Illinois Archives - The Ohio Star

Students Demand Catholic University ‘Eliminate’ Christian Group from Campus Due to Its ‘Discriminatory’ LGBTQ Views

March 9, 2023March 8, 2023 Ohio Star Staff

Students at DePaul University, a private Catholic university in Illinois, are circulating a petition demanding the elimination of a Christian group after it posted a Q&A on its now-deleted Instagram page denouncing LGBTQ lifestyles, student newspaper The DePaulia reported.

Signees called on DePaul University officials to ban the group “from meeting on campus and promoting discrimination against members of the LGBTQIA+ community,” according to the petition titled “Eliminate Vessel.” Vessel is not an official student organization on campus and appears to have deleted their Instagram page soon after sharing that they are a “non-affirming” group and “do not agree that the LGBTQIA+ lifestyle is supported by biblical text. Below are verses which support this,” according to a screenshot obtained by the DePaulia.

Eighteen State AGs Voicing Support for New York Gun-Industry Liability Law

January 23, 2023 The Center Square

A coalition of 18 state attorneys general, all Democrats, on Wednesday submitted an amicus brief in support of New York’s firearms industry accountability law.

The Country’s Biggest School Districts Are Explicitly Hiding Kids’ Gender Transitions from Parents

January 16, 2023January 15, 2023 Admin

The nation’s largest school districts are implementing policies that require educators to keep students’ gender transitions a secret from their parents.

Los Angeles Unified School District, Chicago Public Schools and New York Public Schools are promoting practices and policies that hide a student’s transgender status from their parents. The policies have become a cultural flashpoint amid a battle over the role parents should play in their child’s education, and the extent to which gender ideology has infiltrated K-12 classrooms.

Chicago School Audit Finds Nearly 500 Sexual Complaints Filed in 2022

January 9, 2023January 8, 2023 Just the News

Chicago school officials this week revealed that the school system recorded nearly 500 sexual complaints over the last year, with investigators stressing their inability to respond to a majority of all complaints they receive.

The Chicago Board of Education Office of Inspector General said in its 2022 annual report that it received 470 “sexual allegation” complaints over the course of FY2022.

Blue States Worry They Can’t Pay Out Retirement Benefits

January 1, 2023December 31, 2022 Ohio Star Staff

Three high-profile Democratic governors are struggling to stabilize their states’ retirement programs due to a falling stock market and may have difficulties paying out benefits in the coming years, according to Politico.

Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom, Democratic Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker and Democratic New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy, all of whom are considered potential candidates for the 2024 presidential race, have poured billions of dollars into their states’ pension funds, according to Politico. They may struggle to maintain their public images if they’re forced to raise taxes or make budget cuts to keep pension payments flowing.

Commentary: Republicans Can Thank the Federal Government’s Bungled 2020 Census for Their Razor-Thin House Majority

December 19, 2022December 18, 2022 Admin

Republicans will soon take control of the House of Representatives, but with a margin so narrow it may prove difficult to achieve their legislative and oversight objectives. That margin might have been larger, were it not for egregious errors made by the U.S. Census Bureau in the 2020 census.

Come January, House membership will consist of 213 Democrats and 222 Republicans. A party must hold 218 of those seats to control the House. Thus, Republicans will have only a four-seat majority. That extremely narrow majority means that GOP leadership can lose any vote on any issue if only four Republicans defect and the Democrats stay united in opposition.

Google Agrees to Nearly $400 Million Settlement with 40 States over Location-Tracking Probe

November 15, 2022November 14, 2022 Just the News

Google agreed to a $391.5 million settlement with 40 states after an investigation found that the tech giant participated in questionable location-tracking practices, state attorneys general announced Monday.

Connecticut Attorney General William Tong called it a “historic win for consumers.”

Commentary: ESG Cancel Culture Comes for State Financial Officers

October 11, 2022October 10, 2022 RealClearWire

As the leader of a nonprofit group whose mission is to promote economic freedom, sound public policy, and responsible financial management at the state level, I’m honored to help our nation’s financial officers practice good stewardship of taxpayer dollars. Their work often includes managing pension funds that are vital to millions of Americans’ retirement security. Over the past few years, a growing threat called ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance) has been negatively impacting state pension systems, ultimately putting retirees at risk. Sadly, our nation’s state financial officers and the retirees they have a fiduciary responsibility to protect are increasingly under siege by ESG ideologues who are motivated by politics rather than economics.

