Inside:
- Remember to vote by Tuesday
- Prosecutors lay out case in Madigan corruption trial
- Fall veto session is just around the corner
- Almost 5000 possible state flag designs submitted
Remember to vote by Tuesday
Election Day is on Tuesday, and it is important that you take the time to exercise your right to vote.
Polls will be open from 6 a.m. until 7 p.m. Election Day is a state holiday in Illinois, and public schools will be closed as well. Early voting is underway now and will continue until Monday.
If you have questions about voting, contact your county clerk for more information.
Prosecutors lay out case in Madigan corruption trial
With a jury seated and opening statements concluded, federal prosecutors in the corruption trial of former Illinois House Speaker Mike Madigan have begun calling witnesses and presenting evidence.
The trial centers on allegations by the Justice Department that Madigan, one of the most powerful politicians in Illinois history until his fall in 2021, passed legislation in exchange for benefits like jobs or contracts for his associates. He was indicted in 2022. Executives and lobbyists for the utility company Commonwealth Edison were convicted for their role in the scandal, while the trial of an AT&T executive ended in a mistrial earlier this year.
Prosecutors played wiretap recordings of statehouse lobbyist Mike McClain who they allege played a key role in the bribery scheme. McClain was one of the defendants convicted in the Commonwealth Edison trial. Former state legislators testified last week about Madigan and McClain’s pressure tactics in pursuit of their goals.
Once the prosecution finishes presenting its witnesses and evidence, Madigan’s defense attorneys will have their turn.
Madigan built a power structure in Springfield which allowed him to accumulate enormous amounts of control over every aspect of state government. This power was used to reward friends and punish enemies by picking and choosing which bills would advance and which would not. It was used to block important reform legislation, like ethics reform, from ever seeing the light of day. Unfortunately, much of this system is still in place, still blocking needed reforms.
If you believe that it is time to clean up the corruption in Illinois state government, please click here to sign our petition in support of ethics reform.
Fall veto session is just around the corner
The House and Senate are scheduled to be back in session later this month for the fall veto session.
The General Assembly usually convenes for a few days in the fall to review any vetoes which the Governor might have issued over the summer or to take on any issues that cannot wait until the new General Assembly convenes in January. This year the Governor did not issue any vetoes, so we do not yet know what will be on the agenda for the fall session.
Legislators are scheduled to be back in Springfield on Tuesday November 12 to start a three-day session, with three more days scheduled beginning on November 19. The new 104th General Assembly will be sworn in on January 8, 2025.
Almost 5000 possible state flag designs submitted
The Secretary of State announced that just under 5000 different design ideas were submitted by members of the public answering the call to create a new state flag.
The submissions will be reviewed by the Illinois Flag Commission, which will choose ten finalists. The public will then have the chance to vote for their favorite starting sometime in January. The results of the vote will be reported to the legislature, which will then choose whether to pick one of the designs as the new state flag, or to keep the current flag.
The current Illinois state flag, which depicts the state seal on a white background, came about as the result of a contest in 1915. The word Illinois was added onto the flag in the late 1960s.
Daylight savings time ends this weekend
Don’t forget to set your clocks back one hour before heading to bed on Saturday night. Daylight savings time ends at 2 a.m. on Sunday.
Daylight savings time returns on Sunday March 9.
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