Guest Column: Dignity and Proper Care for Our Most Vulnerable
A primary responsibility of state government is to protect those who otherwise cannot protect or take care of themselves. Sadly, in too many cases, the State of Illinois is failing these most vulnerable citizens and their families. In Northwest Illinois, we are far removed from the atrocities that have been uncovered at the Choate Mental […]
Ethics, or the lack thereof, in Springfield
We all have an internal compass that guides our decisions and our behavior. And for those who seek public office, their ethical standards should be beyond reproach. Most people enter politics for the right reasons. They want to give back to their communities. They want good schools, or good parks or library systems. They see […]
The Rules of the Legislative Game
Friday, February 10 marked the 2023 bill filing deadline in Springfield, and at the end of the day there were 2,442 Senate Bills and 2,000 House Bills filed. Almost all are bills of substance seeking a legislative change. About a dozen of these bills are mine, and they address a variety of issues that those […]
The Phasing Out of Police Protections in Illinois
Over the last several years, there has been a gradual diminishment in the role law enforcement plays in keeping communities safe, and the system that administers justice to those convicted of crimes. This attack on our criminal justice system and the men and women whose job it is to apprehend criminals has been deliberately phased. […]