Rockford Sun

Illinois’ Culture of Corruption in the Headlines

SPRINGFIELD – Democrat Ed Burke, Chicago’s longest-serving alderman and a longtime ally of former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan, has been sentenced to prison in a high-profile corruption case. Burke, who used his influence to steer business to his law firm in exchange for helping companies navigate the Chicago City Council, was convicted on 13 charges of bribery, racketeering, and extortion. He received a two-year prison sentence and a $2 million fine for leveraging his position to improperly influence business dealings for personal gain.

Senate Republicans cite this conviction as further evidence of the urgent need for tougher ethics reforms to hold politicians accountable and facilitate law enforcement investigations into public corruption. Recent proposals from Republican lawmakers include stronger revolving door prohibitions, banning elected officials from working as paid lobbyists, and campaign finance reforms.

Laws Taking Effect July 1

Several new laws are set to take effect on July 1. These include measures allowing undocumented immigrants to obtain Illinois driver’s licenses, protections for children of social media influencers, additional safeguards for independent contractors, and changes to school assessment tests.

Undocumented Immigrants Drivers’ Licenses

Public Act 103-0210 allows non-citizens to obtain standard driver’s licenses. This replaces a previous system where they could only obtain licenses indicating their non-citizen status. Now they will be able to get the same licenses as Illinois citizens.

Underage Professional Vlogger Protections

Public Act 103-0556 seeks to protect children from exploitation by requiring influencers to set up a trust fund if they earn income from their child’s likeness.

Regulation for District-Administered Assessment in Schools

Public Act 103-0393 requires school boards to hold a public vote before approving new contracts for district-administered assessments.

Freelance Worker Protections

Public Act 103-0417 creates the Freelance Worker Protection Act providing protections for independent contractors.

ISP Partners with Texas DPS to Enhance Child Protection Training

A new partnership between the Illinois State Police (ISP) and the Texas Department of Public Safety trained officers on better protecting at-risk Illinois children. The Interdiction for the Protection of Children (IPC) training program aims to help officers identify signs of child exploitation, victimization, and abduction. The Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS), other law enforcement agencies, and child advocacy groups also attended the training.

Illinoisans are encouraged to report any suspicious activities involving minors to the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888. Additional resources can be found at www.humantraffickinghotline.org.

IDOT’s Fiscal Year 2025-2030 Plan Released

The Illinois Department of Transportation's (IDOT) newest Multi-Year Improvement Plan (MYP) is the largest in state history, investing $41.42 billion over six years in projects across every county in Illinois. Funding comes from federal, state, and local sources as part of the ongoing Rebuild Illinois Program aimed at modernizing roadways. Of this amount, $29.65 billion is earmarked for roads and bridges while $11.77 billion is allocated for public transit, freight railways, passenger railways, among other projects.

More information about the plan can be found on IDOT’s website.

Free Camping Near State Fairgrounds with Purchase of 2024 Admission Booklet

The Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) is offering free camping near fairgrounds during the Illinois State Fair with purchase of a 2024 admission booklet between June 26 and July 3. Campers can receive up to two complimentary nights at one of three Springfield-area state parks: Lincoln’s New Salem State Historic Site, Sangchris Lake State Park or Jim Edgar Panther Creek State Fish and Wildlife Area within August 11–16 dates.

For more information visit https://dnr.illinois.gov/.