Get the latest news from around Illinois.
Wirepoints: Sellouts, Handouts and Bailouts: The Illinois General Assembly is Out of Control
It’s hard to overstate how bad the Illinois General Assembly has become.
Let’s look at just three sets of bills this session that have gotten so far along, have so much support and are so crazy that you truly should be frightened.
Associated Press: Illinois receives $16M to fight opioid addiction crisis
Illinois is receiving more than $16 million in federal money to help fight a prescription drug addiction crisis.
Sens. Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth announced the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services grants. The money will go toward prevention, treatment and recovery services.
Peoria Journal-Star: Let the show resume
Psst. Don’t tell anyone, but the General Assembly is returning to Springfield this week.
Didn’t notice they were gone? That’s understandable, since lawmakers weren’t doing a whole lot of memorable stuff before they took off for a two-week spring break.
Peoria Journal-Star: Next year’s governor’s race likely to be most expensive ever
Not only is next year’s Illinois gubernatorial election already crowded on the Democratic side, it also might be the most expensive governor’s race in American history, some experts are predicting.
According to the Illinois Campaign for Political Reform, Illinois is No. 1 in the nation for most candidates who have officially filed their candidacy and started fundraising. It’s also No. 1 for dollars raised, nearly doubling the next-closest state.
Northwest Herald: McHenry County municipalities work to fill vacant spaces to increase tax base, provide for residents
For more than a decade, the former Pauly Toyota building has sat vacant at 5501 Route 14 in Crystal Lake.
Next to it sits the former LeWalt Glass Co. building, which also has been vacant for about a decade, said Jack Minero, a real estate agent with Berkshire Hathaway. The entire 3.2-acre site is on the market for about $2.8 million, he said.
Rockford Register-Star: Hard work ahead for our elected leaders
It’s been a great few weeks for Rockford, no?
The voters elected a skilled young politician, Tom McNamara, to be the city’s next mayor. He’ll be joined at City Hall by a number of fresh faces on the City Council.
Bloomington Pantagraph: With labor's help, Renner outspends Lower 2-1
Mayor Tari Renner outspent his challenger, Alderman Kevin Lower, by a 2-1 margin to win re-election April 4, and much of his cash came from local and state labor unions.
Renner spent $34,293 as of March 31, the last date for which figures are available, while Lower spent $16,733, according to their December 2016 and March 2017 quarterly campaign disclosure reports filed last week with the Illinois State Board of Elections.
News-Gazette: County's budget projections don't look good
They may be making progress on one financial headache — disposing of the money-losing Champaign County Nursing Home — but another one is coming up for Champaign County Board members.
The budget for the entire county government is in trouble.
Quincy Herald-Whig: The great gamble: Now in its fifth year, video gaming still has supporters, opponents
The two video gaming machines in a corner of the White Horse Tavern seem to always be busy.
There usually is at least one person playing on a machine in the bar at 1639 Locust. Surrounded by walls festooned with Green Bay Packers memorabilia, patrons sitting at the bar are serenaded by sounds from the machines.
Quincy Herald-Whig: Council to consider Quincy budget
Monday could be a relatively quiet meeting for the Quincy City Council as aldermen are set to approve the city’s annual budget.
This is quite different than the last two years where discussions were focused along public safety spending.
Decatur Herald & Review: Decatur gas tax: Is your street's repair on the to-do list?
Drive down East Main Street, and you’ll see signs of a neighborhood filled with life.
Neighbors chat with each other on porches. Kids play in trimmed yards. Though there are a few boarded-up properties — a common occurrence in Decatur’s aging inner-city neighborhoods — they are the exceptions on a street where pride of ownership appears evident in many houses.