July 14 marks Bastille Day, highlighting French roots in Illinois and its cultural legacy.

If one candidate breaks 50% as everyone’s top choice, the tallying ends. But absent a majority, whichever option has the fewest top-choice votes is eliminated, and any ballots listing the last-place finisher as the top choice get added to those voters’ second choice.

It’s also a local economy issue: SNAP recipients are customers and the retailers who sell them food might not be prepared to lose out on that business. After all, grocery store cash registers don’t care where the money originates.

The final 17 pages are a breakdown of all pension legislation from the recently concluded spring session from COGFA Pension Unit Manager Dan Hankiewicz.

In proposing the fiscal 2026 budget, Pritzker suggested spending $7.6 million less on housing programs. Lawmakers actually cut $14.6 million. The Court-Based Rental Assistance Program, which helps people facing evictions, is down $25 million.

Since colonial days, hardware stores have been a part of daily life in many American towns, and like the rest of society, have changed with the times.

How much does the marching band spend on new music each fall? Who pays to paint the school logo at midfield? What is the impact of overdue fines on the library budget? When I buy a box of popcorn at the pool, does any of that go toward lifeguard paychecks?

The Illinois Economic Policy Institute and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign’s Project for Middle Class Renewal reported that the state currently is short 142,000 housing units but would need to open 227,000 units over the next five years to meet projected demand.

I appreciate a quality professional display a few times a year yet have almost zero tolerance for amateur hour, especially when it extends across a whole weekend.