Scott T. Holland

The Budget Reserve for Immediate Disbursements and Governmental Emergencies is only $100 million. Democrats created the pool by sweeping money from 57 other funds in anticipation of federal decisions with negative fiscal implications for Illinois.

Clearly $20 is significant to someone counting every penny, but as a yearly figure it won’t sway anyone’s vote. The loss of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits is a different story, with an average of about $184 per beneficiary each month.

It is simply too late. Candidates have expended considerable time and resources gathering petition signatures, the filing deadline is Nov. 3 and any alteration now costs money the state doesn’t have while inviting legal exposure that could exponentially increase fiscal liability.

From pure cynicism, there may be wisdom in getting Republicans on board with anything Democrats could present as endorsement of gun registration. But more practically, there’s no faster way to clear an administrative backlog than to erase it altogether.

Voters could see some future relief in the unlikely event the General Assembly amends state law to clarify donation and disclosure timetables, but at worst Harmon has only reputational damage via a hearing officer’s recommendation to reject his appeal of the fine.

'We’re not clinical, but we’ve walked that path and can be a trusted entry point to guide and inform programs – something people without that experience often can’t do.'

'Families need long-term stability, not short-term uncertainty. We still don’t know how much funding this measure provides, how quickly states will receive it, or how long it will sustain operations.'

Opinion from Scott Holland: If the veto session conversation involves sales tax reform, this issue absolutely must be incorporated. Modernizing the tax structure is overdue, including for the opportunity to resolve unintended consequences

In much the same way local governments (especially schools) must dance with the state as its dominant yet clumsy partner, Springfield’s steps are too often intertwined with those from Washington, D.C.

‘If I were the federal government, I’d strongly urge holding off until Thursday,’ she said of the plan to activate troops. But she added, it’s ‘up to them.’

The Illinois ag sector is vital to the local, state and national economies.

Opinion by Scott Holland: This project could be transformative beyond even bold predictions, but that degree of potential also drastically elevates the stakes of failing to deliver.

It’s important to remember that any development at this scale necessarily impacts public resources, even if just transportation infrastructure and emergency response.

Plenty of legislative proposals are perennial, some with the same diligent sponsors and a few that represent old ideas under new names. On rare occasions, one party claims the other’s idea as its own and runs it up a different flagpole. That won’t happen with HB 2827.

"Numeracy – like literacy – equips students to think critically, solve problems and make informed decisions in daily life."