“Two of the largest issues Illinois faces are our unfunded pension liability and notoriously sky-high property taxes,” said Rep. Batinick. “This plan will tackle both issues by designating a flat amount of the budget toward our pension payments, which also includes a new property tax relief component.
Batinick introduces long-term Plan to reduce property taxes in Illinois 50%
Posted inBooks, Commentary, Living
Book bans are an attack on the freedom to read, teach and learn
Books by and about Black people and other people of color—and by and about LGBTQ people—dominate the ALA’s annual list of most frequently challenged books. This year’s honorary chairman, George Johnson, is an award-winning Black author whose “All Boys Aren’t Blue” is high on the list of books most challenged last year, along with others dealing with racism, racial identity, and sexuality.
Posted inRegional, State
Sen. Emil Jones III charged in bribery scheme
Prosecutors allege that from April through September 2019, Jones solicited and agreed to accept a $5,000 payment from Individual A, as well as an unspecified payment and a job to the associate identified as “Individual B.”
Posted inCrime, News, Plainfield
Plainfield hires new police chief
Miller, a Plainfield resident, and deputy chief for the city of Wheaton, replaces John Konopek, who retired as chief in July after serving the police department for nearly three decades. Konopek, who joined the department as a patrol officer in 1994, was the first individual to hold the title of commander. He was appointed police chief in 2011.
Posted inNews
Trump Empire charged in “staggering” fraud
By Stacy M. Brown National correspondent “It’s not the ‘Art of the Deal,’ it’s the art of the steal.” New York Attorney General Letitia James laid out the “staggering fraud” she said former President Donald Trump and his family committed for more than a decade. During a highly anticipated news conference, James said Donald J. […]
Posted inEntertainment
The Woman King Crowns the 2022 Toronto International Film Festival
A huge spectacle. A fictional action-drama steeped in history. African in nature but universal in its depiction of greed, suppression and tyranny. A deft team of female artists have masterfully created a feminist allegory that will excite and inform movie lovers for years to come.
Posted inBolingbrook, Education, Joliet, Local, News, Plainfield
First Student bus company strike averted
Around 509 First Student bus drivers authorized a strike and walked off the job demanding better pay on Monday.
Posted inNews, Regional
Update: What happens when cash bail ends?
“As I’ve said many times, what we want to make sure doesn’t happen is that someone who’s wealthy and commits a terrible violent crime – it could be, by the way, a wealthy drug dealer – doesn’t have an easy time getting bail compared to somebody who maybe commits shoplifting and for a couple of hundred dollars is stuck in jail,” Gov. JB Pritzker said at a news conference in August.
Posted inNews, State
Pritzker, other leaders say Illinois will remain a safe haven for women seeking abortion
Harris was joined at the event by Gov. JB Pritzker, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot, Attorney General Kwame Raoul, U.S. Rep. Danny Davis, and a number of other abortion rights supporters. They were scheduled to hold a political rally on the UIC campus later in the day.
Posted inCrest Hill, Education, Plainfield, Shorewood, State
local schools set to receive over $200 million in additional funding
“As an educator, I have seen firsthand that when schools are adequately funded, students have better outcomes,” said Loughran Cappel (D-Shorewood). “The additional funding allocated to schools across the area will provide more curriculum options, better facilities and other resources to help students learn and grow.”