Seven Midwest States Enter Hydrogen Coalition

September 21, 2022September 20, 2022 The Center Square

Seven Midwest states entered a coalition to pursue clean hydrogen development as an alternative to gas and diesel fuel.

The governors of Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, and Wisconsin signed onto the Midwest Hydrogen Coalition. The coalition will accelerate clean hydrogen development, from production and supply chain to distribution in agriculture, manufacturing, transportation, and other industries.

Counties in Ohio, Tennessee, Arizona, Pennsylvania, Minnesota and More Flooded with Requests for 2020 Election Records as Mandatory Preservation Window Expires

September 12, 2022September 11, 2022 Just the News

With the recent expiration of the federally mandated 2-year window for preservation of 2020 presidential election records, counties across the country have been inundated with public records requests from Americans concerned about election integrity.

During his “Moment of Truth Summit” last month spotlighting 2020 presidential election irregularities, MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell exhorted “every single person in the country” to ask for cast vote records from the election from their local county clerk’s office. His website links to the Ordros Analytics, Inc., website, which provides templates of public records requests for cast vote records.

30 Months into the COVID-19 Pandemic, at Least a Dozen States Are Under ‘Emergency’ Orders

August 23, 2022August 22, 2022 Admin

In October 2020, the Michigan Supreme Court stripped Gov. Gretchen Whitmer of the unilateral powers she was using when she declared a state of emergency due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Whitmer had been using a 1945 law – which was prompted by a three-day race riot in Detroit three years earlier – that had no sunset provision in it and didn’t require approval by the state legislature.

In May 2021, Whitmer told a news agency that if she still had that 1945 state-of-emergency law, she would use those powers, but not for anything related to a pandemic.

Vast Majority of Illinois School Districts Have Opted Out of Radical Sex Ed Standards

August 17, 2022August 16, 2022 Susan Berry, PhD

The grassroots website Awake-Illinois is reporting that only 23 of 860 school districts in the state have decided to adopt radical sex education standards, based on a national model, while 536 districts have thus far opted out.

Governor J.B. Pritzker (D-IL) signed SB 818 into law in August 2021, with his office claiming the standards are “voluntary” and will “emphasize health, safety, and inclusivity with age-appropriate resources.”

At Least Six Dead, 26 Taken to Hospital in Shooting in Chicago-Area Fourth of July Parade

July 4, 2022July 4, 2022 Admin

A gunman opened fire at a Fourth of July parade in Monday in a Chicago suburb, killing at least five people and wounding several others.

The suspect remains at large, and police are reportedly patrolling the area.

Caterpillar Announces Relocation of Global Headquarters from Illinois to Texas

June 16, 2022June 15, 2022 Susan Berry, PhD

Construction and mining equipment giant Caterpillar Inc. announced Tuesday it will move its global headquarters from its current location in Deerfield, Illinois, to the company’s existing office in Irving, Texas.

“We believe it’s in the best strategic interest of the company to make this move, which supports Caterpillar’s strategy for profitable growth as we help our customers build a better, more sustainable world,” said Chairman and CEO Jim Umpleby in a press release.

Democrats’ Dreams Turn to Dust as Adjudicated Redistricting Maps Set the Stage for Large Republican Gains in 2022

May 10, 2022May 9, 2022 Ohio Star Staff

The Democratic Party’s hopes of gaining seats from redistricting have been crushed as court decisions and an increasingly aggressive GOP produced more Republican-friendly maps.

Democrats were initially optimistic that they could mitigate projected midterm losses in the House when it appeared they were poised to score wins in the redistricting process. However, the party’s hopes have been dashed after key losses in major states erased their redistricting advantage.

Radical Illinois School District Curriculum Will Teach Children as Young as 4 Years Old About Ending ‘Gender Binary’ System Created by White ‘Colonizers’

April 30, 2022April 29, 2022 Susan Berry, PhD

The Evanston-Skokie School District 65 will teach children as young as four years of age to celebrate the transgender flag, to try on different pronouns, and that the “gender binary” created by white “colonizers,” based on male and female sex, must be broken.

Education researcher Chris Rufo obtained the curriculum documents, which he published at City Journal last week.

Two Democrat Incumbents Face Off in Primary, Making IL-6 a Race to Watch

March 24, 2022March 23, 2022 Aaron Gulbransen

Two Democrat incumbent members of the U.S. House are running against each other in a primary for Illinois’ 6th Congressional district, leaving an opening for a possible Republican pickup in November.

