News

A new grant program is available to help boost and revitalize the tourism industry after COVID-19 brought hardships and stalled many attractions and festivals across the state. It’s called The Tourism Attractions and Festivals Grant program and will be funded with support of federal dollars from the American Rescue Plan Act. The Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity will

The Illinois Department of Transportation and Illinois Department of Natural Resources want to remind drivers to be on the lookout for deer crossing roadways across the state this fall. Deer are specifically on the run during the fall, as autumn is considered deer mating season. Deer are particularly active at dawn and dusk from October through December. Safe driving tips

The Illinois State Board of Education quietly updated the recognition status of eight nonpublic schools last week, moving them from “non recognized” to “on probation.” The change comes after calls from Republican members of the Joint Committee on Administrative Rules (JCAR) to bring amended rules to the panel that afford due process to nonpublic schools before removal of recognition takes

After being closed during 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Illinois State Fair attendance rebounded nicely in 2021. With more than 472,000 visitors, the 2021 Illinois State Fair was the second-highest-attended fair since the department began tracking formal attendance numbers in 2014. Attendance at this year’s fair was surpassed only by 2019’s historic records. The first weekend of the 2021

Job seekers in Illinois are not keeping pace with those seeking work in other Midwestern states. At 7 percent, the state’s unemployment rate in August is the 8th highest in the country, lagging behind the national unemployment rate of 5.2 percent. Illinois payrolls are still missing 43 percent of jobs lost at the beginning of the pandemic. The U of

Democrat leaders continue to choose political power over the will of the people by once again not allowing sufficient public input into revised legislative maps forced through the General Assembly on Aug. 31 and signed into law on Sept. 24 by the Governor. It was the second time in five months Pritzker approved maps drawn up by his fellow Democrats

Please join State Senator Syverson and State Representative Jeff Keicher in a Virtual Business Roundtable joined by Rob Karr from the Illinois Retail Merchants Association, Clark Kareicher from the Illinois Chamber of Commerce and Mark Grant National Federation of Independent Business. This forum will provide local businesses with the latest on new laws and regulations that are impacting your ability

On Sept. 13, Senate lawmakers returned to Springfield to vote on a controversial energy package that includes the largest utility rate increase in Illinois history. Senator Dave Syverson (R-Cherry Valley) issued the following statement after the passage of Senate Bill 2408: “While I wish I could have supported this bill to save the Byron Nuclear Plant, the fact is this

After the recent release of U.S. Census data, Illinois Democrats called the General Assembly back to Springfield for special session on Aug. 31 in order to “fix” their unconstitutional legislative maps. Legislative districts are meant to be roughly equal in population, yet the Democrats’ original maps had a 30 percent population deviation. Prior to that passage of those maps, Republicans,

In the early hours of September 1, lawmakers were forced to vote on a controversial energy proposal that State Senator Dave Syverson (R-Cherry Valley) says gives huge subsidies to solar and wind companies at the expense of Illinois’ nuclear fleet. “Byron’s nuclear resources provides some of the most cost-effective and reliable energy available today, and I remain committed to doing everything possible to