Springfield News
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NOV 03, 2017
Cook County Democratic Party officials gather around Sen. Kwame Raoul (D-Chicago) after announcing their endorsement of him for Illinois Attorney General. Credit: Mike Fourcher.
Eight candidates trooped through the crowded conference room in downtown Chicago. Then the Cook County Democratic Party decided after two hours of speeches and about fifteen minutes of deliberation to endorse State Sen. Kwame Raoul for Illinois Attorney General. While candidates often trot out their resumes and tout their policy plans at slating meetings, the endorsements are usually as much about relationships than they are about qualifications.
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NOV 03, 2017
A bipartisan Medicaid funding bill that keeps many of Illinois’ safety net and rural access hospitals open will be likely delayed until January, say members of a legislative panel tasked with crafting the legislation. The legislation, while free of partisan rancor, will likely lead to major changes in Illinois’ hospital system, possibly even hospital closures.
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NOV 01, 2017
After a House panel heard testimony from victims of alleged sexual harassment by lawmakers, House Speaker Michael Madigan (D-Chicago) committed to throwing his weight behind the search for a new Legislative Inspector General and equipping the office with the necessary authority to conduct independent investigations into lawmaker ethics breaches.
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OCT 30, 2017
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OCT 30, 2017
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OCT 27, 2017
UNLOCKEDWith reports of sexual assault and harassment accumulating against lawmakers in the Capitol, the only office with the statutory authority to launch an investigation into the matter is the Illinois Legislative Inspector General. And that office has been empty since June 20, 2013.
In response to the mounting allegations, House Speaker Mike Madigan filed a bill which would require the august body to undergo a yearly “training program” reminding them not to sexually harass their colleagues and staff. Afterward, “proof of completion must be submitted to the applicable ethics officer” by each legislator. -
While the House spent ninety minutes addressing minor bills and resolutions, observers were left to wonder, “If this is what they’re addressing, why is the House meeting at all?” But the a promise was made after Wednesday’s session, when Rep. Marty Moylan (D-Des Plaines) told The Daily Line that he would bring up his bump stock ban measure, HB4117, as soon as legislative counsel could draw up improved language on trigger locks.
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The House convened at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday and stayed in session for five and half hours, plowing through a stack of veto overrides. While Democrats obtained overrides for 12 of the 14 items up for consideration, two of Gov. Rauner’s most politically important vetoes managed to stand. Three other bills were considered and passed as part of regular business, but as veto sessions go, the items were relatively popular with little opposition.
