Articles filed under Politics

• Lawmakers allow DuPage board to pare back government May 14, 2013 12:00 AM
  Gov. Pat Quinn will soon get to decide whether DuPage County officials will be allowed to eliminate as many as 13 local governments in an effort to save money. The Illinois House sent Quinn legislation Tuesday allowing the cuts by a 108-6 vote.
  

   
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  Suburban lawmakers want answers in AP scandal May 14, 2013 12:00 AM
  Some suburban lawmakers are demanding an explanation of why the U.S. Department of Justice aggressively pursued phone records of Associated Press journalists last year. Illinois Republicans and Democrats alike joined the chorus of outrage Tuesday. "I am very concerned whenever I hear of any government secretly monitoring the press," said U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky.
  

   

• State officials: Lowering DUI limit worth a look May 14, 2013 12:00 AM
  Secretary of State Jesse White said the idea of reducing Illinois’ drunk-driving threshold from a .08 to a .05 blood alcohol content deserves “further study,” a spokesman said Tuesday after a federal agency recommended the change.
  

   
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  Dalai Lama tells Wisconsin legislature to be compassionate May 14, 2013 12:00 AM
  The Dalai Lama, speaking on the floor of the Wisconsin Assembly where lawmakers just two years ago hurled expletives at each other while angry protesters screamed insults, said Tuesday that the key to a happy life isn't power or money but compassion.
  

   
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  Chicago senator touts his compromise bill on concealed carry May 14, 2013 12:00 AM
  An Illinois senator seeking to keep some concealed carry limits in place after a federal judge found the state's ban unconstitutional said Tuesday that his compromise plan would allow large cities to customize their lists of places that are off limits to concealed weapons.
  

   

• Audit: Less than half of Road Fund spent on roads May 14, 2013 12:00 AM
  The audit released Tuesday states that in eight of the past 10 years more than half of the road funds went to pay salaries, construction bonds and other costs.
  

   
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  Changes coming to Illinois gambling plan May 14, 2013 12:00 AM
  Lawmakers could try to add additional ethics measures and reconsider putting slot machines at the Chicago airports in an effort to get Gov. Pat Quinn to back a gambling plan, one of its key supporters said Tuesday. State Rep. Lou Lang, a Skokie Democrat, said he's looking to tinker with legislation ushered through the Illinois Senate this month by state Sen. Terry Link, a Waukegan Democrat.
  

   

• Senators argue over immigration bill ID mandates May 14, 2013 12:00 AM
  Senators weighing a landmark immigration bill defeated an effort by Republicans Tuesday to require biometric identification — such as fingerprinting — to track who is entering and leaving the country.
  

   
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  IRS chief: Agency lacked sensitivity in screenings May 14, 2013 12:00 AM
  The IRS acting chief acknowledged Tuesday that the agency demonstrated "a lack of sensitivity" in its screenings of political groups seeking tax-exempt status, but he said those mistakes won't be repeated. In his first public comment on the case, Steven Miller said there was "a shortcut taken in our processes" for determining which groups needed special screening.
  

   
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  Black churches at center of gay marriage debate May 13, 2013 12:00 AM
  
  

   
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  Editorial: The time for pension reform is at handMay 12, 2013 12:00 AM
  This Daily Herald editorial says that with momentum building for public pension reform, the legislature ought not back down now; meaningful change is required and nothing less will do.
  

   

• Job boot camp May 12, 2013 12:00 AM
  State Rep. Sam Yingling and DeVry University will host a Job Boot Camp from noon to 1:30 p.m. Saturday, May 18 in the Epstein Room of the Grayslake Area Public Library, 100 Library Lane, Grayslake.
  

   

• Rauner to speak to Elk Grove Republicans May 12, 2013 12:00 AM
  Bruce Rauner, Republican candidate for Illinois governor, will be the guest speaker at the Republican Organization of Elk Grove Township monthly meeting 9 a.m. Saturday, May 18, at Rose Garden Café, 111 Higgins Road, Elk Grove Village.
  

   

• The Soapbox May 11, 2013 12:00 AM
  O'Hare Airport may be getting goats to eat its grass, but there are a few things around the suburbs that get our goats, too. Take a look at Daily Herald editors' opinions.
  

   
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  Report: IRS brass knew tea party targeted in 2011 May 11, 2013 12:00 AM
  
  

   
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  GOP ready to push Benghazi case into 2014 May 11, 2013 12:00 AM
  The incident was heavily politicized from the start, occurring less than two months before President Barack Obama's re-election and while Hillary Rodham Clinton was secretary of state.The former New York senator and first lady, who infuriates many conservatives, ranks high in speculation about Democrats in the hunt for the 2016 presidential nomination.
  

   
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  Tough task awaits next state GOP chiefMay 11, 2013 12:00 AM
  With the exit of Pat Brady of St. Charles as its chairman this week, the Illinois Republican Party is hunting to fill an often thankless job with someone who could face immense pressure to turn the GOP's recent defeats around in a crucial 2014 season. "The new chairman must reunite the state Republican Party," said state Sen. Kirk Dillard, a Hinsdale Republican. "And be a unifier, organizer, orator and fundraiser." Simple.
  

   
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  State Dep’t sought to change Libya talking points May 10, 2013 12:00 AM
  The latest disclosures Friday raised new questions about whether the Obama administration tried to play down any terrorist factor in the attack on a diplomatic compound just weeks before the November presidential election. Ambassador Chris Stevens and three other Americans were killed when insurgents struck the U.S. mission in two nighttime attacks.
  

   

• House OKs crackdown on social media ‘flash mobs’ May 10, 2013 12:00 AM
  The Illinois House approved legislation Friday aimed at cracking down on violent "flash mobs" like those that have occurred on Chicago's Michigan Avenue and in other tourist areas. Lawmakers voted 102-6 in favor of a measure that would allow a judge to impose a tougher punishment on anyone convicted of using social media to plan or incite a mob attack.
  

   
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  IRS apologizes for targeting tea party groupsMay 10, 2013 12:00 AM
  The Internal Revenue Service is apologizing for what it acknowledges was "inappropriate" targeting of conservative political groups during the 2012 election to see if they were violating their tax-exempt status. IRS agents singled out dozens of organizations for additional reviews because they included the words "tea party" or "patriot" in their exemption applications, Lois Lerner, who heads the IRS division that oversees tax-exempt groups, said Friday. In some cases, groups were asked for lists of donors, which violates IRS policy in most cases, she said.