Sun-Times Editorial Board In 2015, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that same-sex couples had a fundamental right to marry. It was a major victory in the LGBTQ community’s long-standing fight for equality. But there is still a long way to go when it comes to gaining civil rights protections. Every day LGBTQ people face stigmas, […]
Illinois Lawmaker Raises Concerns About The Future Of Medicaid During Budget Impasse
May 5, 2017 By
Tony Arnold The lawmaker who heads up the Illinois House committee that budgets money for Medicaid said he’s concerned that some major health care providers are already scaling back coverage for poor people due to the ongoing budget impasse. As first reported by WBEZ, more than two dozen doctors, health care providers and insurance companies […]
Democratic stopgap budget inches ahead, but a full plan remains elusive
April 7, 2017 By
Monique Garcia and Haley BeMiller * Contact ReporterChicago Tribune House Democrats on Thursday approved another one-time spending plan to provide about $815 million to universities and social service groups left gasping for air during the state’s historic budget impasse, but leaders in both parties could hold it up as they push for a more complete spending […]
State Rep. Greg Harris Response to Rauner, Washington Politicians’ Reckless Plans to Slash Health Coverage
March 23, 2017 By
Harris reintroduces bill easing gender-marker change
February 2, 2017 By
by Matt Simonette 2017-02-01 Windy City Times State Rep. Greg Harris (D), on Feb. 1, re-introduced legislation allowing transgender Illinoisans to more easily change the gender-marker on their birth certificate. While the state has allowed for changing gender-markers since the ’50s, current law requires the applicant to show proof that they have undergone gender-reassignment surgery, […]
Rauner, Madigan feud means state’s unpaid bills could reach $13.5 billion
November 17, 2016 By
Monique GarciaContact ReporterChicago Tribune Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner‘s budget office estimates the state’s backlog of unpaid bills will hit a record $13.5 billion by July if the governor and Democrats who control the General Assembly remain deadlocked over a complete spending plan, a bleak reminder of what’s at stake as negotiations begin anew. The projection […]
Orr, marriage backers anticipate 10,000 same-sex licenses
August 30, 2016 By
by Matt Simonette 2016-08-29 Windy City Times Just as attorney John Knight, of ACLU of Illinois, finished speaking at an Aug. 29 press conference heralding the 10,000th marriage license distributed to a same-sex couple in Cook County, County Clerk David Orr said, “I now forgive you for suing me.” While Orr was joking, his remark […]
Critical Senior Services Bill Vetoed by Governor Rauner
August 4, 2016 By
AARP IL Urges General Assembly to Override Veto SPRINGFIELD, Ill., Aug. 3, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — Over 40,000 Illinois vulnerable seniors will face reduced services and potentially daunting waitlists in obtaining in-home care due to Governor Rauner’s veto of the Community Care Program Protection bill. Last Friday, the Governor vetoed a measure which safeguards in-home and […]
Uptown Restaurant with Mission to Help Homeless Closes
August 2, 2016 By
Hunter Clauss WTTW Chicago Tonight A North Side restaurant employing people grappling with homelessness closed its doors for good on Sunday. Inspiration Kitchens had been a fixture of the Uptown neighborhood for 11 years. But owners of the restaurant say a loss of federal funding and the state’s historic budget impasse made it difficult to […]