(The Center Square) – An analysis of the tax impacts from Illinois’ gun ban couldn’t precisely peg how much is being lost. The Illinois Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability analyzed possible lost tax revenue from the banning of more than 170 semi-automatic firearms, magazines over certain capacities, and various attachments. The law was enacted […]
(The Center Square) – Illinois House Republicans are introducing legislation to shore up the state’s response to human trafficking. State Rep. Jeff Keicher, R-Sycamore, said the anti-trafficking organization Shared Hope International recently gave Illinois an “F” grade for its current laws to address the problem. “Of the six metrics that they use to grade a state’s […]
Former President Donald Trump defended TikTok the day that legislation advanced in the House of Representatives to force a divestiture by the social media platform’s Chinese parent company, a reversal from his policies as president. Trump spoke in favor of TikTok soon after the House Energy and Commerce Committee voted to approve Rep. Mike Gallagher’s […]
(The Center Square) — To guide opioid-related spending in the future, the Department of Health wants to figure out which programs are doing the best. “The opioid crisis has been an overwhelming issue for families across the country,” Acting Secretary Debra Bogen said during a Senate budget hearing Thursday. “We should think about it as […]
A group of Senate Republicans torched the package of spending bills that would extend funding for the federal government over billions of dollars in earmarks. House Republicans put more than $4.5 billion worth of small grants for programs and projects in congressional districts in the appropriations bills introduced this week, but it will be up […]
(The Center Square) – Pennsylvania’s economic stability comes down to how far into the future budget planners look. For Gov. Josh Shapiro’s administration, its “aggressive” $48.3 billion spending proposal asks for only one year of funding. In this case, $3.2 billion more than last year. The Senate Republican lawmakers that stand as its primary critics, […]
(The Center Square) — For an aging state that’s seen depopulation in the majority of its counties, Pennsylvania’s health care system struggles to meet the needs of its residents. “Access to care is a crisis here in the commonwealth,” said Rep. Bridget Kosierowski, D-Scranton during a joint meeting of the Health and Professional Licensure Committees […]
The Center Square) – Recently, The Center Square reported that the Washington Secretary of State’s Office contracted with a U.K.-based company, Logically, to monitor social media platforms and generate reports on election or voting “misinformation.” The project is a more technically advanced version of similar efforts conducted by SOS under then-Secretary of State Kim Wyman during the 2020 […]
The economy again beat expectations in February and added 275,000 jobs, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Friday, a sign the labor market is retaining momentum early in the year. The unemployment rate rose two tenths of a percentage point to 3.9%. Notably, the unemployment rate remains low by historical standards. The job growth is boost for the […]
President Joe Biden cracked a joke about wishing sometimes that he was “cognitively impaired” following his State of the Union address on Thursday night. As Biden made his way through the House chamber after delivering his remarks, he spoke with several members of Congress. Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-NY) remarked that “nobody’s going to talk about […]
