Author: Kevin Bessler | The Center Square, Washington Examiner
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Illinois quick hits: Ford Heights mayor resigns after conviction; public works hiring
Ford Heights mayor resigns after conviction Days after he was convicted in a corruption case, the mayor of Ford Heights has submitted his resignation. Mayor Charles Griffin was convicted by a Cook County judge of embezzling tens of thousands of dollars from the small, cash-strapped community. Griffin’s conviction on theft could carry a sentence of…
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Illinois Supreme Court hears Jussie Smollett appeal
(The Center Square) – Former “Empire” actor Jussie Smollett’s attorneys took his case before the Illinois Supreme Court Tuesday. Smollett was convicted of staging and falsely reporting a hate crime against him in 2019. Smollett, who is Black and gay, said the attackers, wearing red MAGA hats, shouted racist and homophobic slurs at him before putting…
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Tipped wage hikes have no impact on reducing earnings gaps: Study
(The Center Square) – With a move to expand the elimination of a tipped wage throughout Illinois, a new study refutes anti-tip credit activists’ claims that eliminating the current tip credit system would reduce inequities faced by women and minority workers. The Employment Policies Institute (EPI) released a new study conducted by University of California-Irvine economists, which…
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Illinois one of six states with long-term deficits: Study
(The Center Square) – A new report highlights just how bad the state of Illinois has been with the budgetary process over the years. Pew Charitable Trusts found only two states with annual deficits in fiscal year 2022, a record low. Senior associate Page Forrest said Illinois is one of just six states that recorded a…
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Public service campaign blasts Kamala Harris’ electric vehicle agenda
(The Center Square) – It is Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s lofty goal to have one million electric vehicles on Illinois roads in less than six years, and now a public service campaign is critical of his political party’s EV agenda. The American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers (AFPM) has launched an ad campaign called “Driver’s Seat”…
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Data refutes Pritzker’s DNC claims about Illinois economy: Analyst
(The Center Square) – Gov. J.B. Pritzker used the spotlight at the Democratic National Convention to highlight the successes of Illinois and the Democratic Party, but the president of a nonprofit think tank says the numbers don’t add up. Pritzker said there is no better place to see that change is possible under Democratic leadership than…
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Pritzker says bump stock ruling won’t affect Illinois
(The Center Square) – In the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court striking down a ban on bump stocks, Gov. J.B. Pritzker says the ruling should have no impact on Illinois but other states will take action. The bump stock ban was triggered by the deadliest mass shooting by one person in U.S. history when…
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Tort reform would save Illinoisans nearly $1,900 a year: Study
(The Center Square) – A new study claims that lawsuit abuse is threatening the Illinois economy and making life more expensive for every Illinois resident. The group Citizens Against Lawsuit Abuse reports in 2023, excessive tort litigation cost over 215,000 jobs in Illinois, and cost state and local governments more than $2 million in lost revenue. “When the state…
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Pretrial service expansion awaits Pritzker’s signature
(The Center Square) – The state of Illinois may be getting into pretrial services as a result of changes prompted by the Safety, Accountability, Fairness, Equity-Today Act. House Bill 4621 was sent to the governor’s desk for signature and would create the Office of Statewide Pretrial Services, allowing it to provide pretrial services to circuit…
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Some question why video gambling tax increase should benefit Chicago
(The Center Square) – Video gambling is a huge cash cow for the state of Illinois and Democratic lawmakers want a bigger slice of the pie for Chicago. A late addition to the $53.1 billion state budget that Gov. J.B. Pritzker is considering would raise the tax on the industry to 35%. The Pritzker administration…