An oft-repeated $1.1 billion demand from Chicago’s mayor would actually wind up costing state taxpayers $5.5 billion. And Governor JB Pritzker is turning a big thumbs down.

A little-noticed bill passed both the Illinois House and Senate that will generate $300 to $400 million a year for local governments, including $95-127 million for the Regional Transportation Authority. The bill (SB3362) will help capture sales tax revenue from more out of state retailers and in-state retailers who ship to Illinoisans in out-of-state locations.

Who Serves Who This Independence Day?

Nothing supplants our U.S. Constitution – no legislation, no executive order, no judicial ruling, unless we Americans permit such violations.

 Summit Carbon Solutions’ proposed pipeline route. (Main image courtesy Summit Carbon Solutions; sea

The Iowa Utilities Board gave its approval Tuesday June 25, 2024 for the controversial Summit Carbon Solutions pipeline and for the company to use eminent domain to acquire landowners’ property.

The company hopes to begin construction next year with the goal of making the pipeline operational in 2026. The pipeline, which would be the largest of its kind anywhere in the world, would carry liquified carbon dioxide from ethanol plants in Iowa and surrounding states to a site in North Dakota, where the company hopes for reconsideration and approval of a previously denied permit.

Julian Assange Pleads Guilty to Practicing Journalism

A global effort by advocates, campaigners, journalists, organizers, and supporters of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange pushed President Joe Biden’s administration to finally free Assange.

June 17.2024.Hartsuch.v.Iowa.Boards.of.Medicine+Pharmacy.24-0226_ARBT_531915

Two cases are before the Iowa Supreme Court this week – one involving killing babies and the other killing germs.

During the last couple weeks of the spring state legislative session, Senate President Don Harmon got whacked twice by allies, including Governor JB Pritzker, but still managed to keep his cool.

As you’ve probably heard by now, Illinois Republican Party Chair Don Tracy announced his resignation last week, apparently effective the day after the Republican National Convention concludes on July 18.

“What was supposed to be a simple storage warehouse for the Metra transit agency has now buried the nation's fourth-busiest commuter rail system in a sinking money pit, the ABC7 I-Team has learned.” The Chicago broadcast station’s scoop last week is an almost perfect encapsulation of why northeastern Illinois’ mass-transit fiefdoms need to be busted and reformed.

A state law essentially designed to prevent Republicans from appointing legislative candidates to the ballot after the March primary was ruled unconstitutional by a Sangamon County judge last week, but her ruling only applied to the fourteen Republican plaintiffs in the case who are running for the Illinois House and Senate.

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