(SPRINGFIELD) Emergency rules from the Illinois Department of Corrections to scan inmate mail are under review by the Joint Committee on Administrative Rules. The rules discussed this week aimed to shift inmates to electronic mail, to adjust how certain publications are delivered during visits, & to update procedures for legal correspondence. While critics warn of civil rights violations & lack of public input, supporters say the changes are needed to enhance worker safety and to help prevent contraband in prisons.
(SPRINGFIELD) State House Republicans are raising the alarm that Illinois taxpayers are on the hook for hundreds of millions of dollars if the Pritzker administration does not address the food subsidy error rate. While Illinois’ SNAP error rate is now at 11.56 percent, nearly double the 6 percent threshold that triggers financial penalties, it could cost state taxpayers up to $800 million by the end of the year. The numbers show that when Governor Pritzker took office seven years ago, the error rate was at 5.73%, nearly 6% less than now.
(CHAMPAIGN) A recent analysis by University of Illinois farmdoc team members shows machinery costs followed the same path as other farm inputs and has accelerated the last two years. Overall, the most recent machinery cost estimates in Illinois show a 3% increase between 2023 and 2025, which is far less than the hikes recorded between 2021 and 2023, at 32%, and actually the smallest two year increase since 2016. While equipment purchase prices are higher, along with labor costs, the average price for fuel is lower. All of the cost estimates are available online, in the management section at farmdocdaily.illinois.edu.