Illinois

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Illinois Senate Approves Anti-Westboro Bill

Bill would require funeral protesters to stay extra 100 feet away

(Newser) - Westboro Baptist Church could soon find itself foiled in Illinois. The state Senate passed a measure yesterday that broadens the protection granted to funerals, requiring any protesters to remain at least 300 feet away from the site rather than the currently required 200 feet. The original House bill, proposed by...

As Trial Resumes, Blagojevich Worries About Daughters

Former governor says he's preparing the girls

(Newser) - Jury selection resumes Monday in the retrial for Rod Blagojevich on corruption charges, and the former Illinois governor tells the Chicago Tribune that he's mostly worried about how daughters Annie, 8, and Amy, 14, will handle a possible jail sentence for their dad. "I explained to her that...

Illinois to Inmate: You Owe Us $455K for Jail Stay...

So we'd like that $11K you earned in prison

(Newser) - Since being jailed in 1982, Kensley Hawkins has saved $11,000 from working while behind bars. Now the state of Illinois wants that money—it's suing Hawkins to cover the cost of his prison stay, the Chicago Tribune reports. According to Illinois law, the state can start collection procedures against...

Illinois to Ban Death Penalty

Gov. Quinn expected to sign repeal bill today

(Newser) - Capital punishment is facing its end in Illinois and a last-minute reprieve from the governor is highly unlikely. Pat Quinn is expected to sign legislation today abolishing the death penalty in the state, and abolition supporters have been invited to a private bill-signing ceremony, reports the Chicago Tribune . "They...

Blagojevich to Judge: Too Many Gaps in Wiretaps

Ex-governor's lawyers cite too many gaps in tapes

(Newser) - Rod Blagojevich’s lawyers have asked a federal judge to forbid prosecutors from playing FBI wiretaps of the former Illinois governor during his upcoming retrial, the AP reports. The lawyers say the tapes—key evidence for the prosecution—are unreliable because of long gaps in the recordings, which remove the...

Chicago's Population Dips Below 1920 Level

People are leaving for suburbs, Southern US

(Newser) - Chicago's population fell 6.9% during the decade that ended in 2010, leaving it with fewer people than lived there in 1920. The US Census Bureau reports a population of 2,695,598 people, just under the 2.7 million that were reported nearly a century ago, the Wall Street ...

Civil Unions Legalized in Illinois

Gov. Quinn: 'We believe in civil rights'

(Newser) - Illinois has become the sixth state to recognize civil unions between same-sex couples. A bill signed into law by Governor Pat Quinn Monday afternoon gives gay and lesbian couples many of the same rights as their heterosexual counterparts, including the right to visit a loved one in hospital, the Chicago ...

Income Taxes Go Up 67% in Illinois
Income Taxes Go Up
67% in Illinois
Jan 12, 2011 12:51 PM CST

Income Taxes Go Up 67% in Illinois

Lawmakers approve last-minute increase for strapped state

(Newser) - Budget trouble in Illinois will hit residents' wallets: Lawmakers approved a 67% increase in the personal income tax rate (from 3% to 5%) along with a 46% hike for businesses (from 4.8% to 7%), reports the Tribune . The Legislature did so in the wee hours as its final act...

Butt Dialer Sends SWAT Team to Middle School

Garbled phone call leads wife to believe husband is in danger

(Newser) - Butt dialing: We all know it’s annoying, but apparently it can also be kinda dangerous. When a husband unknowingly called his wife as he was driving home from his job at a school Monday, “he was listening to music and he had, I don't know, hip-hop … or...

Alfalfa Sprouts Linked to 16-State Salmonella Outbreak

Organic farm contamination spreads to 16 states

(Newser) - Momma didn't say eat these greens: Alfalfa sprouts have been linked to 94 cases of salmonella poisoning in 16 states. The contaminated sprouts stem from Tiny Greens Organic Farm in Illinois, CDC officials said yesterday. California is the latest state to join the salmonella contamination, although half the cases were...

