As the spring legislative session nears its end, I want to take a moment to look back on one of the scariest times of the year with the hope that one of you might recognize something and help bring a deranged person to justice.
If you listen closely to what Democratic state Representatives Sam Yingling and Jonathan Carroll are saying in public about their opposition to Governor JB Pritzker's graduated-income-tax proposal, they appear to believe that Pritzker's proposed tax rates aren't high enough.
The Chicago Police Department reported last week that the number of people murdered in the city fell 10 percent during the first four months of 2019 compared to last year during the same period.
While that's good news and part of a two-year downward trend, lost in much of the coverage was a worrisome murder spike in the month of April.
There's probably never a good time for a news story about how a source claims you, your wife, and your brother-in-law are under federal investigation. But when that report is aired just days before what is likely the most consequential five weeks of your entire governorship, that's definitely not an opportune moment.
From the looks of things, the fine print of Governor JB Pritzker's most important legislative priorities should start becoming public not long after state legislators return from spring break on Tuesday April 30.
Senator Melinda Bush (D-Grayslake) spent more than a year holding hearings and overseeing negotiations which eventually produced SB1829 – a massive omnibus bill on sexual harassment.
Freshman Representative Terra Costa Howard (D-Glen Ellyn) was reportedly none too pleased when Think Big Illinois began running TV ads in her district.
About a year ago, I attended a hearing of the Illinois House Judiciary – Criminal Law Committee and watched the Democratic majority vote down one Republican-sponsored criminal-penalty-enhancement bill after another.
