Statehouse News | The Rock River Times

Governor signs law to toughen penalties for fraud and abuse of disability parking

Online Staff Report Legislation proposed by Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White (D) to crack down on fraud and abuse of
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July 23, 2012 | Also published in Happening Now> Statehouse News | Comments (0)

Illinois adds net of 800 jobs in June, state unemployment rate at 8.7 percent

Online Staff Report CHICAGO — Illinois added 4,700 private-sector jobs in June and the unemployment rate inched upward 0.1 to 8.7
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July 19, 2012 | Also published in Happening Now> Local News> Statehouse News | Comments (0)

June Illinois home sales up 18 percent, median prices in Winnebago County increase 15.1 percent

Online Staff Report SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — Home sales surged 18 percent over previous year levels, with data released July 19 by
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July 19, 2012 | Also published in Happening Now> Local News> Statehouse News | Comments (0)

$175 million settlement reached with Wells Fargo over discriminatory lending

Online Staff Report WASHINGTON, D.C. — Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan (D) and the U.S. Department of Justice announced July 12
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July 12, 2012 | Also published in Happening Now> Nation & World> Statehouse News | Comments (0)

Settlement reached with Chicago-based law firm that conducted consumer debt scam

Online Staff Report CHICAGO — Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan (D) and the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation announced
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July 9, 2012 | Also published in Happening Now> Statehouse News | 1 Comment

Quinn’s attempt to sell southern Illinois prison could compete with effort to open Thomson

Online Staff Report WASHINGTON, D.C. — Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn’s (D) offer last week to sell a state prison in southern
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July 3, 2012 | Also published in Happening Now> Nation & World> Statehouse News | Comments (0)

Illinois receives nearly $25 million from largest-ever health care fraud settlement

Online Staff Report CHICAGO — Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan (D) joined her state counterparts and the federal government July 2
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July 3, 2012 | Also published in Happening Now> Nation & World> Statehouse News | Comments (0)

Governor says state going forward with expanding Medicaid

By Andrew Thomason Illinois Statehouse News SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — The U.S. Supreme Court upheld the national health-care law June 28, but justices
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July 3, 2012 | Also published in News> Statehouse News | Comments (0)

Fourth of July fourth-deadliest holiday

Staff Report Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White is reminding drivers not to drink and drive and to wear their safety
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July 3, 2012 | Also published in News> Statehouse News | Comments (0)

Comptroller: ‘Obamacare’ could cost state as much as $2.4 billion over six years as more enroll in Medicaid

Online Staff Report CHICAGO — Illinois Comptroller Judy Baar Topinka (R) warned lawmakers June 28 that the Supreme Court’s ruling to
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June 28, 2012 | Also published in Happening Now> Statehouse News | Comments (0)

Comptroller updates state transparency website

Staff Report SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — Illinois Comptroller Judy Baar Topinka announced June 20 that she has added payment totals for state
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June 27, 2012 | Also published in News> Statehouse News | Comments (0)

Shapiro named acting U.S. attorney in Chicago

By Jayette Bolinski Illinois Statehouse News CHICAGO — A federal prosecutor with 40 years of experience was named interim U.S. attorney for
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June 26, 2012 | Also published in Happening Now> Statehouse News | Comments (0)

Cig tax to go up $1, cuts to be made to Medicaid beginning July 1

By Jayette Bolinski Illinois Statehouse News SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn (D) signed off on a cigarette tax hike and
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June 20, 2012 | Also published in Statehouse News | 1 Comment

Cig tax to go up $1, cuts to be made to Medicaid beginning July 1

By Jayette Bolinski Illinois Statehouse News SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn (D) signed off on a cigarette tax hike and
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June 15, 2012 | Also published in Happening Now> Statehouse News | Comments (0)

Bill to outlaw third-party phone charges goes to governor for approval

Online Staff Report SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan (D) applauded House and Senate lawmakers May 30 for supporting
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May 31, 2012 | Also published in Happening Now> Statehouse News | Comments (0)

State Legislature passes bill aimed at combating spread of synthetic drugs

Online Staff Report SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan (D) applauded state lawmakers May 30 for passing a bill
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May 31, 2012 | Also published in Happening Now> Statehouse News | Comments (0)

