Republicans make addressing crime top issue
Republican candidates for governor are focusing on crime in Illinois. State Sen. Darren Bailey, R-Xenia, filed legislation Wednesday that would enhance penalties for convicted cop killers. Bailey and other GOP candidates have been critical of the sweeping laws impacting various aspects of criminal justice brought forth by the Democratic Legislative Black Caucus in 2021.
In separate TV ads, Aurora Mayor Richard Irvin and Jesse Sullivan said they would bring about more support for law enforcement if they were elected governor.
Fallout from optional masking at private school
Despite a statewide mask mandate, some students at an Illinois private school aren’t wearing masks after a comment made by a church leader over the weekend. The exemption is also pushing teachers out the door.
St. John’s Lutheran School in Lombard introduced mask exemptions for students this week. Parents said at least 30 families are taking part. Some families have left the private school, and five staff members have resigned in protest, saying they felt their concerns were not respected.
More training hubs proposed
An Illinois senator has introduced a bill to help coal workers who will lose their jobs when coal-fired plants close.
The Energy Transition Act that was signed into law in September calls for the plants to close by 2035. As part of the measure, 13 hubs were created to help train those who no longer have jobs.
State Sen. Terri Bryant, R-Murphysboro, said the hubs are inconvenient for those in southern Illinois and her legislation would create two more hubs.
Lawmaker eyes FOID suspension power for judges
An Illinois lawmaker wants to empower judges to remove guns from the hands of those accused of domestic violence.
State Rep. Denyse Stoneback, D-Skokie, filed a measure that would allow judges to suspend FOID cards during and after an emergency protection order is over. The bill would also extend the amount of time an accused abuser’s FOID card would be suspended.
Convicted felon pleads guilty to carrying rifle inside veterans’ center
An Indianapolis man will be sentenced in May for illegally possessing a semi-automatic rifle at a Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Chicago.
Bernard Harvey, Jr., 43, pleaded guilty to one count of illegal possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Harvey illegally possessed the rifle on Aug. 12, 2019 at the medical center.
Breaking a million-dollar streak
An Illinois librarian has taken down Amy Schneider, who had won 40 consecutive games on Jeopardy.
Schneider became the first woman to top $1 million in earnings on the show, but she lost to Rhone Talsma of Chicago on Wednesday. Talsma defeated Schneider in “Final Jeopardy,” answering correctly while the reigning champ couldn’t come up with an answer.