Illinois’ comeback story starts here.
“Without the Invest in Kids Act, these kids couldn’t afford school here and we couldn’t afford the extra scholarships. So, this has helped in so many ways.” “There are more kids getting the exposure to the education their parents desire. Also, it has benefited all our kids, not just the ones who received scholarships.” “A...
Steven Blake was homeless for years until another man showed him how selling fruit in downtown Chicago could rebuild his life. Now Blake employs other homeless people who are working their ways off the streets. “I do not hire people who already ‘have.’ I want to train the ones and teach the ones to be...
“I’m preparing to retire now. I own newspapers. I’ve spent about 57 years in media. I started with the Centralia Sentinel, which was a daily local newspaper. I spent seven or eight years with the Sentinel and learned a lot from the past ownership.” “I was one of the first females to walk into the...
“I am a mom of five boys. We raised another boy, my husband was a football coach, so we have an extra. So four bio and one that came along in 7th grade. So a boy family. I’m a chiropractor.” “Probably a couple of years ago, I was just running my business and I had...
“If you’re living in this district, this city, this state or this country, you have rights and responsibilities. This responsibility is not just for you, but your kids and your grandkids, your brothers and sisters and all families. That’s why I decided to run. “I wasn’t expecting to win, but at least I helped other...
"[Amendment 1] essentially codifies into the constitution rights for unions that go far beyond what citizens have as rights. And I just think that’s inappropriate because the constitution was established for the citizens."
“Amendment 1 will only make our taxes worse and it will further solidify the pension clause into the constitution so we can't do anything about it. And we will be barred from getting our budget under control.”
"The teachers union already has far too much say and power regarding what goes on in our schools. We've gone so far past the original idea or purpose of a union."
Tell us how a state or local policy affects your life. If we decide to feature your story, one of our writers will reach out to you directly.