Politics and Government

Governor J.B. Pritzker shot down the suggestion of amending the Illinois Constitution to address the state's public pension funding deficit.

It appears a protracted dispute over the East Peoria firefighter union's contract may be resolved.

The East Peoria City Council voted Tuesday night to approve the first reading with four ayes. Commissioner Dan Decker abstained.

Decker is a firefighter and former union member who's now in a management job. He voted on a previous version of the contract, raising questions over whether it was legal and proper for him to do so.

Another hotel is set to open in East Peoria.

Illinois lawmakers have officially sent a police and fire pension consolidation plan to Governor J.B. Pritzker's desk.

Democratic state Senate President John Cullerton has announced he's stepping down from the Illinois Legislature.

A site on Peoria’s southside that has been a problem bar in the past will get a liquor license, but with a change. 

Political conflict can be both helpful and harmful to local government. According to a new study, which it is depends on the nature of the conflict.

The mayor, village clerk, and entire police department of East Galesburg have resigned en masse. 

Tazewell County Treasurer Mary Burress is gearing up for a run against Democratic State Senator Dave Koehler.

Peoria Fire Chief Ed Olehy is retiring. 

The Peoria City Council approved next year’s budget in less than one hour last night. 

Congressman Darin LaHood says the House vote today formalizing the impeachment inquiry into President Donald Trump is an attempted nullification of the 2016 elections. 

The Peoria City Council last night gave an initial okay to three sources of income to help balance its budget for next year. 

The chairman of the NCAA board of governors says the association hopes to avoid a court battle against states that are attempting to pass laws aimed at dismantling the NCAA's rules.

The business community is offering its own suggestions for the city of Peoria’s 2020 budget. 

A state lawmaker has been arrested on a federal public corruption charge, becoming the latest top state Democrat targeted by federal prosecutors.

State Rep. Mike Unes (R-East Peoria) is not running for a 6th term.

Unes announced Thursday he is retiring after his current term ends in January 2021.

The Peoria Heights Village Board unanimously approved developer Kim Blickenstaff’s plans to revive Al Fresco Park on Tuesday. 

Four Central Illinois coal plants and a southern Illinois coal mine are slated to close by year’s end.

Environmental advocates say the Clean Energy Jobs Act would create new programs to help workers and communities impacted by the coal facility closures. And they say movement on the legislation is needed now. 

Gov. J.B. Pritzker said earlier this month he does not expect action on the legislation during this year’s veto session. 

But State Rep. Rita Mayfield (D-Waukegan) says that is unacceptable. 

U.S. Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-Channahon) is calling on President Donald Trump to pull down a tweet comparing the House impeachment inquiry to a "lynching." 

Long-shot GOP presidential candidate Mark Sanford made a stop in Peoria today on the first leg of his campaign kickoff tour. 

U.S. Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-Schaumburg) said acting White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney’s press conference yesterday is just the latest sign of wrongdoing with the Trump administration’s interactions with Ukraine. 

He said the mere request for foreign assistance to investigate Joe Biden’s son and the debunked theory of Ukrainian hacking of DNC servers was illegal. 

Republican presidential candidate Mark Sanford will make a campaign stop in Peoria on Friday morning.

U.S. Rep. Cheri Bustos raised more than $1.5 million in this third quarter of this year. 

Fundraising numbers were submitted to the Federal Election Commission Tuesday. 

Bustos is also the chair of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. She spent $1.1 million in the 3rd quarter, leaving her with $2.6 million cash on hand.

Her Republican challenger, Esther Joy King, raised just over $120,000 in the third quarter. She said that’s about 20 percent above the goal she set for herself in the first 40 days of her campaign.

The City of Peoria could see the sale of recreational cannabis next year. The city council last night approved an ordinance to allow adult-use marijuana dispensaries.

The city of Peoria is partnering with Amazon’s Ring to distribute doorbell cameras at a steep discount.

Residents of Peoria will be eligible for a $100 discount on a camera subsidized by the city and Ring at a November 2 event at Northwoods Mall. 

Assistant City Manager Deborah Roethler says the cameras help reduce property crimes. 

“We’ve got example after example of people walking up to a door, they clearly shouldn’t be there, they look at the video camera that’s staring at them, and then they walk away," she said.  

An expert on whistleblowing said the way the president’s Ukraine phone call scandal is playing out in public is undermining the investigation process.

Illinois residents across the state, and across party lines, largely support more gun regulations. That’s according to the results of an NPR Illinois - University of Illinois Springfield survey. We took a look at the new data and explored what might be behind the numbers.

Gun violence has touched all areas of the country, including here in Illinois. Less than a year ago, a mass shooting in Aurora, combined with high profile shootings in other states, re-opened the gun debate in Illinois.

State Rep. Ryan Spain (R-Peoria) said he expects the dynamics of the upcoming veto session to be a lot different than the last few years.