Cheyenne Dickerson Stories

Internet betting could soon be legal in Illinois, if the House approves SB208

By Cheyenne Dickerson | Jun 8, 2017

The final vote on Senate Bill 208 allowing Illinoisans to take part in fantasy sports betting would have a large impact on the gaming industry, chairman for the Fantasy Sports Trade Association (FSTA) said recently.

Hughes hopes clock runs out on Democrats' 'grand bargain'

By Cheyenne Dickerson | May 29, 2017

Even if a “grand bargain” budget is passed this legislative session, it “will not help the people of Illinois,” Patrick Hughes vowed on a recent broadcast of radio show "Illinois Rising."

Hughes: Rauner's re-election bid could depend on veto abortion bill

By Cheyenne Dickerson | May 29, 2017

It'll be up to Gov. Bruce Rauner to decide the fate of House Bill 40 — legislation that allows state employee health benefits to cover the cost of abortions — and Patrick Hughes says if Rauner doesn’t veto, “he loses re-election.”

Financial pro says Illinois following Puerto Rico's footsteps financially

By Cheyenne Dickerson | May 29, 2017

Illinois appears to be heading south in more ways than one, a financial expert said on a Chicago-based radio show recently.

Raising minimum wage won't fight poverty, labor economics expert says

By Cheyenne Dickerson | May 14, 2017

Legislators' attempts to raise the minimum wage in Illinois won't address poverty and could negatively affect youth unemployment, according to Tim Kane, a labor economics expert with the Hoover Institution, a public policy think tank at Stanford University.

Bankruptcy bounces around as backup plan

By Cheyenne Dickerson | May 2, 2017

After two years without a budget and a failed attempt to compromise on a "grand bargain," some in Illinois are asking whether bankruptcy is a viable way out of the state's financial morass.

City bankruptcies should be state's responsibility, think tank says

By Cheyenne Dickerson | Apr 24, 2017

Even though the state of Illinois cannot declare bankruptcy, it has raised the question of whose responsibility it is to fix this continuing issue.

Illinois' loss is neighboring states' gain

By Cheyenne Dickerson | Mar 11, 2017

Illinois appears to be gushing jobs. For years now, labor-intensive manufacturing employees have been finding work in bordering states, but new graduates and younger employees are also fleeing in search of better opportunities. The most dramatic losses typically occur in summer.