6 Dead as Snow, Big Chill Shut Down Midwest

Highways closed, flights canceled amid sub-zero weather

(Newser) - Temperatures have plummeted across the upper Midwest after a storm pounded the region with snow and strong winds this weekend, the AP reports. Six weather-related deaths were reported as the storm closed major highways in some states, canceled some 1,600 flights in Chicago, and collapsed the inflatable roof of...

Illinois Approves Civil Unions
 Illinois Approves Civil Unions 
Dec 2, 2010 7:07 AM CST

Illinois Approves Civil Unions

Joins New Jersey; rule to take effect in July

(Newser) - Civil unions are set for legalization in Illinois, with the governor saying he’d sign legislation approved yesterday by state legislators, the New York Times reports. Five states and DC now allow gay marriage, while New Jersey and Illinois, starting in July, will give same-sex couples rights comparable to those...

Tea Partier Joe Walsh Wins in Illinois

Democrat concedes 8th District

(Newser) - Republicans' historic House win just got bigger. Democrat Melissa Bean has conceded Illinois' 8th district to Tea Party-backed Republican Joe Walsh, the Huffington Post reports. Bean, an incumbent who had been widely expected to win, called to congratulate Walsh after the counting of absentee ballots today left her nearly 300...

Wedding Announcement Costs Lesbian Her Job

University says Laine Tadlock resigned; she says she was pushed out

(Newser) - Laine Tadlock lost her job at a Catholic university—not because she’s gay, not because she married a woman, but because she published a wedding announcement. Tadlock says Illinois’ Benedictine University knew about her sexual orientation when she was hired, and that the university also knew about her trip...

Pat Quinn Wins Illinois Governor's Race: AP

Though GOP challenger hasn't conceded

(Newser) - Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn has eked out a narrow win over his Republican challenger. An AP analysis of uncounted votes from absentee and other ballots showed state Sen. Bill Brady won't be able to overcome the 19,400-vote lead Quinn held today with all precincts reporting. (Brady's still not ready...

Tea Partier: Black Guys Prefer Drugs to Education

But not minority women—they have kids

(Newser) - Illinois Republican leaders are calling for their state Senate candidate, Tea Partier Al Reynolds, to step down in the wake of his racially insensitive remarks at a candidate forum last week. Asked about the lack of diversity at public colleges, Reynolds explained that minority women were more motivated than minority...

'Rich Whitey' Appears on Chicago Ballots

Misspelling of Rich Whitney's name to be corrected

(Newser) - A certain “Rich Whitey” is running for governor of Illinois—or so the ballots have it. Thousands of electronic voting machines, including about 500 currently being used for early voting, contain a misspelling of Green Party hopeful Rich Whitney’s last name, the AP reports. “We don't have...

Did Chatty Michelle Break Voting Laws?

Conservative watchdog slams first lady's 'technical violation'

(Newser) - Michelle Obama may have violated Illinois election laws by seeking support for her husband’s agenda at a Chicago polling station, holds the Daily Caller . The first lady was talking with voters, and reportedly urged them to support said agenda—but state laws ban political discussion near polling places, the...

Illinois Gov: My Opponent Wants to Murder Doggies

Attack ad targets Brady for supporting mass euthanization of pets

(Newser) - Illinois' Democratic governor isn't doing much to change the state's reputation for bare-knuckle politics. An attack ad from Pat Quinn targets Republican rival Bill Brady for sponsoring a bill to "mass euthanize sheltered cats and dogs in gas chambers," with text appearing on screen over footage of whining...

Now You Can Vote Naked in Illinois
Now You Can Vote
Naked in Illinois
Sep 22, 2010 2:07 PM CDT

Now You Can Vote Naked in Illinois

Ad campaign has fun with new mail-in ballot option

(Newser) - It's not as much fun as you might think. Illinois is now allowing early voting by mail. So, in theory, you can fill out your ballot naked. But whether or not Illinoisans do, the campaign to raise awareness of the new law is hysterically funny. It features a lot of...

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