Not guilty pleas were entered Wednesday by former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan and co-defendant Michael McClain. Madigan, 79, faces 22 counts of corruption, including bribery, fraud and racketeering charges in connection to an investigation into utility giant ComEd and its attempts to gain favor with the former speaker in exchange for favorable legislation. Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/illinois-in-focus/support...
Mar 11, 2022•1 hr•Ep. 181
Prosecutors indicted former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan on 22 counts of corruption Tuesday. U.S. Attorney John R. Lausch Jr. announced the charges Tuesday afternoon, connecting Madigan to the nearly decade-long bribery scheme utility Commonwealth Edison admitted to in the summer of 2020. The indictment alleges the “Madigan Enterprise” engaged in interstate commerce and constituted an “ongoing organization whose members functioned as a continuing unit for the common purpose of achievin...
Mar 04, 2022•39 min•Ep. 180
According to the Fourth District Court of Appeals, Pritzker’s emergency rules for schools to require masks, exclude “close contacts,” and require vaccine or testing for staff, aren't in effect after being blocked by a bipartisan legislative panel last week. Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/illinois-in-focus/support
Feb 25, 2022•33 min•Ep. 179
The temporary restraining order blocking Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s COVID-19 mask and exclusion policies in schools remains in place as the Fourth District Court of Appeals dismissed the governor’s appeal as moot.1 Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/illinois-in-focus/support
Feb 18, 2022•56 min•Ep. 178
Masks mandates for most indoor activities in Illinois will be lifted Feb. 28. Gov. J.B. Pritzker is keeping his mandate for masks in schools in place, despite a judge ruling the policy null and void. Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/illinois-in-focus/support
Feb 11, 2022•50 min•Ep. 177
The governor’s proposed budget seeks to spend nearly $4 billion more in the coming fiscal year than he proposed the year before. He laid out his priorities Wednesday at the Old State Capitol in Springfield. Senate President Don Harmon, D-Oak Park, said he’s not accustomed to hearing good news in a budget speech. Senate Minority Leader Dan McConchie, R-Hawthorn Woods, said the governor and Democrats looking to stabilize state finances is good, but more needs to be done to reverse continued outbou...
Feb 04, 2022•49 min•Ep. 176
Candidates for Illinois governor are making law and order a focal point in this election year. Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/illinois-in-focus/support
Jan 28, 2022•53 min•Ep. 174
The field for Illinois Republicans seeking their party’s gubernatorial nomination just grew. The amount of money in this election cycle is also expected to grow. Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker Friday gave his reelection campaign $90 million. IllinoisSunshine.org compiles campaign finance reports and shows the billionaire Democratic incumbent has more than $114 million on hand. That far exceeds any of the Republican candidates. Aurora Mayor Richard Irvin announced his bid Monday. He picked state R...
Jan 21, 2022•53 min•Ep. 174
Lawmakers were scheduled to be in this week, but canceled. They also canceled two of three scheduled days last week, marking eight of nine days scheduled this year that have been canceled. Some speculate they won't return until March. Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/illinois-in-focus/support
Jan 14, 2022•51 min•Ep. 174
Despite having known for months the office of the Legislative Inspector General would be vacant, Illinois state lawmakers failed to advance a replacement when they were in session this week. Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/illinois-in-focus/support
Jan 07, 2022•52 min•Ep. 172
In this episode, the team from The Center Square bring you to the top stories from Illinois for 2021 and take a look at what's to come in the year ahead. Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/illinois-in-focus/support
Dec 30, 2021•24 min•Ep. 170
According to the latest figures from the U.S. Census Bureau, from July 2020 to July 2021, there were 113,776 fewer people in Illinois. Only the District of Columbia and New York had a greater percent decline in population. Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/illinois-in-focus/support
Dec 23, 2021•44 min•Ep. 170
Pritzker was asked Tuesday about a possible sunset date for the statewide mandate, but the governor declined. The governors of New York and California have set end dates to their mask mandates. Pritzker said Illinoisans will continue to follow the science. "I just want to encourage everyone to keep doing the right thing, we are in Illinois and we are going to keep doing it. Following the science, I might add." Pritzker said. Pritzker said masks help keep people safe amid an increase in cases and...
Dec 17, 2021•51 min•Ep. 169
About 90 teachers and school staff are suing their school districts and Gov. J.B. Pritzker's administration over COVID-19 mandates such as vaccines, testing and masks. The lawsuit poised for Sangamon County Circuit Court comes from attorney Thomas DeVore, who has challenged Pritzker's orders around the state. It seeks judgments against requiring vaccines, masks, testing or exclusion policies without orders of quarantine. The 90 plaintiffs are looking for action against 22 different school distri...
