Greg Bishop discusses Gov. J.B. Pritzker ending taxpayer subsidies for the health care of non-citizen adults while keeping the subsidies for non-citizen seniors and the warning from Republicans about the loss of federal funds if such policies continue.
Jun 18, 2025•39 min•Ep. 541
(The Center Square) – Although former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan was expected to pay a $2.5 million fine quickly, his time in prison won’t begin until at least October. Judge John Robert Blakey ordered Madigan to immediately pay the $2.5 million, which was the maximum statutory fine the judge was allowed to impose. Madigan’s 90-month prison sentence is scheduled to start at 2 p.m. on Oct. 13. The ex-speaker’s defense attorneys suggested in court last Friday they would file a motion t...
Jun 17, 2025•59 min•Ep. 540
(The Center Square) – In defending the state’s migrant sanctuary policies, Gov. J.B. Pritzker says he’d rather be arrested than to have Illinois residents arrested improperly. Joining the governors of New York and Minnesota Thursday in front of the U.S. House Oversight Committee, U.S. Rep. Maxwell Frost, D-Florida, asked the three governors for their response to threats of being arrested for allegedly impeding federal immigration enforcement with migrant sanctuary policies. New York Gov. Kathy H...
Jun 14, 2025•24 min•Ep. 538
Greg Bishop provides highlights from Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker's testimony about migrant sanctuary policies to the U.S. House Oversight Committee.
Jun 13, 2025•40 min•Ep. 539
Greg Bishop reviews the ongoing debate over immigration enforcement amid civil unrest. Gov. J.B. Pritzker is set to testify about migrant sanctuary policies and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson prepare for immigration enforcement and expected protests.
Jun 12, 2025•28 min•Ep. 537
Greg Bishop shares some of a conversation he had with Illinois State Rifle Association's Richard Pearson about the status of the gun ban challenge in the appeals court. Support this podcast: https://secure.anedot.com/franklin-news-foundation/ce052532-b1e4-41c4-945c-d7ce2f52c38a?source_code=xxxxxx
Jun 11, 2025•36 min•Ep. 536
Greg Bishop reviews the latest filings in the Seventh Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals in the case challenging Illinois' gun laws. Follow the links to the separate briefs: Barnette: https://www.thecentersquare.com/tncms/asset/editorial/a871ecda-f114-4df5-a5ba-b141b14bef1d/ Langley: https://www.thecentersquare.com/tncms/asset/editorial/1c475803-2d23-4675-ad8d-b81b99c4c868/ Harrel: https://www.thecentersquare.com/tncms/asset/editorial/9cd718ad-87f6-435f-b7d7-e998f95f801e/ FFL IL: https://www.thecente...
Jun 10, 2025•44 min•Ep. 535
Greg Bishop talks live with Dr. Pamela Denise Long who is running for the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate to fill the seat being vacated by Illinois U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Springfield. Long discusses the latest in the debate around immigration enforcement and use of the National Guard in California, Illinois' migrant sanctuary status and President Donald Trump's "big, beautiful bill." Support this podcast: https://secure.anedot.com/franklin-news-foundation/ce052532-b1e4-41c4-945c-d7ce2f5...
Jun 09, 2025•43 min•Ep. 534
(The Center Square) – Several Republican state legislators say they will be irreparably harmed if a court doesn’t stop the state from enacting the recently approved Illinois state budget. They filed a lawsuit in Sangamon County Circuit Court laying out how the final language of the 3,300 page budget bill was filed with just 30 hours before the legislature was set to adjourn. The legislators argue they needed between 70 to 119 hours. State Sen. Andrew Chesney explains the Three Readings Rule is b...
Jun 06, 2025•24 min•Ep. 533
Greg Bishop goes a little deeper into the tax and spend plan the Illinois Legislature approved for Gov. J.B. Pritzker's signature. Support this podcast: https://secure.anedot.com/franklin-news-foundation/ce052532-b1e4-41c4-945c-d7ce2f52c38a?source_code=xxxxxx
Jun 05, 2025•29 min•Ep. 532
Greg Bishop talks with Andrew Gordon, an attorney and Certified Public Accountant, who just launched Main Street Crypto PAC, a new federal political action committee. The two discuss digital currency regulations and the future of investing in crypto.
Jun 04, 2025•30 min•Ep. 531
Greg Bishop looks at the aftermath of the U.S. Supreme Court deciding to deny taking up the challenge to Maryland's gun ban, leaving open the door to a challenge to Cook County and Illinois' gun ban. This as Illinois legislators pass more measures impacting gun owners. Support this podcast: https://secure.anedot.com/franklin-news-foundation/ce052532-b1e4-41c4-945c-d7ce2f52c38a?source_code=xxxxxx...
Jun 03, 2025•37 min•Ep. 530
Greg Bishop provides a roundup of the long weekend at the Illinois Statehouse where the General Assembly approved the largest spending plan in state history with $1 billion more in tax revenue collections. Support this podcast: https://secure.anedot.com/franklin-news-foundation/ce052532-b1e4-41c4-945c-d7ce2f52c38a?source_code=xxxxxx
Jun 02, 2025•42 min•Ep. 529
Greg Bishop reviews some shell bill action happening at the Illinois Statehouse in the final days with an empty budget bill passed to the House by the Senate and a measure about food safety being gutted and replaced in the House to advance "medical aid in dying" legislation.
