Macon Reporter

Turner, Taylorville center announce senior fair Oct. 4: 'One-stop shop for available resources'

By Karen Kidd | Sep 24, 2022

Many resources are available to Illinois' senior citizens and state Sen. Doris Turner (D-Springfield) is trying to get the word out

Illinois sends personal information to wrong addresses, creating potential security issues

By Karen Kidd | Mar 12, 2021

Thousands of Illinois households' personal information was mistakenly sent to the wrong addresses, state officials said.

From Prairie State Wire

U.S. Senate Resolution: No bailing out Illinois

By Karen Kidd | 4 years ago

The Land of Lincoln is suffering a number of financial woes, fueled in large part by unfunded pension liabilities, but neither Illinois nor any other state should expect a bailout from Uncle Sam, according to a resolution introduced into the senate last summer.

From Prairie State Wire

'Dirty tricks' alleged in 2016 primary were not illegal, Team Madigan claims in Speaker's defense

By Karen Kidd | 5 years ago

Even if Illinois state House Speaker Michael Madigan (D-Chicago) used "dirty tricks" to fend off 2016 primary challenger Jason Gonzales, the strategy allegedly employed was not illegal, according to a re​cent court filing.

Rep. Caulkins 'appalled' at Pritzker's signing of abortion expansion law

By Karen Kidd | Jul 12, 2019

A freshman Republican from the Illinois House's 101st District last month criticized Gov. J.B. Pritzker's decision sign legislation that greatly expanded abortion access in the state.

From West Central Reporter

Rep. Hammond renews call for fair maps, supports petition to end gerrymandering

By Karen Kidd | 5 years ago

A Republican Illinois House representative from the 93rd District earlier this week renewed her call for fair maps and pushed support for an independent map-drawing petition following a U.S. Supreme Court decision not to hear gerrymander cases.

From Prairie State Wire

Illinios education officials want half the state's budget, Wirepoints warns

By Karen Kidd | 5 years ago

Illinois education officials are out to get half of the state's budget—and they just might—to the detriment of the state's taxpayers, according to an online Wirepoints newsletter issued earlier today.

From Prairie State Wire

IPI: FBI's secret Madigan recordings in affidavit reveal nothing new about speaker's operations

By Karen Kidd | 5 years ago

Illinois's powerful House Speaker Michael Madigan (D-Chicago), earlier today revealed to be a target in the same FBI investigation that led to an extortion indictment against a Chicago alderman, is not accused of anything new, a think tank reported.

From Prairie State Wire

Legislature overrides some Rauner vetoes, fails on others

By Karen Kidd | 5 years ago

Illinois's outgoing Republican governor saw a few of his vetoes overridden during the Fall Veto Session in Springfield and a few new laws have been passed, a QUAD city area lawmaker said in a summary recap released last week.

From Prairie State Wire

State facing huge debt for public-sector retiree health benefits, says Wirepoints

By Karen Kidd | 5 years ago

Illinois's "other debt disaster" is $73 billion in unfunded state retiree health insurance benefits and more than twice that amount owed over the next four decades, according to a special report issued this week by an online news outlet.

From Prairie State Wire

FY19 Budget: 'Not one penny should be spent on pork,' Ives says

By Karen Kidd | 5 years ago

Illinois Rep. Jeanne Ives (R-Wheaton) believes state lawmakers need to reject political pork spending that was hidden in the budget passed earlier this year.

From Prairie State Wire

Pro-economic liberty group launches campaign against soaring Illinois property taxes

By Karen Kidd | 5 years ago

Supporting a proposal to cut Illinois property taxes in half and a slate of political candidates who would help make that happen is part of Liberty Principles PAC's recently announced "Save Your Home" campaign.

From Prairie State Wire

People in prime working age are fleeing Illinois, think tank reports

By Karen Kidd | 6 years ago

Not only is Illinois' overall population in deep decline, the number of people in prime working age also is going down in the state, a Chicago-based Conservative think tank said in a recent report.

From Prairie State Wire

Better Government Association says Obama didn't say fathers in the home is a solution to gun violence -- but he did

By Karen Kidd | 6 years ago

Sometimes the fact-checker needs a good fact-checking.

Illinois has too many governmental units, Warrensburg administrative clerk says

By Karen Kidd | Jan 9, 2018

There are too many governmental units in Illinois, Warrensburg Village Administrative Clerk Sherrie Brown recently told the Macon Reporter.

Decatur City Council's deficit budget vote leaves city weak and vulnerable, dissenting councilman Horn says

By Karen Kidd | Jan 5, 2018

Decatur has been left in a weak and vulnerable financial position following city council's split vote earlier this month to adopt a 2018 budget that runs a $3.2 million deficit, a city councilman said during a recent interview.

Decatur City Council not happy with deficit budget but tough decisions may lie ahead, McDaniel says

By Karen Kidd | Jan 5, 2018

Decatur City Council members are not happy about their recent approval of a 2018 budget that runs a $3.2 million deficit, but the general assembly's decision to strip local government of revenue left few options, a city councilman said during a recent interview.

Budget described as no solution to Illinois insolvency

By Karen Kidd | Jul 21, 2017

While state lawmakers ended a two-year budget impasse, the measures adopted by the Illinois Legislature will not fix the state's fiscal mess, an analyst who co-wrote a paper that places the state 49th in long-run solvency told the Sangamon Sun.

Economist says something's got to give: pensions or public schools

By Karen Kidd | Jul 2, 2017

Public sector employees and retirees could accept less than their constitutionally protected pensions if they understand it's them or public education, an economist said during an appearance on a recent Chicago-based radio show.

'Panicked' Democrats fear House downfall after approving school funding bill, radio host says

By Karen Kidd | Jun 23, 2017

Democratic state lawmakers showed their true colors in May when they demanded an investigation into an article about apparently doomed school funding reform legislation, a radio show co-host said recently.