Bethany Jaeger

House Prosecutor David Ellis makes the case for the impeachment of former Gov. Rod Blagojevich photograph by Jay Barnard, courtesy of the Illinoisan House Democrats

David Ellis - A Rise in Action: The Lawyer Behind Rod Blagojevich's Impeachment and Removal

David Ellis is like a character in a good book. The more you find out about him, the more you realize how much you don’t know. Your first impression only…

Brad McMillan, executive director of the Institute for Principled Leadership in Public Service at Bradley University, explains Illinois’ oddly shaped districts during a Statehouse news conference last spring.

Democracy by Lottery: Illinois Unique in How it Selects Party Controlling Political Redistricting

The Illinois General Assembly has one year and seven months to meet a constitutional deadline it has failed to meet each of the past three decades. But in…

State of the State: New Corrections Policies Take Aim at Underlying Causes of Crimes

Within 90 days of being on the job, Illinois Department of Corrections Director Michael Randle announced sweeping changes in the way offenders are either…

Pharmacist David Mikus of the Medicine Shoppe in Springfield

Pay Delay: Despite Receiving Extra Federal Funds, Illinois' Budget Banks on Delaying Payments

Todd Evers is in constant conversation with his bank, most recently in August, to prepare for the “inevitable what if.” What if the state stops paying?He…

State of the State: Even Small Budget Cuts Hit Home in a Big Way

Centers for people with disabilities and many other community-based services have known for months that they were unlikely to receive as much state…

Charity Care: Health Care & Public Officials Look to the State Supreme Court to Clarify

While Illinois’ highest court could try to avoid making policy, one case on its docket this fall has potential to start a domino effect that would have…

State of the State: A Lengthy Audit Highlights Problems in Prisons That Have Been Growing for Years

Gov. Pat Quinn plans to lay off as many as 1,000 prison workers at the same time a recent state audit reveals that staffing shortages within the Illinois…

Utilities don’t profit from the cost of energy. They simply pass that cost on to their customers, which accounts for about two-thirds of their overall bills. Utilities make their profits from a charge to deliver that power.

Health+Harvest

Switched On: Fledgling IL Power Agency Bought Electricity on Behalf of Utilities

The ease of flipping a switch on a kitchen wall masks the complicated process that flows electricity to homes and businesses.Electricity customers can be…

Health+Harvest

State of the State: The Public's Right to Know Should Apply to Water Safety, Too

Tricia Krause asked Crestwood residents to tie color-coded ribbons around their trees to demonstrate the village’s “epidemiological cancer map.”“And,…

The cost of the system, so far, is covered by a $9 million federal grant. The State Board of Education estimates the first-year cost of developing the program at about $1.1 million, followed by $2.5 million each of the next three years.

Education Desk

Data Mining: Illinois Will Start Tracking Students from Preschool Through College and Career

Illinois is about to embark on a new system that will make self-described “data wonks” bug-eyed. They’ll be able to delve into arcane details of test…