While the lottery encourages more people to get vaccinated, this game sets a bad example. There has to be another way to get people vaccinated without making it yet another game of chance.

The spring session of the Illinois General Assembly is now history. At the beginning of the session, there was renewed hope that critical aspects of Illinois government might change. After all, for the first time in decades, the House had a new speaker.

We employ police officers to make tough, sometimes violent, decisions on the street. It’s an important job that can determine whether someone lives or dies. We know from the deaths of George Floyd and others that sometimes officers use lethal force inappropriately.

The Illinois Sports Facilities Authority has been a thorn in taxpayers’ side since its late-1980s creation paved the way for junking the original Comiskey Park, and it’s also responsible for the early 2000s Soldier Field renovation that cost nearly $400 million. There’s no way elected officials could stay out of yet another mega-development, which tends to mean using public money to offset the expenses of private companies who will make profits once games are played.

The first members of the Hall of Fame will be bands REO Speedwagon, Chicago, Cheap Trick, Ides of March and The Buckinghams; bluesmen Buddy Guy and Muddy Waters; deejays Dick Biondi and Larry Lujack; Chicago radio powerhouse WLS-AM; and Chess Records, a Chicago blues label founded by two brothers who immigrated from Poland.

We have come so far and made much progress over the past 18 months. And have much to look forward to. We don’t want to revert to where we were.

The bill expands limitations on fundraising efforts, preventing lawmakers from holding campaign fundraisers across the state on any day the General Assembly is in session.

The Illinois budget was passed on mostly partisan lines. There’s nothing new there. Those in power get to choose how to spend the money. Another constant was the timing of the budget. Despite having four months to work on the budget, lawmakers didn’t get the final draft until early in the morning the day they were to vote on it.

I realized a few months ago that I’ve waited too long to pass the “tongs” off, so this holiday weekend was important. It represented a “changing of the guard” for our holiday tradition.

The redrawn Illinois Supreme Court map strongly suggests the new Democratic regime in the state capitol may be worse than the old one

The bill would allow the Illinois Attorney General to use statewide grand juries to investigate cases of public corruption among other changes

Scott Reeder takes a look at well-intentioned but faulty legislation pending before the state Senate that would bankrupt pet stores and hurt dog breeders across Illinois.

Illinois lawmakers are considering placing a warning label on video games that have the "loot box" feature. The bill's sponsor Rep. Barbara Hernandez says it's a predatory practice preying on children. Scott Reeder relates his family's experience with the technology.

Gov. JB Pritzker has backed off a pledge to veto any redistricting bill not coming from an independent commission. Scott Reeder takes a look at why.

Those elected at the Consolidated Election are now being sworn in, and the Shaw Local News Network Editorial Board has some advice for you.

The world is constantly changing around us, and we can choose to be lost within it or to keep up.