News Local/State
Illinois Economy Likely Stable In Near Future
A University of Illinois economist said he thinks the state’s economy will likely remain healthy for at least the next year and a half.
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News Local/State
Unions Petition To Reverse Pension Cap
When school districts outside of Chicago negotiate contracts, they do so with the assurance that the state will pick up the tab on pensions. To control growing pension costs, lawmakers capped salary bumps at 6 percent in 2005. This year, the cap tightened to 3 percent. Illinois' teachers unions have collected more than 15,000 signatures on petitions urging state lawmakers to reverse that measure.
News Local/State
Criminal Record Relief Available Through Expungement and Record Sealing Summit
For anyone who’s ever been arrested, charged, or convicted of a crime, that criminal record can make it hard to find a job. Many people are eligible for criminal record relief that would either destroy or seal their record from public view. But the process of applying can be complicated and expensive.
News Local/State
Going Where The People Are For Comments On Long-Range Plan
It’s time to update Champaign-Urbana long-range transportation plan. And the Champaign County Regional Planning Commission is sending its planners out to local festivals and concerts to gather input.
News Local/State
Illinois Democrats Push Back On Trump Immigration Hard Line
Democrats who control the Illinois General Assembly pushed back last spring against Republican President Donald Trump's hardline stance on immigration, aiming to protect Illinois residents regardless of their residency status and, in some cases, firing off direct repudiation of the nation's top executive. Here's a look at policies Illinois lawmakers approved in their spring session, all of which await action by Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner.
News Local/State
In Champaign, Hundreds Turn Out To Protest Trump’s Immigration Policies
Amid sweltering heat with index values of well over 100 degrees, hundreds of demonstrators turned out to protest the separation of children and parents at the U.S-Mexico border. The demonstration was one of more than 700 planned across the country on Saturday.
News Local/State
As Shootings Rise, Champaign-Urbana Leaders Grapple With Gun Violence
The group gathered at the Douglass branch of the Champaign Public Library for a special meeting of the Champaign Community Coalition. It was an opportunity, said facilitator Tracy Parsons, to brainstorm why shootings are on the rise, and what the community can do to curb the violence.
News Local/State
Davis Says House To Focus On Family Separation Fix
Congressman Rodney Davis says the U.S. House will now focus on legislation to keep immigrant families together at the border. That’s after a broader effort to overhaul immigration policy failed this week, and divided Republicans in congress.
News Local/State
Rallies In Illinois Urge ‘Families Belong Together’
Rallies across the country, including in Illinois, will take place Saturday, as attendees call for the reunification of families separated at the US-Mexico border.
News Local/State
Children Separated From Parents At Border Face Daunting Challenges
An advocate for children separated from their families under the Trump administration’s zero-tolerance immigration policy says a lack of infrastructure and formal protocols make it hard to reunite families — despite an executive order from President Trump halting the practice.