Representatives Sean Casten and Marie Newman are set to face off in the June 28 Democrat primary.

Records Show Republican Esther Joy King Has Towering Financial Advantage in Open Seat for Illinois’ 17th Congressional District

March 23, 2022March 22, 2022 Aaron Gulbransen

FEC records show that Republican Esther Joy King has a towering financial advantage over the entire field for Illinois’ Seventeenth Congressional district.

Democrat incumbent U.S. Representative Cheri Bustos has announced her retirement, making IL-17 an open seat race.

Five Attorneys Prepare to Represent Madigan in Wide-Reaching Corruption, Racketeering Case

March 7, 2022March 7, 2022 The Center Square

Taxpayers could face a costly and lengthy path to justice as federal prosecutors work to convict one of the state’s most powerful politicians on corruption charges.

Prosecutors alleged in a 22-count indictment last week that former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan, D-Chicago, used his elected office and political operations as part of a years-long criminal enterprise for personal gain. In addition to the criminal charges, the indictment also seeks the forfeiture of $2.8 million in alleged illegal profits from Madigan and his confidante, former state lawmaker and ComEd lobbyist Michael McClain. If convicted of the most serious charge, Madigan could face up to 20 years in prison.

Prosecutors Indict Former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan on 22 Counts of Corruption

March 4, 2022March 3, 2022 The Center Square

Prosecutors indicted former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan on 22 counts of corruption Tuesday.

U.S. Attorney John R. Lausch Jr. announced the charges Tuesday afternoon, connecting Madigan to the nearly decade-long bribery scheme utility Commonwealth Edison admitted to in the summer of 2020.

University Diversity Training Uses Same Redacted Slur It Punished Professor for Putting in Exam

February 1, 2022January 31, 2022 Ohio Star Staff

A public university forced a law professor to take “sensitivity training” that used the very “expurgated slur” he was punished for including in a law exam question, according to a First Amendment lawsuit seeking $100,000 in damages.

The University of Illinois Chicago allegedly violated its agreement with Jason Kilborn not to require such training after the Rev. Jesse Jackson joined black student protests demanding his firing last fall.

Kilborn’s employment discrimination question of 10 years, which the lawsuit claims prompted “one or two” complaints for the first time in 2020, referred to a hypothetical plaintiff whose managers “expressed their anger” at her by “calling her a ‘n___’ and ‘b___’ [sic].”

Suspended Professor Who Was Forced to Take Diversity Training Sues University

February 1, 2022January 31, 2022 Ohio Star Staff

A professor who was targeted and suspended after using censored language in a test question to make an example of employment discrimination just filed a First Amendment lawsuit against the University of Illinois Chicago (UIC).

The controversy began in 2020 when Jason Kilborn, a law professor at UIC, posed a hypothetical question in an exam surrounding illegal discrimination in the workplace. The question referenced anti-black and anti-women slurs, but were not fully spelled out. Instead, they were simply displayed by their first letters, “n” and “b.”

Despite keeping the words censored, a petition was launched against Kilborn condemning him for the contents in question. A short time after, UIC suspended Kilborn and announced he would be forced to take a five-week diversity training course in order to return to teaching.

Chicago Schools Tells Teachers Sex Is ‘Socially Constructed,’ Tells Them to Hide Students’ Gender Pronouns From Parents

January 31, 2022 Admin

A Chicago Public Schools (CPS) training program tells teachers that sex is a “socially constructed” phenomenon and instructs them to hide students’ gender pronouns from their parents, Fox News reported.

CPS told teachers that “gender and sex” are social constructs that have been “created and enforced” by society and threatened retaliatory measures if they didn’t use students’ preferred pronouns during a required teacher training program, Fox News reported.

A 104-slide PowerPoint titled “Supporting Transgender, Nonbinary, and Gender Nonconforming Students” asserted that “everyone has multiple, overlapping identities” and that “gender & sex are socially constructed, meaning they’ve been created and enforced by the people in a society,” Fox News reported.

‘1619 Project’ Author Nikole Hannah-Jones Brags About Tricking Audience into Thinking MLK Quotes Were Her Words

January 25, 2022January 24, 2022 Ohio Star Staff

The Union League Club of Chicago, a highly selective private civic and social club in the windy city, invited Nikole Hannah-Jones to give a keynote speech in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

Jones, a professor at Howard University, is notable for having authored the New York Times’ 1619 Project, a long-form journalistic work that falsely argues America’s true foundation is in the institution of slavery.

