(Springfield-jm) – A bill that passed the Illinois General Assembly will allow traffic violators to get three unpaid traffic tickets per year before they have their license suspended. After backlash earlier this year, state Representative Justin Slaughter didn’t move forward with a controversial traffic stop bill that would have prohibited officers from pulling over individuals caught speeding up to 25 miles per hour over the posted speed limit. However, Slaughter pushed through a different, more watered down, traffic bill in House Bill 277. Slaughter said the current law is unfair to violators and causes problems for them keeping their jobs. Republicans warned if the proposed bill becomes law, there's no incentive for violators to pay their tickets and that will be problematic for local governments.

(Springfield-jm) – Local reaction to the state’s nearly $53 billion budget continues to come in. 53rd District State Senator Tom Bennett talks about the lack of school infrastructure funding in the bill…

Senator Bennett says a recent survey shows millions of dollars are needed…

53rd District State Senator Tom Bennett of Gibson City.

(Champaign County-jm) – The victim of Monday’s crash in Coles County has been identified as a correctional officer within the Champaign County Sheriff’s Office. Sheriff Dustin Heuerman confirmed that Officer Jennie Ashley was the individual who died in the crash west of Mattoon at Western Avenue and Dole Road. He said Ashley was off duty at the time of the crash.

(Sibley–dm)-The 20th annual Sibley Burr Oaks Area Tractor Drive is Scheduled for Saturday July 6th.  Event organizer Russ Tjarks tells us how the event got started…

Sibley Burr Oaks Area Tractor Drive Event organizer Russ Tjarks.  More information is found by calling 217-249-2377. 

(Champaign County-jm) – The Champaign County area has recorded a 12 percent increase in home sales in April 2024, with a total of 218 units sold, compared to 195 units in the same month last year. This trend has nudged the year-to-date sales slightly by 0.1 percent over last year, according to the latest data from Midwest Real Estate Data. The median home sale price for April stood at $223,500, showing a substantial 18 percent increase from $190,000 in April 2023. Similarly, the average sale price also surged to $249,200, up by 13 percent from the previous year. The robust seller’s market is evident as nearly all homes are selling at their original list price. However, the housing inventory as of May 15, 2024, has slightly increased to 714 properties from 635 last month, despite a 13.7 percent decline in new listings compared to April 2023. Mortgage rates have also played a significant role in shaping the local real estate landscape. The average rate on a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage stood at 7.02 percent for the week ending May 16, according to Freddie Mac, reflecting an increase from 6.34 percent last year.

(Chicago–jc)  One group is objecting to the use of license plate readers, and the issue could wind up in the courts. WPXN”s Dan Mushrush has the story…

(Springfield-jm) – Monday was the deadline for candidates that didn’t run in Illinois’ March primary to file for ballot access. It was also the first hearing in a case challenging the prohibition of such candidates from being slated. The law Gov. J.B. Pritzker hastily enacted last month after the legislature gutted and replaced a completely separate bill with the mid-election year change was temporarily blocked after a Sangamon County judge issued a preliminary injunction. Monday, candidates filed petitions with the Illinois State Board of Elections to get on the November ballot. Across town in Springfield, Liberty Justice Center attorney Jeffrey Schwab represented some of the filers in the first hearing challenging the law.  In the March primary election, the winning party was already determined in more than half of Illinois’ House and Senate seats up for grabs as no opposing party ran candidates in those districts. Monday was the deadline for candidates that didn’t run in the primary to seek ballot access. The deadline to file objections to candidates seeking ballot access is June 10. The General Election is November 5.

(Chicago–jc)  – Amidst an audit revealing Illinois Prisoner Review Board flaws, Illinois House Bill 6-81 sought reforms, but stalled during the Spring session which just ended. Illinois Governor J B Pritzker says there were issues with the measure…

Illinois Governor J B Pritzker. The legislation was created in response to Jayden Perkins’ death. Perkins died trying to save his mom from an attacker who was released by the Illinois Prisoner Review Board. 14th District State Representative Kelly Cassidy represents the Chicago district where that crime occurred. Cassidy talks about her bill…

14th District State Representative Democrat Kelly Cassidy of Chicago. The issue did not come up for a vote last week. Lawmakers may bring up the bill when they meet later this year. 

(Champaign-jm) – Champaign’s Municipal Electric Aggregation electric supply contract with Constellation NewEnergy will end in July 2024. Currently, the City does not plan to continue its program for the upcoming period. The electricity supply rate from Ameren is lower than the most competitive offer rate that the City received, meaning Ameren customers are expected to pay less. Current members do not need to do anything to switch to Ameren electricity supply, as this will occur automatically upon expiration of the current supply contract. This does not mean the City’s program has been terminated. In the future if the City can secure a contract for competitive electricity supply at a rate lower than Ameren’s expected supply rate, the City’s program can be reinstated.

(Washington-jm) – The weather has been kind to most growers so far this season. Gary Crawford reports…

(Mahomet-jm) – The Mahomet-Seymour School District is looking over new ways to deal with a growing student population. Schools have been dealing with crowded classrooms for nearly a decade, but they haven’t been able to find a solution. They have two new plans — and they both involve tearing down the junior high school. There have been two plans both voted down in referendums. The first cost was close to $100 million and the second was almost $60 million.

WPXN News notes…

The 2024 Buckley Fun Day is set for Saturday, June 15th. The day begins with the Ladies Aid Bake Sale at 9, tractor show and vendor market from 10-2, live music 10:30-1, inflatables 10:30-1:30, kids games and golfing into the lake 10:30-2:30, 11-11:30 golf cart parade, food trucks 11-4, tractor parade 1-1:30, bingo and dunk donnie 1:30-2:30, bossie bingo at 2, kids tractor pull 3:30 and the duck race at 4:17.

Gifford will hold their annual celebration on Saturday, June 29th with the 5k run/walk at 7, cars and coffee at 8, parade at 10, activities and food trucks at Werner Roessler Park from 11-3, bags tournament downtown at 3 and fireworks at dusk.