The Latest Breaking News from Don Harmon

Juul Labs, target of $440 million settlement, has given Illinois pols over $120,000 since 2020

Illinois House Speaker Emanuel ‘Chris’ Welch has been a major recipient of the company’s giving, campaign-finance records show.

Chicago Sun-Times · Sep 9, 2022

Top Illinois Dems should return campaign cash from pharma companies implicated in opioid crisis

If they seriously need the money, they need to give up their job representing their constituents because it would seem like they are only in it for the money.

Chicago Sun-Times · Aug 22, 2022

Pharma funds Illinois pols, ‘Sister Jean’ turns 103, Honest Chicagoans talk Air and Water Show and more in your Chicago news roundup

Today’s update is a 5-minute read that will brief you on the day’s biggest stories.

Chicago Sun-Times · Aug 19, 2022

Long hours, last-minute changes to finish state budget

Illinois will have $1 billion in its rainy day fund, but a worse than expected economic downturn could still cause some fiscal pain, although not nearly as much as in the days when the state had no cushion at all.

Chicago Sun-Times · Apr 15, 2022

Election-year politics make crime, inflation top issues in shortened Illinois legislative session

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — Republican state lawmakers, outnumbered and looking to boost their relevance, had one goal for the election-year legislative session — to paint majority Democrats as soft-on-crime and anti-police.

Chicago Tribune · Apr 10, 2022

Democrats reach deal on ‘responsible, compassionate budget’ — but GOP sees ‘rosy picture’ painted for an election year

In their 16-minute news conference, Pritzker and the Democratic leaders never mentioned the amount of overall spending called for in the budget plan, which had not yet been filed. Late Thursday, the governor’s office said they expected it to fall between $46 billion and $47 billion.

Chicago Sun-Times · Apr 8, 2022

House Democrats pitch nearly $1.4 billion in tax relief, but Republicans see election-year stunt

The tax relief in the plan announced by Illinois House Majority Leader Greg Harris falls squarely in the middle of the $1 billion in cuts Gov. J.B. Pritzker highlighted in his February budget proposal and the $1.8 billion that state Senate Democrats pitched last week.

Chicago Sun-Times · Apr 6, 2022