(SPRINGFIELD) With early voting for the November 5th general election beginning in just over two months in Illinois, the political parties are putting out their election integrity teams. Early voting in Illinois begins 40 days before the November election, or around the 26th of September. Meanwhile, lawmakers on both sides of the aisle say the Illinois voting process needs reforms, especially in dealing with same-day registration, which creates chaos county clerks around state who administer the election on the local level.
(SPRINGFIELD) A fatal police-involved shooting in Springfield earlier this month is driving calls for reforms on how law enforcement interacts with the public. In the early morning hours of July 6th, Springfield resident Sonya Massey, a woman of color, called police about a suspected prowler and two Sangamon County Sheriff Deputies arrived on the scene. Body camera footage released by the Illinois State Police this past Monday show Deputy Sean Grayson, who is white, confronting the woman and eventually shooting her in the head, leading to her death. Grayson was immediately relieved of duty, now facing murder charges and remaining in the Sangamon County Jail while he awaits his next court appearance.
(SPRINGFIELD) The Illinois Housing Development Authority Board has announced awards totaling $23.8 million in federal Low-Income Housing Tax Credits that will finance the creation and preservation of 16 affordable housing developments in 10 Illinois counties, all mostly upstate. Once completed, the developments will offer 792 affordable units for low-t0-moderate-income families, senior citizens, and persons with special needs. Officials say the public-private program is the largest generator of affordable housing in the nation.
(SPRINGFIELD) A total of 250 unclaimed property lots scheduled for public display at the Illinois State Fair on Thursday, August 15th, will then go up for live auction two days later on Saturday, the 17th. Among the items up for grabs are scores of collectible coins, bills, and bars of precious metals, plus collectible sports cards, jewelry, and much more. State Treasurer Michael Frerichs will serve as guest auctioneer to start the live auction which will begin at 11:00 that morning on the State Fairgrounds. With the 250 lots to be auctioned off, some will go as single items and others with multiple items. Check the Treasurer’s website.