Prior to Jones’ speech, a series of emails were leaked in which club members voiced their opposition to hosting Jones at their club. In one email Brian Daley, a Public Affairs Committee member for the club, pointed out that Jones’ 1619 Project had been criticized by historians and that the New York Times issued a “humiliating update” following widespread criticism of her work, according to reporting by Chicago City Wire.

Chicago Public Schools Forced to Cancel School After Teachers Union Votes to Move to Remote Learning

January 6, 2022 Admin

The Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) voted Tuesday to move to remote learning Wednesday, citing concerns over safety amid the rise in COVID-19 cases, the union said in a press release.

The CTU’s elected House of Delegates voted in favor (88%) of a resolution to return to remote education amid the surge of COVID-19 cases and the rise of the Omicron coronavirus variant, citing a lack of safety guarantees, a union press release said. In the membership-wide vote, 73% of CTU’s members voted in favor of virtual learning, passing the two-thirds threshold required to enact the resolution.

The resolution outlines plans to work remotely until Jan. 18 or until the current COVID-19 wave falls below last year’s threshold for school closures, according to the resolution.

Over Half of U.S. States Will Increase Their Minimum Wage in 2022

December 30, 2021 Admin

Over half of the states in the U.S. will institute a minimum wage increase in 2022, according to a report.

A total of 26 states will raise the minimum wage in 2022, with 22 of the states starting the pay hikes on Jan. 1, accordingto payroll experts at Wolters Kluwer Legal & Regulatory U.S.

“These minimum wage increases indicate moves toward ensuring a living wage for people across the country,” Deirdre Kennedy, senior payroll analyst at Wolters Kluwer, said in the report. “In addition to previously approved incremental increases, the change in presidential administration earlier this year and the ongoing coronavirus pandemic have also contributed to these changes.”

University Spent $80,000 on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Training for STEM Faculty

December 14, 2021December 13, 2021 Ohio Star Staff

A recent FOIA request filed by Campus Reform revealed that the University of Illinois, Chicago (UIC) spent $80,000 on a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion training created by the Kardia Group, LLC. The agreement was signed in 2018 and included two series of meetings and workshops for the Fall 2018 and Spring 2019 semesters.

The Kardia Group was founded in 2004 and describes themselves as a “leading strategic partner in the transformation of the culture, functionality, and success of the academic endeavor.” Its website lists resources and services ranging from Diversity, Equity and Inclusion to “transformational change for groups.”

Illinois School Board Association Ends Membership with National School Boards Association over Parent-Threat Letter

November 22, 2021November 21, 2021 Ohio Star Staff

The Illinois Association of School Boards voted Thursday to end its membership with the National School Boards Association after the national group sent a letter to President Joe Biden asking for federal intervention to investigate unruly parents who protest at local meetings.

“The decision follows previous attempts by IASB to initiate changes to the governance structure, transparency, and financial oversight of the national association,” a news release from IASB says. “IASB suspended payment of dues to NSBA for 2021-2022 but continued to work to try to bring about needed changes.”

Nurses in Illinois Win Temporary Restraining Order Against Vaccine Mandate

October 26, 2021October 25, 2021 Ohio Star Staff

An Illinois judge granted a temporary restraining order to nurses who sued Riverside Healthcare over the hospital system’s vaccine mandate.

Kankakee County Judge Nancy Nicholson granted a temporary restraining order until Nov. 19. She will then hold a hearing on a motion for a preliminary injunction requested by the nurses.

Indiana Officials Invite Illinois Police Officers to Move There

October 25, 2021 Admin

With the promise of no vaccine mandate and lower property taxes, Indiana officials are trying to lure jilted police officers from Illinois.

Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot announced a vaccine mandate for police in August. They must show their vaccination status or take the option of testing on their own time and dime. If they don’t, they can be placed on “no pay” status.

Indiana Republican Sen. Mike Braun tweeted that his office is ready to help connect police officers to an Indiana department that is hiring now.

Illinois Democrats Seek to Maximize Their Party’s Seats, Axe Republicans in New Proposed Congressional Map

October 19, 2021October 18, 2021 Ohio Star Staff

Democrats in Illinois’ state legislature Friday released a new map that would shore up all of their party’s incumbents in Congress and likely eliminate two of the state’s five Republicans.

