, a project focused on local election integrity and voting access.
HARRISBURG, Pennsylvania A proposal moving through the GOP-led Pennsylvania legislature could soon make the state an extreme outlier in the country by allowing lawmakers to exert more control over the state Supreme Court and other appellate courts.
The measure, which could be before voters as soon as May, calls for abolishing statewide elections for appellate court judges and replacing them with races in partisan districts determined by lawmakers and redrawn every 10 years.
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A 50-state review by Spotlight PA and Votebeat, as well as interviews with judicial and academic experts, found only two other states Illinois and Louisiana employ such a system, which has increased partisan campaign fights and given special interests and dark money groups more of a foothold to affect the outcome of races.
There s little doubt that new Illinois Speaker of the House Emanuel "Chris" Welch will run the chamber differently than former longtime Speaker Michael Madigan.
Staff report
The University of Illinois Springfield celebrates African-American History Month in February with the theme, “Still We Rise.” The virtual events, which are designed to educate and raise awareness, are free and open to the public.
Monday, Feb. 8: The Status of Black Lives Matter: A Shift in Policy, Culture, Justice, and Reform. This UIS Engaged Citizenship Common Experience (ECCE) panel discussion by African American faculty and staff at UIS is designed to encourage students and the general public to learn about the societal issues that inform and led to the formation and evolution of the Black Lives Matter Movement. UIS panelists include Tessica Dooley, assistant professor of legal studies; Ty Price Dooley, associate professor of public administration, Tiffani Saunders, lecturer in Sociology/Anthropology and African American Studies; and Justin Rose, director of diversity and inclusion.
, a project focused on election integrity and voting access.
HARRISBURG A proposal moving through the GOP-led Pennsylvania legislature could soon make the state an extreme outlier in the country by allowing lawmakers to exert more control over the state Supreme Court and other appellate courts.
The measure, which could be before voters as soon as May, calls for abolishing statewide elections for appellate court judges and replacing them with races in partisan districts determined by lawmakers and redrawn every 10 years.
A 50-state review by Spotlight PA and Votebeat, as well as interviews with judicial and academic experts, found only two other states Illinois and Louisiana employ such a system, which has increased partisan campaign fights and given special interests and dark money groups more of a foothold to affect the outcome of races.
H.W. Brands Jr., a two-time Pulitzer Prize finalist whose latest book focuses on John Brown and Abraham Lincoln, will be among the presenters at the Benjamin P. Thomas Symposium marking the 212th anniversary of the birth of Abraham Lincoln on Feb. 12-13.
The symposium, which is put on by the Abraham Lincoln Association, will be held remotely because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The opening of the Center for Lincoln Studies at the University of Illinois Springfield will kick off the symposium at 10 a.m. on Feb. 12.
Rich Lowry, editor of The National Review and author of a book on Lincoln, will be the keynote speaker.