SPRINGFIELD – Vice President Kamala Harris came to Chicago Friday to rally voters who support abortion rights and urge them to turn out in the upcoming midterm elections. Speaking at a roundtable discussion on reproductive rights at the University of Illinois Chicago, Harris said the recent U.S. Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade has…
CHAMPAIGN — GOP county clerk candidate Terrence Stuber told The News-Gazette in August, “I don’t know,” when asked if Donald Trump won the 2020 presidential election. After that remark, Aaron Ammons, a Democrat and the incumbent clerk, accused Stuber of being “unqualified, ill-informed, and unprepared to serve.” More recently, Stuber, a member of the Tolono…
DANVILLE — Driving along Illinois Route 1, south of Danville, I approach a dividing line between the 2nd and 15th congressional districts. On one side, there are cornfields. That’s the 15th. On the other, residential homes. That’s the 2nd. In the car with me is Germaine Light. She’s the Vice-Chair of the Vermilion County Democratic…
Editor’s note: This story was originally published in the Belleville News-Democrat. Candidates for Illinois’ 13th Congressional District on Thursday shared plans for what action they would take — and would not take — on abortion if elected in November. The newly drawn 13th Congressional District includes parts of St. Clair, Madison, Champaign, Macon, Piatt and…
MONTICELLO — On a hot June day in 2017, the Piatt County Nursing Home in Monticello lost power. “They almost had to evacuate because (it was) 80 degrees, they almost had to evacuate Alzheimer’s residents,” Congressman Rodney Davis (R-Taylorville) said outside the county-owned nursing home on Wednesday. Scott Porter realized then as the nursing home’s…
CHAMPAIGN — Illinois’ 13th district congressional race is heating up as November approaches. The newly redrawn district stretches from the Champaign-Urbana area to the Metro East suburbs near St. Louis — including much of Decatur and Springfield. This week, the Illinois Farm Bureau’s political action committee endorsed 13th district Republican candidate Regan Deering. The news…
CHICAGO — Illinois Republicans last controlled the state Supreme Court the same year the former John Hancock building opened along North Michigan Avenue, and the Chicago Cubs infamously blew the National League pennant. History buffs will recognize that year as 1969. In other words, it’s been a long time. But this November, that 53-year string…
SPRINGFIELD – There was a lot to unpack at Wednesday’s candidate forum which saw Gov. JB Pritzker and his Republican challenger state Sen. Darren Bailey appear on the same stage, albeit at different times, for the first time this campaign season. For starters, I wrote an article earlier this week fact-checking the governor’s claim that…
LEXINGTON — An array of issues, ranging from biofuels and renewable energy to livestock protection and trade agreements, faced Democratic incumbent U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth and Republican challenger Kathy Salvi during the Illinois Agricultural Legislative Roundtable candidates forum Wednesday in rural Lexington. The recently signed Inflation Reduction Act and the Biden Administration’s student loan forgiveness plan…
DECATUR — Illinois now requires every elementary and high school teach a unit on Black History, ranging from African civilizations to U.S. slavery to the Civil Rights movement. This week, Illinois Family Action (IFA), a conservative, Christian group, based in suburban Chicago, held a meeting with about 35 attendees, discussing those changes and attacking the…
EFFINGHAM — The cost of living isn’t cheap in Illinois. For many, energy costs are a particular concern this summer with hot weather and high inflation. Some constituents are looking for answers. “I had a disabled veteran call me the other day…and he said his electric bill from Ameren went from in round numbers…$200 a…
CHAMPAIGN — People shuffle in and out of the court; logistical decisions are made and cases are settled. These are nerve wracking moments for community members — some don’t have a lawyer and few have a law degree. In the Sixth Circuit court, there are no jury members — only a judge presides over matters…
WASHINGTON — In April, Illinois Congresswoman Mary Miller met with Bryan Leib, Executive Director of Iranian Americans for Liberty, for a “meet and greet.” There was little reporting about the meeting — despite its potential implications on the world stage. While the interview lasted 27 minutes, Miller discussed her views on Iran for only a…
WASHINGTON — When Congressman Rodney Davis took office in 2013, he introduced the Social Security Fairness Act. It’s a bill with broad bipartisan support that would expand Social Security benefits for many Americans. Before his time in office ends in January, the Taylorville Republican said he’s keen on passing the Social Security Fairness Act. The…
DECATUR – Decatur business owner Regan Deering won the 13th Congressional district Republican primary on Tuesday after a close race. In November, she will face former aide to President Joe Biden, Nikki Budzinski, who secured a decisive victory in the district’s Democratic primary. Budzinski said she anticipated a challenge in November, despite her advantage in…