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The State of Illinois recently extended the Enterprise Zone program (Public Act 097-0905). Peoria’s enterprise zone was due to expire next year (2013), but has now been extended until 2016, at which time the city can apply to have it extended for another 25 years. In addition, the criteria for awarding Enterprise Zone status [...] While the goals behind No Child Left Behind were admirable, experience has taught us that the law has some serious flaws that are hurting our children instead of helping them. Teachers are being forced to teach to a test, while subjects like history and science are being squeezed out. And in order to avoid [...] This week’s Word on the Street column reports that the City and County have been doing smoking ban stings lately: “The county performed 203 compliance checks and wrote 45 tickets. The city performed 123 checks and wrote eight tickets.” And, “The effort was funded by a [$15,000] grant the Peoria City/County Health Department received [...] The pressure is mounting on the Peoria City Council. Now State Senator David Koehler has weighed in with a letter supporting developer Gary Matthews: Letter from Sen. Koehler Here’s the text of the letter: I am respectfully asking you to reconsider all available options so that we may see the Downtown Marriott Hotel [...] Readin’, writin’, and ‘rithmetic. Two out of three ain’t bad for us Illinoisans: Illinois high school juniors no longer will be tested on writing skills during the state’s standardized tests every spring, eliminating the last Illinois writing exam and shaving about $2.4 million amid budgetary shortfalls…. “Good teachers, good schools, good principals don’t need [...] A: They’re both largely in the 17th Congressional District, according to the latest gerrymander: View Larger Map Generally speaking, Peoria south of War Memorial Drive will be in the 17th, and North Peoria will be in the 18th. The 17th covers tremendous territory, extending to Illinois’ borders with Missouri, Iowa, and Wisconsin. Rockford is [...] Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn announced recently his intention to eliminate over half of Illinois’ school districts through mandatory consolidation. There are already bills introduced in the state legislature toward that end: State Senator Jeffrey M. Schoenberg (D-Evanston) recently introduced a bill, SB1324, which proposes to amend the Illinois School Code to require the Illinois [...] Sen. Dale Risinger is resigning, and Peoria Mayor Jim Ardis wants to be appointed to fill the senate term. If that happens, the council would have to appoint a new mayor. If they appoint a sitting city council member, then someone else will have to be appointed to take that council member’s place. If [...] George Ryan put a moratorium on the death penalty. Now the State of Illinois is looking at banning it outright. A bill to abolish the death penalty passed the Illinois House and moves on to the Senate. Lawmakers approved Senate Bill 3539 with the required 60 votes after waging an earlier emotional, hour-long debate. [...] On Thursday night (7/15), the City of Peoria hosted an open house for the Orange Prairie Road Extension project. They distributed a handout which you can see by clicking here (PDF). The first question to ask is: Why are we building a new road in the middle of a cornfield on the northwest [...] |
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