MADISON - ST. CLAIR RECORD

Although I have lived in the Metro East for twenty-five plus years, my heart will remain with my hometown of Pittsburgh and, as such, I will always remain a die-hard Steelers fan. They may never return to the glory days of the Steel Curtain but they might and that hope is what I hold onto. I am no fair weather fan either - I wear the black and gold with pride throughout the season.

The Chicago Teachers Union’s most recent federal report reveals just 17% of its spending in 2023 was on representing teachers, but it tripled its political spending from the previous year. Nearly 500 teachers left the union.

Few Illinois third-grade students can read at grade level. Even fewer low-income and minority students are at grade level in reading. Research shows this is a warning sign for Illinois students’ academic success and adult earning potential.

In its darkest hours, the American Revolution, America faced a single threat – the British Army – but today, the list of its mortal threats is long: an open border order, rampant crime, politicized schools, politicized justice, inflation, lost energy independence, biased and corrupt media, woke everything and suppression of free speech by social media colluding with the government.

Madison County Chairman Kurt Prenzler sent a letter to Gov. J.B. Pritzker regarding the migrant crisis

Data from the Mercatus Center shows Illinois faces a high regulatory burden at both the federal and state level. Research shows these regulations place a disproportionately high burden on the poor, helping to keep them in poverty.

Gov. JB Pritzker finally responded to criticism of his recently announced electric vehicle battery factory to be built in Manteno, Illinois by Gotion, which is closely tied to the Chinese Communist Party – the CCP.

Who do you trust? I’m not thinking of political leaders. I’m referring to people. Whether they go to church is as irrelevant as their political party. What matters is whether they put their beliefs above evidence. Do they put Tribe above Truth? If they are unwilling to look at evidence, then the answer is beware. We all choose what we believe. But if we’re unwilling to put evidence above ourselves, we can’t even trust ourselves. We’re all tempted to do it. You know who I am talking about because we are related to them. They are our friends and neighbors. They are nice people.

Juvenile violence is an ongoing concern in our community. All too often, my office prosecutes serious violent acts committed by juveniles including car thefts, shootings, and murders. Due to legally required confidentiality when minors are involved, and the uncertainty of terms of confinement in the juvenile system (these issues are explained below), some in the community may fear that violent juveniles are not being dealt with appropriately.

Contradictory metrics statewide point to poor accountability and grade promotion standards in Illinois. Low-income parents seeking alternatives are hamstrung as lawmakers weigh ending Illinois’ only school choice program.

After litigation delaying its implementation, the full provisions of Illinois’ SAFE-T Act went into effect on Sept. 18. Here’s what to expect.

HB 2862 threatens to undo decades of economic development in Madison County by amending the Day and Temporary Labor Services Act.

For Chicago and Illinois, suicide is apparently preferable to the only real solution available – ending sanctuary status and demanding that the border be enforced.

Public education has received about $1.98 billion in additional funding since the 2018-19 school year when the Invest in Kids scholarship tax-credit program awarded its first scholarships to low-income students to attend the schools of their choice.

An underused airport near Belleville, Illinois, has required local taxpayers to chip in $134.4 million since 2002 to keep it operating.

The decision to commit a crime in Chicago has never been easier. Criminals are almost guaranteed to profit because the chances of getting caught and punished have collapsed to near-zero.

Labor Day this year leaves Illinois government unions fewer members to celebrate with. It appears to be the unions’ own fault. Over 36,000 workers have distanced themselves since 2017.

Layer after layer is piling up of incoherent numbers about the cost to taxpayers of migrants arriving in Chicago. It’s no surprise that the city and the state have now asked for a federal bailout from migrant costs, but how much is needed?

The modern left’s assault on free speech is perhaps the most terrifying element of the madness we have succumbed to for the simple reason that democracy is meaningless without it. The assault has been largely successful. Voices that should be heard are muzzled and, more insidiously, countless other voices are frightened into silence.

Five Midwest states have enacted or expanded school choice programs since the Invest in Kids Act was enacted in 2017. Now Illinois’ scholarships are set to expire while other programs thrive.