BELLEVILLE — Jason Plummer, a GOP candidate for the 12th U.S. House seat, on Monday received the endorsement of U.S. Rep. John Shimkus, R-Collinsville, for the Republican nomination in the March 20 primary election. “I think this is massively important,” Plummer said of his endorsement from Shimkus, who personally announced it at the newly opened [...]

Almost 50 years ago the decision determined that the Constitution required defendants in criminal cases to be provided with legal counsel, even if they cannot afford an attorney.   Yet all across this country – the basic rights guaranteed under have yet to be fully realized.   Millions of Americans still struggle to access the legal services [...]

The question isn’t whether Illinois’ finances are in dreadful shape, it’s how to fix the problem. Or perhaps more accurately, will legislators have the political will to fix it when they return to Springfield for their spring session? Even though the legislature and Gov. Pat Quinn last year imposed a temporary 67 percent state income [...]

“If foreclosure mediation is such a good idea, why haven’t more jurisdictions taken up the mantle? What are barriers to implementation and program participation, and is the conventional wisdom that mediation takes a long time and is costly supported by the evidence?” These were some of the critical questions posed last spring by Raphael Bostic, [...]