’s deputy. The Community Emergency Services and Supports Act, or CESSA, requires mental and behavioral health calls […]
Posted in1-Draft, State News
Capitol Briefs: Stateville workers picket as relocation begins; flag redesign contest to open next week
By PETER HANCOCK & ANDREW ADAMS Capitol News Illinois news@capitolnewsillinois.com Union workers planned to picket outside Stateville Correctional Center Thursday to amplify their concerns about how the planned closure and reconstruction of the maximum-security prison could affect their jobs and the state’s prison system as a whole. Calling for “No Chaos, No Layoffs,” members of […]