(SPRINGFIELD) Illinois lawmakers now earn the fourth highest pay rate in America, at $128,000 annually, or more than double the national average. With their latest pay hike, base salaries jumped to $98,000, with per diem and bonuses for leadership and committee positions accounting for the rest of their earnings. Research officials are quick to add the growing windfall comes at a time when lawmakers in Illinois are in session for roughly just 70 days a year. The only three states were lawmakers earn more are New York, California, & Pennsylvania. The lowest paid state lawmakers in New Hampshire get only $100 per year.
(SPRINGFIELD) According to a new report, Illinois is the 27th most dangerous state for drunk driving in the nation, with 18.5% of all fatal crashes between 2019 & 2023. That’s nearly one out of every five fatal crashes in Illinois. The healthcare publishing group “Recovered” analyzed National Highway Traffic Safety Administration data on fatal wrecks involving one or more drivers over the legal blood alcohol concentration limit of 0.08%
(CHICAGO) The U.S. District Court in Chicago has approved the appointment of Andrew Boutros as U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois. Boutros has been serving in the position since he was appointment by the U.S. Attorney General’s Office earlier this year. Boutros says the Chicago U.S. Attorney’s Office has always been one of the crown jewels of the Department of Justice and he intends to carry forward that tradition.
(SPRINGFIELD) The Illinois State Fair has enhanced security measures for this year’s event. Fair officials in Springfield say the fairgrounds’ walk-through security systems will be implemented at the Grandstand, plus the list of banned items include drones and laser pointers. The State Fair is less than two weeks away, set to start a week from this Thursday, August 7th, and running through the following weekend, until Sunday, August 17th.