Senators Charles Percy and Everett Dirksen, 1967. 
Photo from the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library & Museum. 

On January 3 in Washington DC the members of the 117th Congress were sworn in. As the members of the House and Senate took their seats they followed a long line of legislators which extends so far back through history that it pre-dates the Capitol building itself. Among these historic figures are the 51 United States Senators from the state of Illinois.

We are proud to introduce the newest House Republican members of the 102nd General Assembly. 

Sworn into office on January 5 of this year, State Representative Tim Ozinga of the 37th District hits the ground running. In this Leading Voices podcast episode he talks about using his business and civic experiences to help make the state a more attractive and affordable place to live. 

Learn more about Rep. Tim Ozinga.

Have All Voted Who Wish · Leading Voices: Rep. Tim Ozinga

Len Small (center) Governor of Illinois 1921-1929. 
Photo from the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library & Museum. 

As the 204 members of the 52nd General Assembly took their seats in the state Capitol on Wednesday, January 5, 1921, it was a hopeful time filled with the potential of new beginnings.

This optimism wasn’t felt just in Illinois. One hundred years ago this month many believed that the entire world had changed for the better and was entering a new era of peace and prosperity. The calamitous “war to end all wars” had come to an end and a peace treaty had been secured after a months-long conference. Scientific innovations were being repurposed from the development of battlefield technology to creations for the betterment of societies. The deadly Spanish Flu pandemic which had swept the globe was by this time mostly a thing of the past.

State Representative Jackie Haas of the 79th District was sworn into office last month. In this Leading Voices podcast episode she talks about jobs, taxes and working in a bipartisan manner.

Learn more about Rep. Jackie Haas:

Have All Voted Who Wish · Leading Voices: Rep. Jackie Haas

ETHICS
As Republicans Push for Subpoenas and Testimony, SIC Democrats Shut Down Madigan Investigation. House Democrats from the Special Investigating Committee (SIC) looking into the ethical conduct of Speaker of the House Michael J. Madigan were successful in shutting down the committee’s work on Monday by refusing to call additional witnesses or to issue subpoenas to Madigan and others with intimate knowledge of a nine-year bribery scheme between Commonwealth Edison (ComEd) and the Speaker. After truncating the committee’s work, Democrats voted that the Speaker did not engage in conduct unbecoming of a legislator which constituted a breach of the public trust. The federal investigation into political corruption and Michael J. Madigan continues. 

For many years Illinoisans and most other Americans have taken advantage of mail-order shopping, particularly around the holidays. This year, with the coronavirus pandemic making many of us shy about visiting retail establishments in person, the whole idea of being able to shop online or via catalog has taken on a whole new appeal.

But it isn’t a new idea. In fact, the concept of mail order shopping got a big boost right here in Illinois almost 150 years ago when a young man named Richard Sears found a unique way to promote his business selling watches.