Illinois Attorney General supports bill to keep debtors from being sent to prison

Online Staff Report SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan (D) applauded state lawmakers May 30 for supporting the Debtors’
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May 31, 2012 | Also published in Happening Now> Statehouse News | Comments (0)

Judges left out of Illinois pension reform plan

By Andrew Thomason Illinois Statehouse News SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — Legislation intended to curb the rising cost of public pensions in Illinois would
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May 30, 2012 | Also published in Happening Now> Statehouse News | 3 Comments

State Senate looks to raid funds to pay old bills

By Andrew Thomason Illinois Statehouse News SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — To pay down overdue bills, Illinois Senate Democrats want to siphon cash from
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May 23, 2012 | Also published in News> Statehouse News | Comments (0)

Illinois Senate committee votes to send minimum-wage hike to the floor

By Jayette Bolinski Illinois Statehouse News SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — A plan to raise Illinois’ minimum wage to more than $10 per hour
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May 17, 2012 | Also published in Happening Now> Statehouse News | 1 Comment

FTC, states announce $45 million Skechers settlement

Online Staff Report CHICAGO — Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan (D) joined the Federal Trade Commission, 44 other states and the
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May 16, 2012 | Also published in Happening Now> Statehouse News | 1 Comment

Madigan, Equip for Equality join 16-year-old Fenwick student in lawsuit against IHSA

Online Staff Report CHICAGO — Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan, with Equip for Equality and a 16-year-old high school student from
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May 16, 2012 | Also published in Happening Now> Statehouse News | Comments (0)

Strip club bill offers two options for clubs to help restore funding to rape crisis centers

Online Staff Report SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — With bipartisan support and agreement from victim advocates and the adult entertainment industry, strip clubs
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May 16, 2012 | Also published in Happening Now> Statehouse News | 1 Comment

Priorities for Illinois women voters: Jobs and economy, not abortion

By Jayette Bolinski Illinois Statehouse News SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — As the country’s two main political parties continue to duke it out in
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May 15, 2012 | Also published in Happening Now> Statehouse News | Comments (0)

Home care workers, people with disabilities denounce governor’s proposed cuts to home care services

Online Staff Report This week in six cities across the state, people with disabilities, their family members, and home care workers
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May 10, 2012 | Also published in Happening Now> Local News> Statehouse News | Comments (0)

Illinois receives $20 million in landmark settlement with Abbott Labs for off-label marketing of Depakote

Online Staff Report CHICAGO — Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan (D) joined her federal counterparts, 44 other states and the District
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May 7, 2012 | Also published in Happening Now> Nation & World> Statehouse News | 2 Comments

May 14 deadline to provide input on state’s school district efficiency proposals

Online Staff Report SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — In advance of the May 14 deadline, Illinois Lt. Gov. Sheila Simon (D) is inviting
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May 7, 2012 | Also published in Happening Now> Statehouse News | Comments (0)

Child care workers decry threatened three-month delay in state payments, delay affects local YWCA

Editor’s note: May 2, Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn’s administration said it has begun to delay payments to more than 40,000
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May 4, 2012 | Also published in Happening Now> Local News> Statehouse News | Comments (0)

Illinois may make state retirees pay into health care

By Andrew Thomason Illinois Statehouse News SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — Illinois taxpayer-subsidized health care for state retirees could end with legislation moving through
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May 4, 2012 | Also published in Happening Now> Statehouse News | Comments (0)

State Treasurer supports keeping Tamms Correctional Center open

Online Staff Report SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — Illinois Treasurer Dan Rutherford said Tamms Correctional Center in southern Illinois should not close, as
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May 3, 2012 | Also published in Happening Now> Statehouse News | Comments (0)

Lt. Gov. testifies in support of College Choice Reports

Online Staff Report SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — Illinois Lt. Gov. Sheila Simon (D) submitted written testimony to the Senate Higher Education Committee
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May 3, 2012 | Also published in Statehouse News | Comments (0)

Bill would allow citizens to record police officers performing public duties in public places

Online Staff Report SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — State Rep. Elaine Nekritz, D-Des Plaines, has introduced a bill that would make it legal
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April 30, 2012 | Also published in Happening Now> Statehouse News | Comments (0)

