Scott Holland

5 days ago | shawlocal.com | Scott Holland

In April, the state’s General Fund grew by $7.613 billion, the second largest monthly haul ever. The only more prosperous period was April 2022, when the Fund collected $8.037 billion, goosed by federal stimulus programs. This and other useful data come from the Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability’s monthly report (tinyurl.com/COGFAMay25), which is essential reading for those interested in where Springfield gets its money.

1 week ago | shawlocal.com | Scott Holland

For the past couple of years, in early May, someone from the editorial team has asked me to write a column coinciding with teacher appreciation pages. Sometimes that yields reflections on important mentors who shaped my youth. Or I’ll write about the special people who bonded with and positively changed my own children.

1 week ago | shawlocal.com | Scott Holland

Always read the decision. One key component of becoming an informed and involved taxpayer and voter is taking the time to become familiar with reading judicial decisions. No disrespect to my colleagues in the reporting and journalistic analysis communities, but primary source documents bring readers one step closer to being able to ask useful questions and evaluate the perspectives of political figures who gain from having their version of reality be the accepted truth.

1 week ago | shawlocal.com | Scott Holland

The thing about legacies is no one gets to choose how they’re remembered. In reflecting on the life of former Gov. George Ryan, who died at 91 Friday in his native Kankakee, my mind first lands where Ryan probably would prefer: his essential role in ending capital punishment in Illinois. In addition to personally agreeing with Ryan’s position and rhetoric, the debate overlapped significantly with my first decade covering state government.

1 week ago | shawlocal.com | Scott Holland

If this is the outcome, lawmakers missed the moment. Capitol News Illinois reported Wednesday on the increasingly real possibility the General Assembly will pull Chicago area public transportation off their fiscal cliff in the most predictable and least courageous manner: by allocating more money (from where remains to be seen) without reorganizing leadership of the Chicago Transit Authority, Metra or Pace Suburban Bus. All three would remain under a “newly empowered” Regional Transit Authority.