(Springfield-jm) -- Illinois lawmakers took funds meant to help the Illinois State Police facilitate gun registrations, concealed-carry licensing and other services and used the money for other purposes without paying it back, according to a gun-rights group. An investigation conducted in conjunction with the Illinois State Rifle Association and state Rep. Keith Wheeler, R-Oswego, with the aid of state researchers found the General Assembly has siphoned almost $30 million over the past five state budgets. A memo from the Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability sent to Wheeler showed more than $13 million swept from the State Police Firearm Services Fund in fiscal years 2015 through 2019. With another fund having been raided of $15 million, lawmakers took $28.5 million in fees paid for by the state’s more than 2 million Firearm Owners' Identification cardholders.
(Springfield-jm) -- The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency is overworked and understaffed to the point that it is putting residents’ health in danger, according to a report from the University of Chicago. The report said the agency's workforce has been cut by about 50 percent from 2003 to 2018. At the same time, the agency has been given more responsibility for regulating businesses and less in federal support in recent years. Mark Templeton, clinical professor of law at the University of Chicago, said the department isn’t capable of doing all it should to protect residents. The solution, the report said, is more funding from the state in the form of increased business fees and statewide charges on plastic bags and bottles and a statewide stormwater fee.
(Springfield-jm) -- Hunters in Illinois harvested more than 75 thousand deer during the firearm deer season. Preliminary figures put the grand total at 75 thousand 349 deer. Counties with the largest deer harvest include Jackson, Randolph, Pike, Fulton and Williamson.
(Washington--jc) -- The Independent Community Bankers of America Wednesday told the House Agriculture Committee that farm banks have stable ag loan portfolios but remain concerned about rural economic conditions. I-C-B-A community banker Steve Handke encouraged lawmakers to maintain a strong farm bill with robust crop insurance tools. Handke said total farm debt is now over $415 billion, so a modest increase in USDA guaranteed farm loan limits is warranted, and he stressed the need to level the playing field between community banks and the tax-advantaged Farm Credit System.
(Washington-jm) -- The U.S.-China trade deal is fast approaching a December 15th deadline. Stephanie Ho has the details…
(Gibson City-jm) -- Country Financial along with the Illinois Farm Bureau is hosting an Agribusiness Seminar this morning in Gibson City. Doug Yoder from Country Financial will discuss the farm bill as well as provide an update on crop insurance. Brad Clow from Country Financial will provide an update on crop claims. The meeting gets underway at 8 am at Railside Golf Course.
(Springfield-jm) -- One area state lawmaker is hoping to put a curb on tax increases in Illinois. 53rd District State Senator Jason Barickman of Bloomington hopes to see some tax reforms when lawmakers return to the capitol in January…
State Senator Jason Barickman of Bloomington.
(Springfield-jm) -- Tuition at Illinois four year universities has jumped over 61 percent in the last 15 years according to a new report. Tuition for the 2004-2005 school year was $8,797. For the 2019-2020 school year, tuition was up to $14,166. That makes the increase the 20th largest in the nation. Tuition did drop one percent between the 2018-2019 school year and the 2019-2020 year.
(Springfield-jm) -- U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin said a report about FBI officials filing inaccurate information to get a surveillance warrant for Donald Trump’s presidential campaign in 2016 highlighted the need for reforms. Before Wednesday's hearing on the report, Illinois U.S. Senator Dick Durbin had downplayed its significance. On Wednesday during the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing, Durbin said what happened was the latest in a series of cases where the surveillance courts were misled by the FBI dating back to 2002. U.S. Senator Thom Tillis of North Carolina, said Durbin’s statement was interesting because some Democrats sought to minimize the report. Illinois U.S. Rep Darin LaHood of Peoria, said the reported wrongdoing was not fake news. He agreed with Durbin that changes were needed.
(Springfield-jm) -- Illinois county courthouse compliance with a law requiring them to provide nursing mothers access to a private room has so far been “decidedly mixed,” an analysis found. The state’s chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union called 77 facilities to assess their implementation of a 2018 statute which mandates circuit courthouses to offer a lactation room. It was to be fully enforced by June of this year. At a minimum, those spaces should have a chair, table and electrical outlet, according to the law. A sink with running water should be provided “where possible.” Almost 20 facilities across the state lack a designated space, the report found. In 11 courthouses, parents are told to pump breast milk in a restroom, the sanitary condition of which could contaminate the milk. And another 14 buildings had an area that did not meet the statute’s requirements.
(Springfield-jm) -- The Cook County State’s Attorney is taking steps to vacate the first thousand low-level marijuana convictions in Illinois. A big part of the recreational cannabis bill is expunging the records of those busted for small amounts of pot. Governor J-B Pritzker says these minor offenses have held people back for too long…
Illinois Governor J-B Pritzker. Hundreds of thousands of people in Illinois are eligible. Many will have their records pardoned or expunged automatically while others will have to file a motion.
(Sibley-jm) -- Sibley village leaders have approved their tentative tax levy. The new levy is up about five percent. They expect it to bring in an additional $26,392 to the village.
(Undated-jm) -- More than 17,000 high school students in Illinois are being recognized by the Illinois Student Assistance Commission for outstanding academic achievement. WPXN’s Jason Madden has the Cissna Park, Iroquois West and Milford High School scholars…
(Thomasboro-jm) -- Dollar General could be coming to the Champaign County village of Thomasboro. Overland Group, an investment group interested in bringing the store to the community, is looking to purchase the property at the northeast corner of US 45 and Flatville slab. The village is looking at estimates to expand water and sewer service to the location.
(Washington-jm) -- Those in the business of growing, harvesting, and selling Christmas trees are not just busy during the holiday season. Rod Bain reports…
(Washington-jm) -- Illinois Congressman Adam Kinzinger says he is continuing his fight for more affordable medications. Some of the proposals Kinzinger is pushing includes legislation that would increase access to generic medication options, reverse unreasonable policies preventing patients from saving money at their pharmacy and closing loopholes that increase rebates for pharmaceutical companies.
