‘A Springfield setup,’ Illinois lawmakers advancing $12,000 pay raises as part of $1.7 billion spending bill

(The Center Square) – Illinois state lawmakers are looking to give themselves a $12,000 raise with a bill that spends more than $1.7 billion of taxpayer money

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Bipartisan group of lawmakers to tour southern border

(The Center Square) – Arizona’s newly-independent U.S. senator and a senior Texas Republican plan to bring several of their colleagues to the southern border for a firsthand look at what she calls “Washington’s failure.”

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Interstate 57 will be closed at the beginning of this week

Drivers on Interstate 57 will be facing a detour next weekend as the Illinois Department of Transportation will close a portion of the highway to demolish a bridge south of Marion.

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Kevin McCarthy elected House speaker in 15th floor vote after days of high drama

Kevin McCarthy’s difficult road to becoming House speaker ended early Saturday morning after Republicans appeared to have miscounted the number of votes they needed and left him one vote short of winning the gavel, then quickly voted one last time to give him the win – with help from some of his biggest detractors.

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Illinois gun ban bill advances, poised to pass before end of lame-duck

(The Center Square) – Illinois lawmakers are moving forward with a proposed ban on future sales of certain semi-automatic guns and magazines with more than 12 rounds.

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Biden announces border visit as illegal crossings surge, expands ‘legal’ immigration

(The Center Square) – President Joe Biden said Thursday that he will visit the southern border Sunday. The announcement came in a speech on illegal immigration, where Biden promised more border security and pushed for increased legal immigration.

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McCarthy fails to win Speaker spot after 11 consecutive attempts

(The Center Square) – Republican lawmakers remained divided Thursday, voting a seventh, eighth, ninth, 10th and 11th time for a Speaker of the House with no one getting the needed 218 votes to secure the spot.

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Gov. J.B. Pritzker ‘comfortable and confident’ cashless bail is constitutional despite court ruling to contrary

Gov. J.B. Pritzker said Wednesday that he is “comfortable and confident” a state law ending cash bail that was set to take effect New Year’s Day is constitutional despite a court ruling to the contrary, but that supporters will “come back at it” if the lower court ruling stands.

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Mayorkas says massive migrant numbers ‘straining our system,’ calls for Congress to act

Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas, in an interview aired Wednesday, is warning that the enormous migrant numbers being encountered at the southern border are “straining our system” as he again echoed administration calls for Congress to pass a sweeping immigration bill that includes an amnesty for millions of illegal immigrants.

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The vote for House speaker

Friends and foes of Kevin McCarthy were meeting behind closed doors Wednesday night after the House adjourned and members planned to return by 8 p.m.

Here’s a link to the story.

Benton, West Frankfort, Illinois News | Franklin County News