Gun violence. Opioid addiction. Immigration turmoil. The wage gap between men and women. Secretive government hiring practices. The computer hacking of voter rolls. All of these difficult issues, some at the heart of full-blown national crises, were addressed in worthy bills approved this past spring by the Illinois Legislature. Now it’s Gov. Bruce Rauner’s turn. We urge the governor to sign these nine bills this summer to make Illinois a safer and fairer place to live. EDITORIAL Certifying Illinois gun dealers: A handful of “bad apple” gun shops whose lethal wares turn up at Chicago crime scenes by the hundreds operate with impunity in Illinois because federal oversight is scant. Requiring state certification of gun shops would empower Illinois to insist that the best practices be followed to keep firearms out of the hands of criminals. This bill is on its way to the governor. Firearm orders of protection: An obvious way to save lives is to allow family members … [Read more...] about EDITORIAL: Nine bills Gov. Rauner should sign to make Illinois safer and fairer
Illinois
Ex-inspector to review Illinois House amid harassment claims
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. -- A former state executive inspector general will investigate the Illinois House of Representatives after several sexual harassment scandals. House Speaker Michael Madigan announced Monday that he and eight women legislators selected Maggie Hickey to review House operations and procedures. The appointment follows sexual harassment complaints against two of the Madigan's top associates in the past month. Rep. Lou Lang stepped down as deputy majority leader and House Clerk Timothy Mapes resigned .The 53-year-old Hickey's contract with the House pays $500 per hour. Hickey was inspector general over the governor's office for 2 ½ years before joining a private Chicago law firm in March.Reps. Kelly Burke, Deb Conroy, Melissa Conyears-Ervin, Jehan Gordon-Booth, Lisa Hernandez, Camille Lilly, Theresa Mah and Ann Williams joined Madigan in selecting Hickey from among several candidates. … [Read more...] about Ex-inspector to review Illinois House amid harassment claims
‘Massive manhunt’ in Illinois for two ‘dangerous’ escaped inmates, including alleged murderer
close Video Manhunt for escaped inmates in Illinois One man was captured and two are still at large after using a pipe to smash through a brick wall. Authorities in southeast Illinois are on a massive manhunt for two “dangerous” inmates who busted through a hole in the wall using a pipe on Saturday morning. A third suspect, Justin Bray, who was charged with unlawful use of a weapon, was captured Saturday night nine miles north of the jail, and is now being held on $1 million bond, FOX 2 reported. Justin Bray, 28, was captured after escaping from White County Jail on Saturday, June 16, 2018. (White County Sheriff’s Office) The White County Sheriff’s Office said the two escaped men, Zachery Shock, 24, and Johnny Tipton, 61, were spotted Sunday night near the intersection of Illinois Route 1 and Illinois 141, about 20 miles from the jail. Shock was in jail for murder and aggravated battery with a firearm, and Tipton was being held on … [Read more...] about ‘Massive manhunt’ in Illinois for two ‘dangerous’ escaped inmates, including alleged murderer
Illinois to fund Medicaid preventative dental services
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. -- Illinois' Medicaid program will soon provide preventative dental care for almost half a million low-income residents. The expansion of dental coverage is estimated to cost the state an additional $8 million to $12 million annually, half of which the federal government will reimburse. Dental services include periodic exams and teeth cleanings that'll come with minimal out of pocket costs.Democratic Rep. Greg Harris of Chicago says the expansion is expected to create savings by avoiding or delaying costly restorative services for adults, such as fillings and extractions.Greg Johnson is executive director of the Illinois State Dental Society. He says many Medicaid patients have avoided getting preventative care because of fees.___Information from: The State Journal-Register, http://www.sj-r.com … [Read more...] about Illinois to fund Medicaid preventative dental services
Cleanup of massive central Illinois rock slide begins
PEORIA, Ill. -- A cleanup of a massive rock slide in central Illinois' Peoria County has begun. Excavation equipment rumbled last week along Kickapoo Creek Road to start removing boulders, earth and trees that have been blocking traffic between Harmon Highway and Bartonville. The county has seen rock slides before but officials say they have never seen anything like what happened on May 31 when a bluff gave way and sent rock, soil and trees tumbling from as high as 50 feet (about 15 meters) above the roadway.County Engineer Amy McLaren tells the (Peoria) Journal Star that the rock slide was bigger than anything county crews are equipped to handle so the project was bid out to a private excavating company. She says the cleanup is expected to wrap up this week.___Information from: Journal Star, http://pjstar.com … [Read more...] about Cleanup of massive central Illinois rock slide begins