(SPRINGFIELD) With businesses in Illinois now suffering on multiple levels, a downstate lawmaker argues it is clear the state has become its own worst enemy when it comes to making things better. State Representative Brad Halbrook of Shelbyville says the U.S. Census Bureau stats show only 5.6% of business applications in Illinois ultimately turned into establishments open for business within the first year, equating to the third lowest conversion rate in the Midwest and falling well below the national average of 6.1%. Florida, Tennessee, Texas, and North Carolina rank among the top states for attracting businesses from other states, while California, New York, and Maryland join Illinois near the bottom.
(SPRINGFIELD) A downstate lawmaker says recently-signed legislation will ensure that Illinois taxpayers do not have to pay for cleaning up abandoned oil wells. With Senate Bill 2463 taking effect in 2026, on January 1st, the bill’s sponsor, State Senator Erica Harriss of Glen Carbon, says the measure addresses a costly problem as the law would hold oil well operators, not taxpayers, financially responsible for closing and remediating sites once the drilling operations and production have ended. According to the Environmental Defense Fund, more than 150,000 oil, gas, and injection wells have been drilled in Illinois since 1853, with most of the state’s 4,050 “orphan” oil wells located in southern Illinois.
(DU QUOIN) As the Du Quoin State Fair wrapped up it’s multi-day run last night, upgrades on the fairgrounds have been announced. IDOA officials say $16.4 millions will be used for road repairs, adding to more than $30 million from the Rebuild Illinois program and $21.7 million of work will be completed by the fairgrounds’ own Buildings & Grounds team. This comes as critics argue taxpayers should not have to maintain two state fairs. Supporters of the Du Quoin State Fair say value of maintaining two state fairs in Illinois is warranted due to the long distance between downstate areas and Illinois State Fair in Springfield.