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Jeanne Ives
Quick Hit
by Ashlee Rezin
4:08pm
Wed Aug 21

Roskam Gets Targeted By Activists For 'Standing In The Way' Of Immigration, Health Care Reform (VIDEO)

While U.S. Rep. Peter Roskam (R, IL-6) attended a town hall meeting in Naperville on Wednesday, a group of protesters, upset with the congressman’s opposition to the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and several immigration reform proposals, held a demonstration outside.

Roskam, the protesters allege, has not offered any concrete solutions to fix the nation’s broken immigration and health care systems, but instead has only blocked solutions based on partisanship.

“Democracy can’t survive on just standing in the way,” said John Gaudette, organizing director for Citizen Action Illinois, who helped organize the protest. “If he’s taking the opposing stance, he needs to tell us what works and come up with an alternative plan.” Read more »

Quick Hit
by Ellyn Fortino
12:56pm
Fri Aug 9

Northern Illinois Light Brigade Puts ALEC In The Spotlight

A few dozen activists and members of the Northern Illinois Light Brigade gathered near the Palmer House Hilton Thursday evening in an effort to shine some light, literally, on the pro-corporate and conservative American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC).

Thursday was day two of ALEC's 40th annual three-day conference, which is being held at the downtown hotel this week.

The light brigade illuminated large letter signs that read "Fight To End ALEC," and other slogans. The signs drew attention from curious people on the street as well as looks from likely ALEC members as they made their way in and out of the Palmer House.

Activist Bill Weiss, a Kirkland, Illinois resident, said ALEC creates legislation that hurts average people while filling the pockets of big corporations.

"As long as ALEC is allowed to continue to write our laws for us, they’re never going to be laws for the people," Weiss said. "They're always going to be laws for the corporations, and we can’t let that happen.” Read more »

PI Original
by Ellyn Fortino
6:00pm
Thu Aug 8

Report: Hundreds Of ALEC Bills Introduced This Year Promote A Corporate Agenda

Public Policy

In the first six months of 2013, 466 pieces of ALEC-backed legislation promoting the agenda of “polluters, privatizers, and profiteers” were introduced in statehouses across the country, according to a report released Thursday by the Center for Media and Democracy (CMD). Progress Illinois takes a closer look at ALEC and the legislation for which it advocates.

PI Original
by Ashlee Rezin
8:07pm
Tue Mar 5

Aversion To Fracking Continues In Illinois Despite Compromise Bill

Environment

As the Illinois Hydraulic Fracturing Regulatory Act was moved to committee yesterday, a coalition of 15 organizations sent a letter to Gov. Pat Quinn and the Illinois General Assembly, asking for a ban on hydraulic fracturing, instead of regulations on the oil and gas drilling technology.