East Central Reporter

Federal prosecutors have made their closing arguments in the trial of former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan. The prosecution accused Madigan of using Chicago Alderman Danny Solis’ influence to gain personal benefits. Assistant U.S. Attorney Diane MacArthur described this scheme as the "Make Mike Madigan Money Plan," alleging that it involved bribery schemes with companies like Commonwealth Edison and AT&T Illinois.

MacArthur stated, "He (Madigan) wanted Solis to reach out to developers because the developers weren’t going to say no to Danny Solis." She further alleged that Madigan was more focused on his desire for private gain than addressing Solis' illegal suggestions. The prosecutor claimed that both ComEd and AT&T Illinois indirectly hired allies of Madigan, who performed little work, as a form of bribe to facilitate favorable legislation.

During her argument, MacArthur criticized Madigan's delayed response to Solis' proposal, suggesting he should have opposed it instead of agreeing by saying “Yeah, okay.” MacArthur told the jury that such an agreement should be seen as a 'wrong way' sign for public officials.

In another legal matter, the Illinois Supreme Court is set to decide on a law restricting where people can file constitutional challenges against the state. The case Piasa Armory vs. Kwame Raoul challenges a measure limiting lawsuits to Sangamon and Cook counties. A circuit court had previously ruled that this venue statute violated due-process rights.

Deputy Solicitor General Alex Hemmer defended the law by stating that judges in these counties have more experience with such cases. However, Justice David Overstreet questioned whether this practice amounted to unreasonable forum shopping.

In agriculture news, Illinois has reported a record soybean harvest for 2024, totaling 688 million bushels from 10.75 million acres. This surpasses the previous record set in 2018 and highlights Illinois' role as a major hub for food-related businesses.

The Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability (CGFA) released its report on Illinois’ tax situation compared with other states. In 2023, Illinois had one of the highest per capita state government tax revenues at $5,019 but ranked lower in terms of sales taxes paid per capita at $1,235. The state's high-tax status is noted as potentially hindering economic growth and population trends.

Illinois faces challenges related to its stagnant population growth and high unemployment rate which stood at 5.3% in October 2024—ranking it among the worst in the nation according to CGFA’s analysis.