Real Estate News: March home sales in Illinois best in four years

Staff Report SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — Illinois home sales posted the best March sales numbers in four years, and median prices snapped
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April 25, 2012 | Also published in Home & Garden> Real Estate News> Statehouse News | 1 Comment

Consult a lawyer at no cost on Ask a Lawyer Day April 28

Staff Report SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — Anyone in Illinois with a question about a legal matter can call and talk to a
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April 25, 2012 | Also published in Online Exclusives> Statehouse News | Comments (0)

Governor’s pension reforms lay out tough choices

By Andrew Thomason Illinois Statehouse News SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn’s (D) pension reforms give public employees two choices: get
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April 23, 2012 | Also published in Happening Now> Statehouse News | Comments (0)

Quinn calls for cuts, cig tax hike to tackle state Medicaid costs

By Andrew Thomason Illinois Statehouse News SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn (D) wants to deflate ballooning Medicaid costs with higher
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April 20, 2012 | Also published in Happening Now> Statehouse News | 1 Comment

CAFO clean water bill passes state senate Environment Committee

Online Staff Report SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — The Illinois Senate Environment Committee passed a bill Wednesday, April 18, that would end a
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April 20, 2012 | Also published in Happening Now> Statehouse News | 1 Comment

April 30 public hearing in Rockford to address draft school district consolidation recommendations

Online Staff Report Illinois Lt. Gov. Sheila Simon (D) will be in Rockford Monday, April 30, to host a public hearing
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April 19, 2012 | Also published in Happening Now> Local News> Statehouse News | Comments (0)

$20 million from national foreclosure settlement to assist Illinois homeowners hit by foreclosure crisis

Online Staff Report CHICAGO — Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan announced that $20 million in funding from the national foreclosure settlement
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April 18, 2012 | Also published in Happening Now> Statehouse News | Comments (0)

State Treasurer reports 99 percent success rate in recent unclaimed property auction

Online Staff Report SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — Illinois State Treasurer Dan Rutherford announced the results of the Illinois Treasurer’s Online Unclaimed Property
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April 13, 2012 | Also published in Happening Now> Statehouse News | 1 Comment

Sosnowski pushes bill to limit state gas taxes

Online Staff Report State Rep. Joe Sosnowski, R-Rockford/Belvidere, is pushing a new limit on Illinois’ gas taxes in an effort to
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April 12, 2012 | Also published in Happening Now> Statehouse News | Comments (0)

Attorney General: Book publishers, Apple conspired to overcharge consumers for e-book bestsellers

Online Staff Report CHICAGO — Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan joined 15 other states April 11 in a lawsuit against three
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April 11, 2012 | Also published in Happening Now> Statehouse News | Comments (0)

Audit dings Illinois State Police for FOID backlog, overtime pay

By Jayette Bolinski Illinois Statehouse News SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — Workers who process Firearm Owner’s Identification (FOID) card applications for theIllinois State Police
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April 11, 2012 | Also published in News> Statehouse News | 4 Comments

Gaps seen in Illinois gun owner screening process

By Andrew Thomason Illinois Statehouse News SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — The ranks of Illinois gun owners likely include people with severe mental health
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April 11, 2012 | Also published in News> Statehouse News | 1 Comment

Report: Illinois ranks high for early childhood education access for 3-year-olds, quality standards are high

Online Staff Report WASHINGTON, D.C. — Illinois ranks 15th in the nation for serving 4-year-olds with state-funded pre-K in 2011, rebounding
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April 10, 2012 | Also published in Happening Now> Statehouse News | Comments (0)

Gaps seen in Illinois gun owner screening process

By Andrew Thomason Illinois Statehouse News SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — The ranks of Illinois gun owners likely include people with severe mental health
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April 9, 2012 | Also published in Happening Now> Statehouse News | 1 Comment

Audit dings Illinois State Police for FOID backlog, overtime pay

By Jayette Bolinski Illinois Statehouse News SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — Workers who process Firearm Owner’s Identification (FOID) card applications for theIllinois State Police
[ more ]

April 9, 2012 | Also published in Happening Now> Statehouse News | 1 Comment

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