$20M Illinois Tollway machines get parked after 4 years

By Dylan Sharkey

11/30/2021

Illinois Tollway’s automatic toll payment machines cost as much as they collected in four years, but are now permanently idled. Most were incapable of making change, so overcharged drivers nearly $500,000.

TAGS: Illinois Tollway

Naperville mayor: ‘It’s time to drop the mask mandate in Illinois’

By Patrick Andriesen

11/24/2021

The mayor of Illinois’ third-largest city, Naperville, said it is time for Illinois to drop its statewide indoor mask mandate. Illinois is the only state east of the Mississippi with an indoor mask mandate regardless of vaccination status.

TAGS: COVID-19, masks, Naperville, Steve Chirico

Crestwood mayor resigns, pleads guilty to red-light camera bribery

By Patrick Andriesen

11/19/2021

Crestwood Mayor Louis Presta pleaded guilty to bribery, lying to federal authorities and tax charges as part of a pay-to-play red-light camera scheme. The cameras took $1 billion from Illinois drivers in a decade.

TAGS: Illinois, Louis Presta, red light cameras

Illinois elections board gives state leader’s campaign a pass for $225K spent on cars

By Dylan Sharkey

11/16/2021

A former state lawmaker’s campaign committee was not aware it couldn’t spend $225,109 on personal vehicles, according to Illinois State Board of Elections members. That lawmaker now oversees public spending for the state.

TAGS: campaign finance, Frank Mautino, ISBE: Illinois State Board of Education

4.7 million Illinoisans had no choice for state representative

By Dylan Sharkey

11/16/2021

Democracy depends on giving voters choices, but in Illinois nearly half the seats in the state legislature are filled without giving voters more than one name. A choice of one is no choice.

TAGS: fair maps, gerrymandering, Illinois, redistricting

How to run for office in Illinois

11/15/2021

Every Illinoisan deserves a voice at the ballot box.

Amendment 1 could make it harder to root out corruption in Illinois

By Joe Tabor

11/08/2021

With additional protection in the Illinois Constitution, state employees and even public officials could be shielded from discipline and corruption reforms thwarted.

TAGS: Amendment 1, corruption, government unions, Illinois

Illinois only state east of Mississippi with statewide mask mandate

By Patrick Andriesen

11/05/2021

Gov. J.B. Pritzker teased Illinoisans in mid-October that he might lift the statewide mask mandate if new COVID-19 cases declined. But he recently pulled back on that hope, leaving Illinois as one of the few states with a statewide mask mandate.

TAGS: COVID-19, JB Pritzker, masks

Former Illinois House leader pleads guilty to bribery

By Dylan Sharkey

11/04/2021

A former Illinois House leader pleaded guilty to accepting bribes and then offering bribes to a state senator in an effort to push gambling legislation.

TAGS: bribery, ComEd, corruption, federal investigation, Luis Arroyo

Democrats pass gerrymandered congressional map No. 4

By Joe Tabor

10/29/2021

Illinois Democrats finally passed the fourth draft of their congressional district map after earlier versions prompted criticism from the Hispanic community and even fellow Democrats. A university gave several versions an “F.”

TAGS: congress, corruption, Democrats, elections, fair maps, gerrymandering, ILGA: Illinois General Assembly, Illinois, illinois House, JB Pritzker, legislative, maps