CHICAGO (AP) — Republican Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner has conceded to Democratic opponent J.B. Pritzker. Rauner’s concession came less than an hour after polls closed Tuesday. Early vote totals had Pritzker with about 65 percent of the vote. Rauner shared the remaining percentage with two independent candidates. In his concession speech, Rauner said it is…
CHICAGO (AP) – Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner has granted eight requests for clemency and denied 85 other petitions. Rauner’s office announced the clemencies Friday. They continue the Republican’s practice of approving requests at a far lower rate than his predecessor, Democratic Gov. Pat Quinn. The petitions granted were for crimes including burglary, theft, drug possession…
CHICAGO (AP) — Illinois’ new state budget relies on more than $400 million in savings from a new pension buyout plan that finance experts caution is highly speculative and may not save as much money as lawmakers say. The budget sailed through the Legislature this week on a bipartisan vote, and Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner,…
By JOHN O’CONNOR , AP Political Writer SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) — Eight years after Illinois abolished the death penalty, the state’s Republican governor on Monday proposed reinstating the punishment for mass killers and people who gun down police officers. Gov. Bruce Rauner tied the death penalty plan to gun restrictions favored by Democrats who control…
By SARA BURNETT and JOHN O’CONNOR, Associated Press CHICAGO (AP) — Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner has reserved 30-minute time slots on TV stations across Illinois for infomercial-like campaign ads featuring FBI recordings of conversations between a top Democratic rival and now-imprisoned former Gov. Rod Blagojevich. The ads, which include 11 minutes of discussions between billionaire businessman…
By JOHN O’CONNOR, AP Political Writer SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) — Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner emerged Wednesday from a weeklong stay at a military veterans’ home beset by a deadly Legionnaires’ outbreak and announced the state will replace the plumbing at the sprawling, 130-year-old site. The first-term Republican told reporters that cutting-edge water distribution will quickly advance…
CHICAGO (AP) — Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner has named a state economist as the head of his office of management and budget. A late Friday statement from Rauner’s office says Hans Zigmund will take over the job on Jan. 15. He’s replacing Scott Harry, who is taking a position with the Illinois State Board of…
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) — Gov. Bruce Rauner has congratulated the Illinois General Assembly for adopting anti-sexual harassment protections. But the Republican took a shot Tuesday at Democrats who control the General Assembly. In a statement he says his office has a harassment-free code that’s enforced. He says the Legislature “finally moved to protect its members…
CHICAGO (AP) – Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner says he understands the moral objections to abortion but signed into law expanded coverage for them because he believes all women should have the same health care options. Rauner signed the measure Thursday. It expands state health insurance coverage and Medicaid for low-income women to abortions. The first-term…
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) – Governor Bruce Rauner is seeking federal help for people in four northern Illinois counties affected by flooding and severe storms this summer. Rauner’s office said Friday he asked President Donald Trump to approve federal assistance for property owners in Cook, Kane, Lake and McHenry counties. If the help is approved, people…