Sangamon Sun

Jury selection has commenced in the trial of former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan, who faces 23 charges including racketeering, bribery, and official misconduct. Madigan was indicted in March 2022 for his alleged involvement in a bribery scheme with Commonwealth Edison (ComEd), Illinois' largest utility. He served in the Illinois House from 1971 until his resignation in 2021 and held the speakership for much of that time.

As the trial begins, Senate Republicans are calling for significant ethics reforms to prevent future abuses of power. Proposed legislation includes closing loopholes, increasing accountability for public officials, stronger revolving door prohibitions, banning elected officials from working as paid lobbyists, and campaign finance reforms. With the Veto Session scheduled for November, Republican lawmakers are pushing for immediate action to protect against corruption.

The Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR) is alerting families about an increase in scams targeting students with loans. Scammers are exploiting recent challenges to federal relief programs by promising lower rates or loan forgiveness and requesting power-of-attorney. Students should be cautious of urgent requests or claims of government ties. Those targeted can contact the Illinois Attorney General’s Student Loan Hotline at 1-800-455-2456.

Illinois deer hunting season is underway with archery season running from October 1 through January 19 east of Route 47 and during this period west of Route 47 with breaks for firearm seasons starting mid-November. The general firearm deer season will occur from November 22 to 24 and December 5 to 8, while a muzzleloader-only season is set for December 13 to 15. Hunters must have valid licenses and permits and adhere to safety guidelines such as wearing visible clothing.

The Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) is celebrating National Women’s Business Month by recognizing over 450,000 women-owned businesses in the state. Throughout October, DCEO offers free events highlighting resources available to support women entrepreneurs.

Currently, Illinois owes $1,550,594,202.74 to state vendors with over 30,809 pending vouchers awaiting payment. This figure excludes debts like unfunded pension liabilities estimated at over $139 billion.