The proposal would give Democrats a 14-3 advantage in the state, compared to the current 13-5 map. Illinois is one of several states losing a congressional seat this upcoming decade, and the new map, if adopted, would shore up Democrats in Chicago and its surrounding suburbs and create a winding Democratic seat that stretches from East St. Louis up through the middle of the state.

That district includes much of what is now held by Republican Rep. Rodney Davis, and includes Springfield, the state’s capital, Decatur and Champaign, home to the University of Illinois. The new map also shores up Rep. Cheri Bustos’ northern Illinois seat by having it encompass Bloomington, home to Illinois State University.

Data Shows Increased Homicides in Six Major Cities Across the Country

June 25, 2021June 24, 2021 Ohio Star Staff

The number of homicides in six major cities across the country has increased compared to last year, disproportionately affecting black people, according to crime data.

Black people have represented a massive share of murder victims in six major cities through the first six months of 2021 compared to last year, which itself saw a large crime surge, according to data analyzed by the Daily Caller News Foundation. The DCNF analyzed both police department data and homicide reports compiled by local news outlets to determine how black people have been victimized in the wake of the 2020 crime spike.

“We are seeing an uptick in violent crime across the country, specifically gun violence,” Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava told The New York Times earlier this month.

Census Bureau Announces Ohio Will Lose a Congressional Seat as Florida and Texas Each Gain

April 27, 2021April 26, 2021 Ohio Star Staff

Texas and Florida are slated to gain congressional seats during the decennial redistricting process, while California and New York are set to each lose one, the U.S. Census Bureau announced Monday.

The U.S. Census Bureau released the decennial state population and congressional apportionment totals Monday, outlining how many districts each state will have for the next decade. The data also determines how many Electoral College votes each state will have through 2032, and allocates how federal money is distributed to each state for schools, roads and other public projects.

The release was originally scheduled for December, but faced delays due to the coronavirus pandemic and the Trump administration’s unsuccessful effort to exclude non-citizens from the count.

High School Students Moving Out of Illinois So They Can Play Sports

September 14, 2020September 13, 2020 Jason M. Reynolds

Illinois high school student athletes and their parents who are tired of COVID-19 delays in sports are taking matters into their own hands — some are protesting, while others are moving out of state to play elsewhere.

Student athletes, coaches and students’ parents rallied in the dozens in McCook on Sunday to demand fall sports to resume, ABC 7 reported. Only golf, cross country, girls’ tennis and girls’ swimming and diving are playing for now.

In New Jersey, Rep. Van Drew’s Democrat Challenger – Wife of Patrick Kennedy – Raises Money to Bail out Rapists and Defendants Charged with Terrorism, Kidnapping, Murder

August 17, 2020 Neil W. McCabe

The leftwing Democrat running against Rep. Jefferson H. “Jeff” Van Drew (R.-N.J.) has put her money where her mouth is , and is raising money to bail out rapists and at least one defendant facing terror terrorism charges at the same time she is challenging the one-time Democrat, who switched parties after voting against impeaching President Donald Trump.

Soft-on-Crime Prosecutors Across America with Soros Ties Refuse to Charge and Try Criminal Behavior

August 12, 2020August 11, 2020 Ohio Star Staff

Left-wing prosecutors have implemented soft-on-crime approaches to criminal justice across America, in some instances making it a matter of policy in major cities not to prosecute specific crimes, a Daily Caller News Foundation review found.

A common, though not universal, feature of prominent left-wing district attorneys is the backing of political organizations funded by left-wing billionaire George Soros. The New York Times has credited Soros with pioneering the “push to overhaul prosecutors’ offices” across the country.

Chicago Police Report 14 Injured After Shooting Outside Chicago Funeral Home

July 22, 2020November 9, 2020 The Associated Press

Fourteen people were injured, one person was in custody and additional suspects were being sought after gunfire erupted outside a funeral home on Chicago’s South Side where at least one squad car was present, police officials said Tuesday.

Sheriffs Across the Country Are Refusing to Enforce Unconstitutional Stay at Home Orders

May 18, 2020May 17, 2020 Anthony Gockowski

Dozens of sheriffs across the country are refusing to enforce stay-at-home orders because of their unconstitutional nature.

World Health Organization: Abortion Is ‘Essential’ During Coronavirus Pandemic

April 6, 2020April 6, 2020 Ohio Star Staff

WHO Dir Gen. Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus

Abortion is considered an essential service during the coronavirus pandemic, the World Health Organization said in a statement Saturday.

