CHICAGO (AP) — Attorney General Jeff Sessions will deliver a speech in Chicago on the heels of a Trump administration decision to oppose a proposed plan to overhaul Chicago police under close court supervision.

Here’s a link to the story at the Southern Illinoisan.

October 21 at The People’s House

Art in Illinois exhibit is focal point of four-part Governor’s Mansion series

SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois Governor’s Mansion Association has announced the upcoming schedule for their complimentary “Families First Adventures” series on the third Sunday of each month from October through January. Art of Illinois family tours are designed for families with children ages 3-12 to encourage children and adults to enjoy art exhibitions together at the Governor’s Mansion located at 410 E. Jackson Street.

The upcoming schedule is as follows:

October 21 – “The Nature of Art”

November 18 – “Listening to Visual Art”

December 16 – “Sculpture Safari”

January 20 – “Art Investigation”

Reservations are required and can be made by calling (217) 782-6450. No large bags will be allowed on the Mansion grounds. Photography of the exhibits will not be permitted.

“We are excited to offer this opportunity for families to experience these unique art exhibits together,” said First Lady Diana Rauner, Chair of the Illinois Governor’s Mansion Association, a not-for-profit organization. “Each month will showcase a different theme and exhibits, making this a fun family-friendly outing children can enjoy all season long.”

Then Art of Illinois exhibit features more than 100 works of fine and decorative art as well as industrial arts dating back 750 years. Pieces in the collection are on loan from museums and organizations across Illinois, including the Chicago History Museum, the Illinois State Museum’s Legacy Collection, and the Peoria Riverfront Museum, among others.

Art of Illinois was made possible by the support of private individuals, corporations and foundations, including grants from the Illinois Arts Council Agency & the Terra Foundation for American Art as part of its Art Design Chicago initiative.

Rauner cites digital technology advances as he opens NGA Smarter States conference

 CHICAGO —Illinois is using advanced digital technologies to give taxpayers better service at lower costs. The result is a “smarter state,” one with more efficient government operations, lower ongoing costs, and savings of millions of taxpayer dollars.

Gov. Bruce Rauner struck this “more for less” theme here today at the opening of the National Governors Association’s (NGA) Smarter States, Smarter Communities Learning Lab. The Lab is a three-day conference for state officials from all over the country to learn how to deploy smart technologies and advanced data analytics to improve state government operations.

“Illinois is at the forefront of the smart state movement,” Rauner said. “We see technology advances as opportunities to foster economic development and support our job creators by delivering service that is efficient, timely, and accessible by modern digital standards. The NGA’s Learning Lab gives us a chance to share our experiences with other states and find out what we can learn from each other. It’s a great program.”

The Smarter States, Smarter Communities Learning Lab is hosted by the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices, a bipartisan organization that works with the nation’s governors on pressing policy issues. The Learning Lab will take place from October 17-19 at the Ambassador Hotel in Chicago.

“NGA is pleased to recognize Illinois as the first “smart state” that is working to share their lessons learned with others through the NGA Smarter States, Smarter Communities initiative,” said Sue Gander, Director, Environment, Energy & Transportation Division, NGA Center for Best Practices. “Governors have a great opportunity to enhance the quality of life for their citizens and improve economic development by harnessing the power of advanced communications networks, data analytics, smart transportation and energy technologies. This first cohort of five states will help demonstrate how to advance a “smart for all” vision.”

Promoting innovation within government has been a priority for Rauner since the beginning of his administration. In 2016, an executive order established the Department of Innovation and Technology, which consolidated Illinois’ I.T. functions into one agency. Since then, the cybersecurity operations center has strengthened protections for confidential records and has trained more than 46,000 state employees in cybersecurity.

Rauner also has promoted increasing online access to government information and services. The administration’s “Going Mobile” strategy has increased mobile service deliveries from 3 percent to 45 percent in the last year and has produced more than 40 mobile apps to streamline access to information. Ninety percent of state licenses are now available online, lowering application times by 22 percent and reducing costs of paper and postage by $600,000 a year. Additionally, 96 percent of the state’s school districts now have access to high-speed internet, up from 71 percent in 2015.

Modernized state technology is reducing cyber risk and saving money. Eighty-one percent of state agencies have migrated to the Illinois.gov platform, reducing the costs and security risks associated with maintaining multiple domains. Meanwhile, 420 different human resources, grant management, and financial reporting systems are being consolidated into one integrated platform. This enterprise resource plan will save taxpayers between $139 million and $300 million annually once it is fully implemented.

“The Department of Innovation and Technology has played an important role in making Illinois government more efficient and effective,” said Acting Secretary Kirk Lonbom. “The state’s collaboration with the NGA and other states from around the country will help us achieve our mission of cutting costs, improving service delivery, and providing value to Illinois taxpayers.”

Illinois ranked dead last in terms of fiscal stability using the most recent data that marks the first year lawmakers and Gov. Bruce Rauner failed to agree on a budget. The author of the report notes that the state also had lower taxes at the time.

Here’s a link to the story at Illinois News Network.

While a couple of state budget analysis groups differ on how much more Democratic gubernatorial candidate J.B. Pritzker could spend if he’s elected, they agree Pritzker will cost taxpayers more.

Here’s a link to the story at Illinois News Network.

Illinois high school students posted the highest average ACT score in at least nearly three decades, but that achievement is tempered by the tremendous drop in the number of students who took the test.

Here’s a link to the story at the Chicago Tribune.

Democratic governor candidate J.B. Pritzker’s record $146 million in self-funding of his campaign has been documented in real time, but campaign finance reports filed late Monday show just how much he and Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner are spending.

Here’s a link to the story at the Southern Illinoisan.

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) — Illinois officials have a message for voters this election season: Your vote is safe.

Here’s a link to the story at the Southern Illinoisan.

BELLEVILLE — The two challengers in Illinois’ 12th District contest had the conversation all to themselves Tuesday during the first of two public debates — incumbent Mike Bost had other plans.

Here’s a link to the story at the Southern Illinoisan.