Wednesday, April 17, 2013
Lou Lang (D-Skokie) has been pushing for the use of medical marijuana for nearly a decade. Today, the bill - known as House Bill 1, was approved by the Illinois House 61-57.
The Illinois House approved Rep. Lou Lang’s (D-Skokie) measure to use marijuana for medical purposes on Wednesday. The bill passed 61-57, just two days before the April 19 deadline. The measure now moves to the senate. In 2009, the senate approved a similar version of the bill. Senate President John Cullerton said he supports the legislation, according to WSIL TV in Springfield. If passed, the bill would enter a four-year pilot program. Anyone who has been diagnosed by a physician “as having debilitating medical condition” can have up to 2.5 ounces of usable cannabis during a 14-day period, according to House Bill 1, or HB1. The green leafy substance will be taxed at a rate of 7 percent an ounce if passed. It should be noted, however, that…
Friday, March 22, 2013
Lawmakers proposed new taxes on oil rigs, license plates, satellite TV, strip clubs and more to find money for schools, parks, youth centers and crisis centers. Reboot Illinois talks taxes.
Our friends at Reboot Illinois, a news website dedicated to improving the state of our state, put together a detailed infographic on Illinois taxes in light of news that the temporary income tax hike passed in 2011 could become permanent. State Rep. Lou Lang, D-Skokie, has proposed a bill that would extend the increases indefinitely. Can legislators afford to roll back the tax hikes as planned? The answer is, pension reform notwithstanding, no. In 2012, the state collected almost $20 billion dollars in personal and corporate income tax revenue, a 79 percent increase from 2010. Still, the state’s backlog of unpaid bills increased by 60 percent and its unfunded pension liabilities went up by 13 percent over the same time period. State …
Thursday, March 7, 2013
The Illinois House of Human Services Committee approved a measure to legalize the use of medical marijuana on Wednesday. The bill's sponsor, Lou Lang (D-Skokie) told Patch the measure would be the strictest in the nation
The Illinois House of Human Services Committee approved a measure to legalize the use of medical marijuana on Wednesday, the Huffington Post reports. The final vote came in at 11-4. The measure now moves to the Illinois House for deliberation. House member Lou Lang (D-Skokie) has been pushing the legalization of medical marijuana for years. Whenever asked about the possibility of Illinois becoming the nineteenth state to legalize the green leafy substance, Lang is always optimistic. "Nobody should fear the bill," Lang told Skokie Patch. "This is about quality of life for people. While the House of Human Services approved the measure, nothing is set in stone. “As the State Journal-Register notes, similar legislation failed in the General …
Tuesday, February 26, 2013
State Rep. Lou Lang (D-Skokie) has proposed that Illinois keep its current tax hike of 5 percent to fund all five pension sectors indefinitely.
In 2011, Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn increased state income tax from 3 percent to 5 percent. The increase was supposed to expire in 2014, but state Rep. Lou Lang (D-Skokie) wants to keep that tax hike indefinitely - it's his solution for repaying the $97 billion owed to all five pension sectors in Illinois, the State Journal-Register reported. Under Lang's plan, state workers would be required to pay an additional 3 percentage points into their pensions and the minimum retirement age for full pension benefits would be 67-years-old, the Journal-Register stated. However, there are other proposals, but Lang is calling them "unconstitutional" because they would change cost-of-living benefits for retirees. "We need a pension plan that will not end …
Tuesday, November 6, 2012
The day has come to vote for the next president of the United States. But, who is running on the local level? Check out this guide for information on key races happening in the Skokie area.
- ELECTIONS
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Tuesday, November 6, 2012
Skokie Patch will be updating all of these races in real time throughout the evening until a winner is confirmed. Check our site later this afternoon for more specific details regarding the candidates and reporting precincts. Jan Schakowsky (D) vs Tim Wolfe (R) Schakowsky is seeking her eighth term as 9th District Congresswoman, but faces a newcomer and accountant in Republican candidate Tim Wolfe. Daniel Biss (D) vs Glenn Farkas (R) Biss, who is currently holding a seat in the 17th District House, is running for Senate in the 9th District. He will be facing Republican newcomer and Glenview resident Glenn Farkas. Ira Silverstein (D) - Silverstein (D) will not be facing anyone for his seat in the Senate's 8th District. Lou Lang (D) vs …
Tuesday, August 28, 2012
After morning chat with Oak Park fourth graders, Gov. Pat Quinn vetoes a controversial casino expansion plan. The bill's biggest sponsor, State Rep. Lou Lang from Skokie, said the governor's decision was "predictable."
- GOVERNMENT
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Tuesday, August 28, 2012
Appearing at Oak Park's Longfellow School on Tuesday, Gov. Pat Quinn vetoed a gambling expansion plan that would've added five new casinos in the state and allowed slot machines at horse racing tracks. Full text of Senate Bill 1849. Quinn, flanked by reporters in the school's playground, said his main concerns were about integrity and ethics in regulatory oversight process. "I think I did the right thing. We're not going to have loopholes for mobsters in Illinois, and the bill that was on my desk was woefully deficient when it came to protecting integrity and honesty in the regulation of gambling in our state," he said. Meanwhile, Mayor Rahm Emanuel issued the following statement on Quinn's decision: " ... Chicago loses $20 million a month…
tpn
2:07 am on Wednesday, April 24, 2013
I thinik Ko is dealing a little weed, afraid of the state making a profit and u loosing your bussiness on something that anyone can get anyways more ›