McLean County Times

From Prairie State Wire

State spending 36 percent of money allocated for education on pension costs

By Colin Froment | 5 years ago

Illinois Policy recently released a new study detailing how pension costs are negatively impacting budgets throughout the state’s school districts.

Rep. Caulkins calls $96 million MidAmerica Airport construction project 'outrageous'

By Colin Froment | Aug 9, 2019

Rep. Dan Caulkins (R-Macon) spoke with WAND TV about Illinois spending $96 million in gas taxes to finance MidAmerica Airport’s construction project of building a rail line between the airport and Mascoutah.

Sen. Brady: 'Let the people choose their own representatives'

By Colin Froment | Aug 2, 2019

Sen. Bill Brady (R-Bloomington) released a statement on his website demanding that “people choose their own representatives” and rebel against the current gerrymandering policy in Illinois.

Sen. Barickman: People should pick their politicians, not politicians picking their voters

By Colin Froment | Jul 19, 2019

With the U.S. Supreme Court deciding June 27 that courts will no longer hold any responsibility in drawing legislative and Congressional maps that grant special benefits to the primary political party, Sen. Jason Barickman (R-Bloomington) is encouraging the public to support SJRCA4, a bipartisan measure to let Illinois voters make decisions on how to draw maps in a non-partisan system.

From Prairie State Wire

Former Democratic senators demand higher salaries for Illinois legislators in lawsuit

By Colin Froment | 5 years ago

Former Illinois Sens. Michael Noland (D-Elgin) and James Clayborne (D-East St. Louis) filed a lawsuit against the state which, if successful, will increase state lawmakers’ salaries to more than $81,000 by 2020 to rank Illinois' legislative salaries as the nation’s fourth-highest.