Politics and Government

The Public Safety Pension Fee bills generated some buzz at Tuesday's Peoria City Council meeting.

The bills landed in property owner’s mailboxes last week.

City Manager Patrick Urich estimates they’ve received 100 calls a day. With 47,000 bills sent out, he says he doesn’t consider the call volume to be that significant. The new fee funds Peoria’s portion of police and firefighter pensions for the state.

The amount owed is based on the size of the property with a majority paying $25 for 2019.

Both Peoria County State's Attorney candidates say youth outreach is how the county can begin to reduce its rates of juveniles charged with crimes. 

A local food distribution company wants to start up a new side business to stay open: craft cannabis growing.

Eugene Farrell of Roseville is calling it quits on his campaign for the Republican nomination for the 17th Congressional District. 

Illinois isn't typically in play in presidential primaries. Peoria, even less so.

With a record 25 homicides on the books in the city of Peoria last year, responding to violence and ensuring safety is a key campaign issue for both Peoria County State's Attorney candidates. But both candidates have different takes on how relationships play into that response.

The two Democratic candidates for Peoria County Clerk bring different philosophies on how to improve the office's operations.

State Sen. Chuck Weaver (R-Peoria) announced Thursday he's retiring at the end of his term. 

In his place, Widmer Fabrics CEO Win Stoller will fill the Republican nomination for the district, which stretches from Peoria to Galesburg. 

"With Central Illinois at a turning point, everyone must serve where they can cause positive change," Weaver said in a statement. "I believe I can now make the most positive impact closer to home by serving my community in a different position of service." 

Gov. J.B. Pritzker announced a pair of ambitious criminal justice reform goals Thursday: the end of cash bonds and mandatory minimum sentences in Illinois.

U.S. Rep. Cheri Bustos (D-Moline) will run unopposed in March's Democratic primary.

Her challenger, Spanky Edwards of Peoria, was removed from contention by the Illinois State Board of Elections Thursday after a petition challenge was upheld. 

It now appears there is only one Republican contender in the race to succeed retiring state Rep. Mike Unes. 

The Illinois State Board of Elections sustained objections to the petitions of Pekin Republicans Corey Campbell and Samuel Goddard. 

This leaves only Pekin Mayor Mark Luft on the GOP ticket in March. He's set to face Democrat Josh Grys in November. 

Unes, an East Peoria Republican, announced his retirement last year as he takes a new job with UnityPoint Health. 

The seat covers swaths of Tazewell, Peoria, and Fulton counties. 

Congresswoman Cheri Bustos isn't endorsing a candidate in the Democratic presidential primary yet, but she says it's important for the eventual nominee to understand something about districts like hers.

All signs point to Illinois losing a congressional district following the 2020 census. And if current population trends are any indication, that will mean less representation for downstate Illinois.

Friday was the deadline for major party presidential candidates to try to get on the ballot for Illinois’ upcoming primary election.

A veteran American diplomat says Iranian retaliation for America's assassination of one of their top generals in Iraq could take many forms.

The Defense Department says it took "decisive action" to protect Americans when it killed Iranian Major General Qassem Soleimani in an air strike. The move has inflamed an already tense state of affairs between Iran and the U.S.

Ronald Neumann is the former U.S. Ambassador to Afghanistan, Algeria, and Bahrain. He's a Middle Eastern policy expert who now serves president of the American Academy of Diplomacy. 

Central Illinois congressional representatives are praising the bipartisan House passage of an updated trade agreement among the U.S., Mexico and Canada.

As expected, Central Illinois' congressional delegation split along party lines on the roll call for two articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump.

U.S. Rep. Cheri Bustos (D-Moline) voted to impeach Trump for abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. U.S. Rep. Darin LaHood (R-Peoria) and Adam Kinzinger (R-Channahon) both voted no.

A frequent forum for political protest in Peoria was the host for about 100 ralliers calling for President Donald Trump's impeachment Tuesday.

The Illinois State Board of Elections' general counsel is recommending tossing out a petition challenge to 17th District congressional candidate Bill Fawell. 

Republican Congressman Darin LaHood says he won't vote to impeach President Donald Trump.

Can an anonymous person bump a candidate off the ballot? The Illinois State Board of Elections will decide next week.

The sale of recreational marijuana in the City of Peoria moved a step closer to reality last night. 

Rep. Cheri Bustos (D-Moline) said introducing articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump isn't a task she relished.

"This is a bad day for our country. This is a bad day for our democracy. And I sure wish we weren't at this point," she said. 

Bustos says neither Democrats nor Republicans came to Washington to impeach the president. She encouraged Americans to read the articles and decide for themselves. 

Rep. Cheri Bustos (D-Moline) said the revised USMCA trade agreement with Mexico and Canada protects the interests of farmers, organized labor, and environmental organizations.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced Tuesday that House Democrats had reached a deal to move the treaty forward after years of negotiations. 

She said one important key change hashed out was the compliance enforcement mechanisms in the treaty.

The Pekin City Council is putting off a vote on requiring motorized bike owners to register their vehicles with the police until next year.