(Springfield-jm) – April’s plummeting general funds receipts, a drop of $1.84 billion from the previous year, is stunning in anyone’s estimation. Compared with 2022, revenue fell a whopping 23% last month, driven by a drop of $1.76 billion in personal income tax, according to the legislative Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability. The previous year’s number for comparison, $5.4 billion, was a record, fueled by an influx of capital gains taxes and because more days of the month fell on weekdays in April 2022. Corporate income taxes, which fell in April from the year prior by $94 million, or about 5%, also spike in April, when tax returns are filed. But income tax receipts from withholding come in the other 11 months of the year, and withholding returns are up about 4%.
(Springfield-jm) – A bill headed to the Governor’s desk reforms the way minors are sentenced for a crime in Illinois. The measure is designed to help victims of child sex trafficking and others, requiring judges to consider additional factors when issuing a sentence. It’s sponsored by Senator Mike Simmons of Chicago…
State Senator Mike Simmons of Chicago. Under the legislation, a judge will have to take into account whether the minor has been in the welfare system or has come from a home with domestic violence. Any mental health evaluations would be considered as well.
(Urbana-jm) – One of the largest police academies in the nation, based in Champaign, is set to get a new director as early as this week. The University of Illinois Board of Trustees will vote Thursday on whether to appoint Joe Gallo as the director of the U of I Police Training Institute. Gallo has been serving as interim director of the institute since May 1.
(Springfield-jm) – 106th District State Representative Jason Bunting recently passed his first bill, promoting soil and water conservation districts. Representative Bunting explains the bill…
106th District State Representative Jason Bunting of Emington.
(Undated-jm) – Three Champaign County libraries are being awarded a large grant.
The Champaign Public Library is awarded $130,245. The Urbana Free Library is awarded $56,545. The Rantoul Public Library is awarded $18,247.
(Paxton-jm) – Paxton firefighters were called to a fire early Tuesday afternoon. Emergency crews were called to a home on Eastview Drive just around 1pm after a caller reported their 3 year old accidentally set the home on fire. No injuries were reported. Its unknown how much damage was caused by the fire.
(Washington-jm) – Rain helped slow down the torrid pace of corn planting last week. Gary Crawford reports…
(Rantoul–jc) – Members of the Rantoul-Paxton V F W Post 67-50 are at the corner of Route 136 and Route 45 in Rantoul today to gather funds for operations.
67-50 VFW Spokesperson Joe Manka says volunteers will be in Rantoul now til 6pm tonight…
He talks about the need to receive dollars…
Rantoul Paxton VFW Spokesperson Joe Manka
Volunteers are at the corner of Route 136 and Route 45 now through 6pm tonight. WPXN news will be checking in with the group throughout the day.
(Springfield-jm) – The Illinois House passed a bill that would prohibit anyone convicted of a felony, bribery, perjury, or misuse of public funds while serving as a public official from ever being elected to office again. The bill passed 106-0 in the House and now heads to the Senate. Lawmakers in the House passed a bill to bar anyone convicted of a crime from being elected to state or local office again. Those crimes include felonies, bribery, or misuse of public funds while serving as a public official.
(Springfield-jm) – Tim McGraw is coming to the Illinois State Fair this summer. The three-time Grammy Award winner will headline the grandstand on Thursday, August 17th and should be a popular show, says State Fair Manager Rebecca Clark…
State Fair Manager Rebecca Clark. McGraw joins a diverse lineup including Nelly, REO Speedwagon and Alter Bridge, with more to be announced in the future.
(Champaign-jm) – A Champaign attorney has been suspended by the Illinois Supreme Court. Matthew Peek was suspended for allegedly failing to deliver 13 garnishment checks to clients. Peek is also accused of making sexual comments to opposing counsel and a paralegal.
(Springfield-jm) – This is the final week of the spring legislative session and the time is ticking on passing a new budget. 106th District State Representative Jason Bunting of Emington discusses the latest on the budget…
106th District State Representative Jason Bunting of Emington.
(Urbana-jm) – Two cars were reported stolen on the University of Illinois campus during graduation weekend, police officials said. They added that the keys to both cars were left inside of them by their owners. One of the thefts happened at some point between 10:30 a.m. on Saturday and 9:30 a.m. on Sunday. The victim reported that her car was parked in a garage at a building in the area of Fourth and Chalmers Streets with the keys still inside. The second theft happened on Saturday at 11:36 p.m. on Green Street near Sixth Street. Officials said the victim left their car unlocked and running in the middle of Green Street while they went into a restaurant. The car was stolen while the victim was inside.
(Paxton-jm) – The Ford County Public Health Department is asking the public to assist in collecting dead birds in the county to test for West Nile Virus through October. Birds can be sent to the Ford County Public Health Department in Paxton.
(Washington-jm) – Soybean planting is well ahead of the average pace, despite last week's slowdown. Gary Crawford reports…
