A time-honored tradition in Springfield is ignoring the deadline after which the number of votes to pass a bill increases from a simple majority to a three-fifths majority. By “tradition,” I mean that it happened more than once. One, for … Continue reading
Illinois House Clerk Fred Seclke was the person who delivered the message that virtually all of the employees on the Republican staff when Bob Blair was elected House Speaker would not have jobs after the middle of January. I was … Continue reading
A Chicago Tribune editorial earlier this month brought back memories of former Secretary of State Paul Powell. He died in 1970, reportedly which making love with his mistress in Michigan. When I got to Springfield in 1973, I was told … Continue reading
Reprinted from McHenry Times with permission of the author: McHenry County board chairman Franks receives ‘Civility’ award despite his dust-ups with watchdog groups by W.J. Kennedy Despite a history of ugly clashes with government watchdog groups, Jack Franks, chairman of the … Continue reading
“Do you know that guy Sam Skinner?” That’s what the Democrat across the aisle asked me one day shortly after our 1973 swearing in. “No, never met him,” was my answer. “That’s good, because he’s getting close to some of … Continue reading
October 31’s Chicago Sun-Times has an article about one of Governor Rod Blagojevich’s employees having been “wired” by Federal investigators. That’s never happened to me, but it happened twice that I know of during Governor Dan Walker’s term in the … Continue reading
The nomination of Republican John Cox as one of two gubernatorial candidates in California should make people wonder how two Democrats could advance to the November election with no Republican on the ballot. This strategy to eliminate a certain set … Continue reading
This weekend the Tribune highlighted the problem of school districts not being able to find out if prospective teachers had been found to have sexually abused students. In 2009, eight years after bringing too many boxes home my legislative office, … Continue reading
There was a protracted fight in the Illinois General Assembly during the 1970’s over whether Illinois should celebrate Memorial Day on May 30th or go with the flow and make another three-day weekend ending in the final Monday of May. … Continue reading
Cassandra was a Greek goddess who could predict the future, but who could do nothing to change it. That came to mind when I read of the accident at Randall Road and Alexandra Boulevard on Saturday. When that part of … Continue reading
Why is voting important? When people tdll me they are not going to vote, I tell them to do so because the politicians will have their hands in their pockets anyway. But voting is a way to keep politicians nervous. … Continue reading
Today is primary election day in Illinois and you may be surprised that a citizen whose birth date is on the McHenry County Clerk’s books at being January 1, 1800, is going to cast a ballot. As you can see … Continue reading
Dark Money Mud Slinging Now Includes Former State Rep. Despite former State Rep. Cal Skinner being awarded custody of his daughter after the alleged incident, the slander seems to surface every election. The allegations on the libelous mailer received yesterday … Continue reading
That is the message on the outside of the envelope containing my letter to Algonquin Township Precinct 7 neighbors. I got so fed up with Bruce Rauner’s mailings calling Jeanne Ives a tool of Mike Maedigan I even quoted John … Continue reading
A friend at the First United Methodist Church’s Friday food distribution at the Nunda Township Hall (next Friday at Bethany Lutheran Church, come at noon) approached me with a gift. He had read my article about Jack Franks wanting to … Continue reading
We’re back to McHenry County Board Chairman Jack Franks’ paranoia. He thinks he is important enough that someone would want to kill him. [Cue canned laughter.] He pretends that he was scared for his life (and his family’s) when a … Continue reading
I can’t give you the exact quotes, but President Donald Trump just trashed the nationwide concept of “gun free” school zones. He argued that schools should be come “hardened sites” which give prospective shooters the knowledge that there might be … Continue reading
Found this T-Shirt at a Norge Ski Club fundraiser in 2008. My spelling skills peaked in 8th grade in a Salt Lake City junior high spelling bee, which I won. … Continue reading
Governor Bruce Rauner has signed a bill making milkweed exempt from noxious or exotic weed designations. Milkeweed is needed by monarch butterflies. The bill passed the Illinois House 114-2 with GOP gubernatorial hopeful Jeannie Ives voting in the negative. In … Continue reading
With the Crystal Lake High School majority about to do tomorrow what I predicted would happen if the teachers union-endorsed candidates won, I share my Algonquin 7 precinct letter about the District 155 part of that election: Another election is … Continue reading