Dec 10, 2021•59 min•Ep. 168
An analysis by the University of Illinois Extension looked at demographic trends and revealed the number of people aged 25 to 39 in Illinois decreased, one of the few states in the country to see a decline. Illinois also lost population in the 40 to 59 age group. Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/illinois-in-focus/support
Dec 03, 2021•41 min•Ep. 167
Some drivers can expect to pay more for Thanksgiving travel. Others hitting the road in electric vehicles may have to plan on where to charge up. Last year, Illinois gas prices outside of Chicago ranged from $2.20 to $2.31 a gallon. This week, gas prices range from $3.46 to $3.51 a gallon. Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/illinois-in-focus/support
Nov 25, 2021•48 min•Ep. 166
Illinois is one of six states in the U.S. that still has a statewide mask mandate and is the only state east of the Mississippi that still has such a requirement. Gov. J.B. Pritzker implemented an executive order to re-introduce a statewide indoor mask mandate on Aug. 30, to help slow the spread of COVID-19 amid an increase of cases from the delta variant. Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/illinois-in-focus/support...
Nov 19, 2021•1 hr•Ep. 165
Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed changes to the Health Care Right of Conscience Act he said will allow for COVID-19 mandates to be enforced at the workplace. Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/illinois-in-focus/support
Nov 12, 2021•59 min•Ep. 164
Large employers in Illinois, and across the country, now have Jan. 4 to have employees comply with President Joe Biden’s vaccine mandate and the Illinois Chamber of Commerce is bracing for the fallout. Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/illinois-in-focus/support
Nov 05, 2021•50 min•Ep. 163
Changes are coming to a state law prohibiting discrimination against people for conscientiously objecting to medical procedures in the name of enforcing COVID-19 mandates, but the changes won't go into effect until July 1, 2022. Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/illinois-in-focus/support
Oct 29, 2021•54 min•Ep. 162
The weeks’ top stories about court action on maps and masks and the fallout from vaccine mandates. Plus, we’ll get commentary from The Center Square Publisher Chris Krug and Executive Editor Dan McCaleb about those issues and more Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/illinois-in-focus/support
Oct 22, 2021•51 min•Ep. 160
Gov. J.B. Pritzker has been working to change the Health Care Right of Conscience Act, which some have invoked in the fight against COVID-19 vaccine mandates. The 1998 Health Right of Conscience Act bans discrimination because of such persons' refusal to receive or participate in any way in any particular form of healthcare services contrary to his or her conscience. Some have said the law allows people to avoid getting the COVID-19 vaccine and evade Pritzker's executive order mandating vaccinat...
Oct 15, 2021•34 min•Ep. 160
Gov. J.B. Pritzker had an indoor mask mandate in place for more than a year until he let the order expire in May. He then re-instituted a mask mandate in July for all indoor gatherings. On Monday, he couldn’t say what the benchmark would be to lift the mandate. Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/illinois-in-focus/support
Oct 08, 2021•47 min•Ep. 159
Truth In Accounting (TIA) evaluates state governments for how much debt states have versus how much they bring in. For Illinois the amount owed per taxpayer went from about $30,000 in 2009 to $57,000 in the most recent report which released Tuesday. Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/illinois-in-focus/support
Oct 01, 2021•34 min•Ep. 159
YouTube removed videos of an Illinois school board's meetings because of public comments challenging COVID-19 policies, a problem one state lawmaker wants to fix with a bill that he said would reduce social media censorship. Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/illinois-in-focus/support
Sep 24, 2021•48 min•Ep. 159
Three children in Effingham County can’t be forced to wear masks without an official quarantine order from the county health department, a judge ruled Wednesday. Later in the day, a different judge enjoined an entire school district from requiring masks without a court order. The attorney who brought the cases anticipates more such cases across the state. Earlier this month, attorney Thomas DeVore won several cases on behalf of parents of school kids being kept from in-person learning because of...
Sep 17, 2021•54 min•Ep. 156
A state lawmaker says residents are demanding clear goalposts to aim for to relax COVID-19 mitigations such as mask mandates. Nearing 20 months into the COVID-19 pandemic, executive orders from Gov. J.B. Pritzker on a variety of things – ranging from economic restrictions to masks in schools – have gone unchecked by the Democrat-controlled General Assembly. Republican state Rep. Mark Batinick, R-Plainfield, said that has to change. Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/il...
Sep 10, 2021•46 min•Ep. 155
Illinois Republicans want Gov. J.B. Pritzker to veto the legislative maps Democrats passed this week. Maps drafted in May were passed by majority Democrats at the statehouse. Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/illinois-in-focus/support
Sep 03, 2021•37 min•Ep. 154
Pritzker mandates vaccines and masks indoors, state lawmakers prepare to revise maps and more Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/illinois-in-focus/support
Aug 27, 2021•52 min•Ep. 152
A school board member's medical license threatened over mask stance with sustained objections to the state's mask mandate in schools. There are also challenges to the state and federal eviction moratorium. And, the Illinois State Fair is ongoing. Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/illinois-in-focus/support
Aug 20, 2021•54 min•Ep. 151
