Illinois
Proposed pension ‘fix’ could place additional burden on Illinois taxpayers, Illinois Answers finds
![Proposed pension ‘fix’ could place additional burden on Illinois taxpayers, Illinois Answers finds](https://cdn.abcotvs.com/dip/images/13242869_051312-wls-weekend-watch-guest-850a-vid.jpg?w=1600)
Saturday, May 13, 2023 4:33PM
CHICAGO (WLS) — An influential state senator is proposing new legislation that he said will “fix” a 2010 law that aimed to stem Illinois’ pension crisis by cutting back retirement benefits for future public employees.
The group of bills, proposed by State Sen. Robert Martwick (D-Chicago), would balloon Chicago’s and Cook County’s pension benefits at a time when taxpayers are already being pressed. Martwick said it’s a necessary move, but experts and city officials are warning of collateral damage if the legislation moves forward too quickly.
Chicago leaders and other local governments are blasting the bills for their promise to burden taxpayers with hundreds of millions more dollars in pension obligations. At least one fiscal watchdog said the proposals risk repeating the previous law’s sin of taking action before studying the consequences.
The Illinois Answers Project dug into this proposed solution to fix the state’s pension crisis. The full report can be read here.
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Illinois
Illinois driver repeats as Gopher 50 champion
![Illinois driver repeats as Gopher 50 champion](https://cdn.forumcomm.com/dims4/default/66116e8/2147483647/strip/true/crop/4947x3298+0+0/resize/1599x1066!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fforum-communications-production-web.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F3b%2Ff3%2F30081bc34a8bb1513cff2db60e39%2F070823-deer-creek-jacobi-33.jpg)
(Editor’s note: This story will be updated later tonight with more details.)
SPRING VALLEY — The Gopher 50 charity Late Model race has been held in southeastern Minnesota for the past 42 years.
Only three times prior to Saturday had a driver won the prestigious race — promoted since its inception by the Blooming Prairie Lions Club — in consecutive years.
Make that four times.
Oakwood, Ill., Late Model driver Bobby Pierce left the 3/8-mile high-banked dirt track on Saturday night the same way he left it a year ago — $50,000 richer.
Saturday, Pierce beat a star-studded and talented field to win the Gopher 50 A Main and join Steve Kosiski (1981-82), Billy Moyer (2000-01) and Darrell Lanigan (2013-15) as the only drivers to win the main feature at the Gopher in consecutive years.
Brandon Sheppard (the 2019 Gopher 50 champion), Tyler Erb, Ryan Gustin and Nick Hoffman rounded out the top five finishers.
Rochester native Dustin Sorensen finished 11th, after starting 17th.
• Jake O’Neil captured the 35-lap USRA Modifieds A Main on Saturday night.
Hayfield’s Brandon Davis finished as the runner-up, while Jake Timm (Winona), Joe Chisholm (Osage, Iowa) and Rodney Sanders (Happy, Texas) rounded out the top five in the 30-car field.
Our newsroom occasionally reports stories under a byline of “staff.” Often, the “staff” byline is used when rewriting basic news briefs that originate from official sources, such as a city press release about a road closure, and which require little or no reporting. At times, this byline is used when a news story includes numerous authors or when the story is formed by aggregating previously reported news from various sources. If outside sources are used, it is noted within the story.
Illinois
Crews continue search for 2 Illinois men missing in Lake Michigan near Hammond, officials say
![Crews continue search for 2 Illinois men missing in Lake Michigan near Hammond, officials say](https://cdn.abcotvs.com/dip/images/15034094_070524-wls-maher-hammond-boaters-10p-vid.jpg?w=1600)
HAMMOND, Ind. (WLS) — Crews were be back out on Lake Michigan Saturday morning looking for two missing Illinois men. The search was suspended again for a second day, and it will resume again on Sunday.
The video in the player above is from a previous report.
The search was suspended Friday night because of dangerous water conditions.
ABC7 Chicago is now streaming 24/7. Click here to watch
The Indiana Department of Natural Resources posted an update about the water search to their Facebook page Saturday.
Authorities said there were 12 people on the boat around 2:30 p.m. Friday. A men went missing after he off a boat to go swimming near Hammond, Indiana, officials told ABC7.
When the swimmer began to struggle in the water, two others jumped in to help.
“Because of the wind and the waves all three individuals and the boat got separated so they began to drift in the water,” said Indiana Conservation Officer Alex Neel.
SEE ALSO | Body pulled from Lake Michigan nearly 1 week after swimmer went missing off Evanston beach: city
Police said the third person who jumped in was the only one wearing a life jacket. He was later rescued by the coast guard and will be okay.
ABC7 was told one missing man is from Elk Grove Village and the other is from Mount Prospect.
Police said no foul play is suspected and they do not believe alcohol was a factor; it was simply because of the dangerous water conditions. They ask everyone to pay attention to forecasts before heading out into Lake Michigan.
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Illinois
Governor signs bill to help Illinois with large medical debt
![Governor signs bill to help Illinois with large medical debt](https://media-cdn.socastsrm.com/wordpress/wp-content/blogs.dir/2745/files/2024/07/220429144-1200x675.jpg)
Governor JB Pritzker has signed a pair of bills aimed at helping Illinoisans get out from under medical debt.
Capitol News Illinois reports lawmakers passed the legislation – which allows the state to partner with a non-profit organization to buy the debt for cheap – earlier this spring. The state’s new budget allocates ten million dollars for the program.
Speaking on C-N-I’s Illinois Lawmakers program last week, Pritzker said it’ll ease a strain for many Illinoisans.
The medical debt elimination is just one part of the legislative package – Pritzker also signed a bill that prevents credit agencies from factoring medical debt into a person’s credit rating.
Pritzker has signed more than 50 bills this week.
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