Springfield News

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    House Speaker Chris Welch (D-Hillside) has named a new budget director after Endra Curry departed after less than a year on the job. And polling by a group supporting consolidation of public transportation agencies released a poll showing support for the proposal.  

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    Rep. Nabeela Syed (D-Palatine), left, and Ela Township Trustee Tosi Ufodike, right.  

    Rep. Nabeela Syed’s (D-Palatine) election in 2022 came under a bright spotlight as she became the youngest Democrat elected to Springfield at 23 years old. With one term under belt, Syed is looking to further establish herself as part of the northwest suburbs’ political future.  

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    Former House Speaker Mike Madigan leaves federal court in Chicago on Monday after opening arguments in his corruption trial. [Ben Szalinski/The Daily Line] 

    “This is a case about corruption at the highest level. Defendant Michael J. Madigan was the most powerful politician in the state of Illinois.” 

    Those were the opening words of Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Streicker to a 12-person jury at the start of former Speaker Mike Madigan’s and lobbyist Mike McClain’s criminal trial for bribery, extortion and fraud charges. Prosecutors allege following a years-long investigation that Madigan and McClain sought to benefit themselves in exchange for supporting initiatives pursued by ComEd and other key players.  

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    AFSCME Council 31 members who work for the Illinois Department of Corrections protest in Lincoln on Thursday. [Ben Szalinski/The Daily Line] 

    Members of the AFSCME Council 31 who work for the Illinois Department of Corrections (IDOC) held statewide pickets at or near Illinois prisons on Thursday to draw attention to safety concerns at their workplace, specifically increasing exposures to drugs.

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    Illinois Capitol 

    Fall quarterly financial reports continued to confirm an ongoing trend in Illinois politics: despite Republicans’ best efforts, Democrats have virtually unlimited resources thanks to a multi-million-dollar cash advantage.  

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    From left to right, Deputy Gov. Andy Manar, Rep. Steve Reick (R-Woodstock), Rep. Stephanie Kifowit (D-Oswego) and Sen. Robert Martwick (D-Chicago) speak at an event with the Better Government Association on Tuesday. [Blue Room Stream] 

    Conversations have continued for more than a year in Springfield about possible pension reform, including making necessary reforms to the Tier 2 pension system. Lawmakers say they are well aware of the problem and the growing urgency to address it, when that happens remains to be seen.  

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    U.S. Rep. Eric Sorensen (D-Moline) reported a strong fundraising lead in the race for the 17th House District. And a new campaign finance report shows how much money former Speaker Mike Madigan has available as his trial begins.

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    Leaders of downstate public transportation agencies speak to the Senate Transportation Committee in Springfield on Tuesday. [Ben Szalinski/The Daily Line]  

    The Senate wrapped up months of hearings on Tuesday that dug into challenges facing public transportation systems in Illinois with a deadline coming next year to address a 2026 fiscal cliff for the agencies’ budgets.

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    Former Rep. LaToya Greenwood (D-East St. Louis), left, and Rep. Kevin Schmidt (R-Millstadt), right. [Illinois House of Representatives] 

    Heads turned when Republicans managed to overthrow a member of the House Democratic leadership team in 2022 when former Rep. LaToya Greenwood (D-East St. Louis) was ousted by now-Rep. Kevin Schmidt (R-Millstadt). 

    Though the boundaries of the 114th House District in the Metro East area were new, voters had reliably supported Democratic candidates in previous election cycles. That changed in 2022 as voters saw their House districts change and rewarded Schmidt, a chiropractor, with a term in Springfield.  

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    Gov. JB Pritzker speaks at an event in Tokyo last week. [Office of the Governor] 

    Gov. JB Pritzker and 49 others wrapped up a state economic mission to Japan on Thursday, returning home with 110 new jobs at a north suburban manufacturing facility and hopes for more Japanese investments in Illinois.