INSANE: 12 | Vintage Vibes

Private meetings prevent public spats in Springfield

Members of the Legislature can hammer things out behind closed doors ahead of public debates because the General Assembly has long exempted itself from the Illinois Open Meetings Act.

Chicago Sun-Times · Jun 2, 2023

Church of Scotland to remain 'impartial' on Scottish independence

THE Church of Scotland has decided it would be “unwise” to take a corporate position on Scottish

The National (Scotland) · May 25, 2023

State lawmakers fail to finish budget, school district map, so they plan to try again next week

The General Assembly had planned to adjourn Friday, but Democratic leaders blew that self-imposed deadline. So lawmakers will return to Springfield on Wednesday to wrap up unfinished business, which includes the state budget and the elected school board map.

Chicago Sun-Times · May 20, 2023

Newcomers will represent at least 23% of New Jersey’s state legislative seats next year

Twenty-eight state legislative seats up for election in New Jersey this year are open, meaning no incumbents filed to run. This represents 23% of the state’s legislature, a decade-high rate of open seats, and a marked increase from previous election cycles.

Ballotpedia · Apr 28, 2023

Report reveals Church of Scotland's historical connections to slavery

THE Church of Scotland is the custodian of a multi-million-pound fund which can be traced back to compensation paid out to a family upon the…

The National (Scotland) · Apr 28, 2023

Can Maryland prosecutors charge priests who abused children 50 years ago? It’s complicated

BALTIMORE — In 1974, Father Francis LeFevre fondled a boy through his clothes at St. Anthony of Padua in Baltimore, one of several children LeFevre would be accused of molesting over the years.

Tribune News Service · Apr 22, 2023

Colorado assault weapons ban killed in late-night vote by House committee

Three Colorado House Democrats joined with Republican colleagues to block a bill early Thursday that would have banned the sale or purchase of assault weapons in the state, after hours of heated public testimony and a late attempt by the bill’s sponsor to dramatically scale the measure back and salvage…

The Denver Post · Apr 20, 2023

Colorado assault weapons ban’s sponsor floats sizable scaleback of contentious bill

The Denver lawmaker sponsoring a proposed ban on the sale or purchase of assault weapons in Colorado floated a significant scaleback of the bill Wednesday morning — a move that acknowledged the uncertainty of an impending committee vote.

The Denver Post · Apr 19, 2023

Kentucky Black lawmakers plead for gun reform

In the wake of two mass shootings in Louisville last week, Kentucky’s Black Legislative Caucus is asking the General Assembly to pass comprehensive gun reform legislation.

WEKU · Apr 19, 2023

What’s on Maryland Gov. Wes Moore’s desk after the 2023 General Assembly session?

BALTIMORE — Maryland Democrats had an ambitious agenda at the start of the first session of a Gov. Wes Moore’s brand-new term.

Tribune News Service · Apr 15, 2023