Illinoisans planning a balloon release will need to count carefully. State lawmakers voted to fine repeat offenders who wantonly release 50 or more balloons.
Both police reform advocates and law enforcement supporters face the same serious obstacle in Illinois: police union contracts include provisions protecting officers from discipline. Those contracts carry more weight than state law.
After paying $1 billion in red-light camera fees, Illinoisans deserve to know more about how the devices are being pushed with their local political leaders.
If the Illinois General Assembly wants to see true police reforms, it must first change the state law that gives police union contracts more power than public laws and regulations. Without that change, reforms become empty intentions.
“Stop, in the name of the Illinois General Assembly!”
Revenue projections estimate red-light cameras will generate 2.7 million $35 tickets in a full year, bringing in $95.5 million for the city.
Chicago’s mayor said speed cameras will enforce a lowered tolerance March 1 as a way to curb traffic fatalities. Critics see the $35 tickets as a money grab when residents are still reeling from the COVID-19 economic downturn.
The proposal comes a year after mayor pledged to provide relief to residents from regressive fees. She said the move is about safety, but Chicago is seeking cash.
State lawmakers across the country have struggled to square ballot secrecy with the advent of smartphones and social media.
Amid nationwide calls to defund the police, voters in DuPage County can make their voices heard by voting on two advisory referendums.
Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker again turned to criminal penalties to gain compliance with his coronavirus mandates. He is targeting business owners when customers and staff fail to wear masks.
A police union contract that protects deviant officers while muzzling those who wish to serve honorably is one set up to fail the public.
Independence Day turns many Illinoisans into scofflaws as they ignore rules banning most fireworks. The outdated laws mainly serve fireworks stands in border states.