The WHO said in its statement to the Daily Caller News Foundation that “services related to reproductive health are considered to be part of essential services during the COVID-19 outbreak.”

Four Primaries to Take Place Tuesday Amid Coronavirus Pandemic

March 16, 2020March 15, 2020 Ohio Star Staff

Tuesday’s upcoming presidential primary contests with a combined 577 delegates up for grabs will move forward as planned despite the coronavirus pandemic.

Moderate Democrats Are Trying to Distance Themselves from Ocasio-Cortez’s Green New Deal

December 17, 2019December 16, 2019 Ohio Star Staff

Moderate Democrats who are working on getting reelected in a partisan environment are doing their best to keep a distance from the so-called Green New Deal.

Democratic Reps. Lauren Underwood of Illinois, Henry Cuellar of Texas and Harley Rouda of California are keeping their distance from the GND as they campaign for reelection in Republican-leaning seats. Cuellar called the group supporting the measure “Justice Socialists.”

American Inventor Series: Josephine Cochrane, Inventor of the Dishwasher

September 23, 2019November 9, 2020 Anthony Gockowski

Josephine Cochrane, born March 8, 1839, was born in Ohio but spent most of her adult life living in Shelbyville, Illinois as the wife of a wealthy politician named William Cochran. Josephine spelled their name with an “e” at the end to give it some extra pizzazz.

US Farmers Push for United States, Mexico, Canada Trade Agreement

September 2, 2019September 1, 2019 Ohio Star Staff

Continuous wet weather disrupted the spring planting season for Southern Illinois farmer Jim Raben, meaning he is anticipating a lean harvest this year.

Illinois State Rep. Chris Miller Likens Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s Signing of Bills Supporting Illegal Aliens to Treason, Rebellion Against U.S.

August 6, 2019August 5, 2019 Jason M. Reynolds

Illinois State Rep. Chris Miller (R-IL-110) said that Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s signing of two immigration laws is a “travesty” and likened it to rebellion against the U.S.

Ohio Had Second Highest Gas Tax Increase in the Nation on July 1

July 12, 2019July 11, 2019 Anthony Gockowski

Ohioans experienced the second highest gas tax increase in the nation on July 1. Twelve states raised their gas taxes at the start of the month, and Ohio was second only to Illinois, which introduced a 19-cent increase on gasoline taxes. In Ohio, gas taxes increased by 10.5 cents,…

Illinois Becomes Eleventh State to Legalize Recreational Marijuana

June 27, 2019June 27, 2019 Ohio Star Staff

Illinois became the 11th state to legalize recreational marijuana Tuesday, and the first to do so through its legislature rather than a ballot initiative. Illinois governor J.B. Pritzker signed the bill into law after the legislature passed it late last month. “As the first state in the nation to…

Ohio River Commission Opts to Introduce New Standards, Drawing Ire of National Wildlife Federation

June 10, 2019June 10, 2019 Ohio Star Staff

by Steve Bittenbender A multistate organization in charge of improving the quality of one of the country’s most important rivers voted on Thursday to adopt a new plan on how to ensure states meet water pollution standards. By a 19-2 vote, with one abstention, the Ohio River Valley Water…

Illinois GOP Lawmakers Want to Cut off Chicago, Create New State

May 31, 2019May 30, 2019 Ohio Star Staff

by Carmel Kookogey A group of Illinois Republicans is sponsoring legislation that would split the state in two: Chicago, and everywhere else. State Rep. Brad Halbrook, a Republican representing Shelbyville, Illinois, spoke with The Daily Signal about the effort to win better representation for the people of rural Illinois,…

Experts Debate Impact of Sports Wagering Proposal on Ohio

May 27, 2019May 26, 2019 Ohio Star Staff

by Todd DeFeo Legalizing sports wagering in Ohio could generate $7 million in tax revenue for the state in the first year, a number that could increase to $9 million in the second year. That is on top of $1.3 million in license fees in the first year of operations,…

Illinois Governor Pritzker Announces Plan to Legalize Marijuana

May 6, 2019May 5, 2019 Ohio Star Staff

Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker said Saturday that he’d reached an agreement with key lawmakers on a plan to legalize recreational marijuana in the state starting next year. The legislation would allow adults 21 and older to legally buy cannabis for recreational use from licensed dispensaries. Illinois residents could possess…