May 30, 2025•48 min•Ep. 528
(The Center Square) – Illinois taxpayers still don’t know how much of their money will be spent by the state of Illinois next fiscal year or whether they’ll be charged higher taxes to pay for it. Saturday is the deadline for legislators to approve the annual spending plan that begins July 1. Wednesday, Gov. J.B. Pritzker explained what he would veto if it’s included. “I've been opposed to any taxes. They're broad based, or that would affect working families in this budget,” Pritzker told reporte...
May 30, 2025•24 min•Ep. 527
Greg Bishop airs some of the floor debate from the Illinois House approving the "safe gun storage" measure, the final step before the bill can be sent to the governor's desk.
May 29, 2025•37 min•Ep. 526
Greg Bishop reviews stories impacting firearms owners with the passage of a "safe gun storage" bill out of the Illinois House Gun Violence Prevention Committee and and upcoming appeals court oral argument in the case challenging Illinois' ban on carrying concealed on mass transit.
May 28, 2025•31 min•Ep. 525
Greg Bishop reviews some of the back and forth on where the Illinois legislature is with the annual spending plan with just a handful of days left before scheduled adjournment.
May 27, 2025•29 min•Ep. 524
When legislators return to the Illinois State Capitol Tuesday, they’ll have just 11 days before the deadline to pass an annual plan on how to spend taxpayers’ money. Gov. J.B. Pritzker proposed his budget of nearly $55 billion in February. If approved, that’d be the most expensive spending plan in state history. Despite revenue projections coming in lower than anticipated, Pritzker said last week they already plan a tight budget. “I’m just saying, you know, we’ll get there,” Pritzker said at an ...
May 24, 2025•24 min•Ep. 522
Greg Bishop shares some of the reaction from Illinois legislators to the passage by the U.S. House of President Donald Trump's "big, beautiful" bill and how it will impact taxpayer subsidies for non-citizen health care subsidies and the state and local tax deduction for high tax states like Illinois. Support this podcast: https://secure.anedot.com/franklin-news-foundation/ce052532-b1e4-41c4-945c-d7ce2f52c38a?source_code=xxxxxx...
May 23, 2025•25 min•Ep. 523
Greg Bishop reviews the latest debate from the Illinois House around the issue of transgender students competing in the sport opposite of the gender they were born.
May 22, 2025•30 min•Ep. 521
Greg Bishop discusses several bills the Illinois House approved to be sent to Gov. J.B. Pritzker in the final days of legislation session, including changes to the Illinois Prisoner Review Board and protections for a crucial drinking water aquifer.
May 21, 2025•29 min•Ep. 520
(The Center Square) – When legislators return to the Illinois State Capitol Tuesday, they’ll have just 11 days before the deadline to pass an annual plan on how to spend taxpayers’ money. Gov. J.B. Pritzker proposed his budget of nearly $55 billion in February. If approved, that’d be the most expensive spending plan in state history. Despite revenue projections coming in lower than anticipated, Pritzker said last week they already plan a tight budget. “I’m just saying, you know, we’ll get there,...
May 20, 2025•32 min•Ep. 519
(The Center Square) – Illinois Republicans say there is more than $1 billion of Illinois taxpayer funds going to non-government organizations with little oversight and accountability. Among the spending some members of the Illinois House Republicans highlighted was more than $14 million going to the Indo American Center. State Rep. Brad Halbrook, R-Shelbyville, said that’s just a drop in the bucket. “Today, we’re turning our attention to a staggering amount of taxpayer money, over $1 billion tha...
May 17, 2025•24 min•Ep. 517
Greg Bishop talks live with state Rep. Jed Davis about his budget proposal and the process of getting a state spending plan across the finish line. Support this podcast: https://secure.anedot.com/franklin-news-foundation/ce052532-b1e4-41c4-945c-d7ce2f52c38a?source_code=xxxxxx
May 16, 2025•35 min•Ep. 518
Greg Bishop talks live with former state Rep. Jeanne Ives about her efforts to highlight a billion Illinois tax dollars being sent to non-government organizations.
May 15, 2025•43 min•Ep. 516
Greg Bishop shares concerns raised by members of the Illinois House Republican caucus about more than $1 billion going to non-government organizations. Support this podcast: https://secure.anedot.com/franklin-news-foundation/ce052532-b1e4-41c4-945c-d7ce2f52c38a?source_code=xxxxxx
May 14, 2025•29 min•Ep. 515
Greg Bishop reviews the latest filing in the challenge against Illinois' gun and magazine ban in the federal appeals court. Support this podcast: https://secure.anedot.com/franklin-news-foundation/ce052532-b1e4-41c4-945c-d7ce2f52c38a?source_code=xxxxxx
May 13, 2025•29 min•Ep. 514
Greg Bishop reviews some of the happenings out of the Illinois Statehouse late last week, including a discussion about the smell of raw cannabis being grounds for a vehicle search and pushback against more proposed tax increases. Support this podcast: https://secure.anedot.com/franklin-news-foundation/ce052532-b1e4-41c4-945c-d7ce2f52c38a?source_code=xxxxxx
May 12, 2025•39 min•Ep. 513
(The Center Square) – A visit to Springfield Wednesday by U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem is sparking debate over Illinois’ migrant sanctuary policies. Noem flew into Springfield’s airport and then went to a Springfield DHS processing center to talk with federal agents and two non-citizens being processed. The motorcade then stopped in a residential area of Springfield near downtown, where she stood with family of Illinoisans who lost lives allegedly at the hands of il...
May 10, 2025•24 min•Ep. 512