Kankakee Times

From Prairie State Wire

U.S. Senate Resolution: No bailing out Illinois

By Karen Kidd | 5 years ago

The Land of Lincoln is suffering a number of financial woes, fueled in large part by unfunded pension liabilities, but neither Illinois nor any other state should expect a bailout from Uncle Sam, according to a resolution introduced into the senate last summer.

From Prairie State Wire

'Dirty tricks' alleged in 2016 primary were not illegal, Team Madigan claims in Speaker's defense

By Karen Kidd | 6 years ago

Even if Illinois state House Speaker Michael Madigan (D-Chicago) used "dirty tricks" to fend off 2016 primary challenger Jason Gonzales, the strategy allegedly employed was not illegal, according to a re​cent court filing.

From West Central Reporter

Rep. Hammond renews call for fair maps, supports petition to end gerrymandering

By Karen Kidd | 6 years ago

A Republican Illinois House representative from the 93rd District earlier this week renewed her call for fair maps and pushed support for an independent map-drawing petition following a U.S. Supreme Court decision not to hear gerrymander cases.

From Prairie State Wire

Illinios education officials want half the state's budget, Wirepoints warns

By Karen Kidd | 6 years ago

Illinois education officials are out to get half of the state's budget—and they just might—to the detriment of the state's taxpayers, according to an online Wirepoints newsletter issued earlier today.

From Prairie State Wire

IPI: FBI's secret Madigan recordings in affidavit reveal nothing new about speaker's operations

By Karen Kidd | 6 years ago

Illinois's powerful House Speaker Michael Madigan (D-Chicago), earlier today revealed to be a target in the same FBI investigation that led to an extortion indictment against a Chicago alderman, is not accused of anything new, a think tank reported.

From Prairie State Wire

Legislature overrides some Rauner vetoes, fails on others

By Karen Kidd | 6 years ago

Illinois's outgoing Republican governor saw a few of his vetoes overridden during the Fall Veto Session in Springfield and a few new laws have been passed, a QUAD city area lawmaker said in a summary recap released last week.

From Prairie State Wire

State facing huge debt for public-sector retiree health benefits, says Wirepoints

By Karen Kidd | 6 years ago

Illinois's "other debt disaster" is $73 billion in unfunded state retiree health insurance benefits and more than twice that amount owed over the next four decades, according to a special report issued this week by an online news outlet.

Eavesdropping case dropped against teenager doesn't end controversial law, IPI warns

By Karen Kidd | Nov 17, 2018

Prosecution this past summer under a Gov. Pat Quinn-era revised eavesdropping law that placed a teenage Manteno Middle School student at the center of an international media storm ended in dismissal this week.

From Prairie State Wire

FY19 Budget: 'Not one penny should be spent on pork,' Ives says

By Karen Kidd | 6 years ago

Illinois Rep. Jeanne Ives (R-Wheaton) believes state lawmakers need to reject political pork spending that was hidden in the budget passed earlier this year.

From Prairie State Wire

Pro-economic liberty group launches campaign against soaring Illinois property taxes

By Karen Kidd | 6 years ago

Supporting a proposal to cut Illinois property taxes in half and a slate of political candidates who would help make that happen is part of Liberty Principles PAC's recently announced "Save Your Home" campaign.

From Prairie State Wire

People in prime working age are fleeing Illinois, think tank reports

By Karen Kidd | 7 years ago

Not only is Illinois' overall population in deep decline, the number of people in prime working age also is going down in the state, a Chicago-based Conservative think tank said in a recent report.

Revamped eavesdropping law, described 'as bad as the old one', used to charge teen with felony

By Karen Kidd | Jun 24, 2018

A 13-year-old Manteno Middle School student is being made to suffer under a revamped version of an old eavesdropping law "nearly as bad as the old one" that was struck down by the state Supreme Court as unconstitutional more than four years ago, a Chicago-based think tank recently reported.

GOP State Central Committee candidate Pearson says he's running to help steer party to victory

By Karen Kidd | Apr 17, 2018

George Pearson, former Will County Republican Central Committee executive director, is running for Republican State Central committeeman in Illinois' 2nd Congressional District in Wednesday's election. Pearson agreed this week to a question-and-answer interview by email with the Kankakee Times.

From Prairie State Wire

Better Government Association says Obama didn't say fathers in the home is a solution to gun violence -- but he did

By Karen Kidd | 7 years ago

Sometimes the fact-checker needs a good fact-checking.

Momence alderman says he has 'mixed feelings' about reducing number of Illinois townships

By Karen Kidd | Nov 17, 2017

The number of township governments in Illinois probably should be reduced, a Momence alderman said, adding that his feelings are not too fixed on the topic.

Auditor has cautious good news on Kankakee County's fiscal health

By Karen Kidd | Nov 13, 2017

Kankakee County remains "in dire financial straits," County Auditor Jacob "Jake" Lee's said in his recently released third-quarter report, but he had some cautious good news as well and advised fiscal conservatism in the path ahead.

Kankakee County Board candidate celebrates death of rail project

By Karen Kidd | Nov 7, 2017

Kankakee County's fight against the Great Lakes Basin Transportation (GLBT) rail project, which Rep. Lindsay Parkhurst (R-Kankakee) had called a "boondoggle in the making," is officially over following its rejection by the U.S. Surface Transportation Board (STB), County Board candidate Colton Ekhoff said on his Facebook page.

'O' my! Two Olivet Nazarene grads earn school's top honor

By Karen Kidd | Nov 6, 2017

Two Olivet Nazarene University (ONU) alumni have received the 'O' award, the university's highest honor given to alumni.

Kankakee County thinks outside the box to wrap up Amazon headquarters

By Karen Kidd | Nov 6, 2017

It might be a long shot, but Kankakee County has everything it takes to land Amazon's coveted second headquarters, board member Ron Kinzinger told the Kankakee Times.

Budget described as no solution to Illinois insolvency

By Karen Kidd | Jul 21, 2017

While state lawmakers ended a two-year budget impasse, the measures adopted by the Illinois Legislature will not fix the state's fiscal mess, an analyst who co-wrote a paper that places the state 49th in long-run solvency told the Sangamon Sun.