“Illinois” on The Daily Caller

Wisconsin is about to become the 49th state in the nation to legalize concealed carry, leaving Illinois as the only state left without such a provision. (more)

To understand Barack Obama and his fellow Democrats, examine the Petri dish of their experiment in liberal (rebranded as “progressive”) policies in Obama’s home state. (more)

Note: Caterpillar CEO Doug Oberhelman will testify before the Ways & Means Trade Subcommittee today. (more)

Disgruntled “progressives” in Wisconsin want to continue their demonstrations and sit-ins around the state capitol? In Charles Bronson-like style they proclaim “this ain’t over!” Further, they say their voices are not being heard, because the legislature did not vote the way they wanted it to on union benefit cost-sharing and collective bargaining. (more)

SPRINGFIELD, Illinois (AP) — Illinois abolished the death penalty Wednesday after two decades of debate about the risk of executing an innocent person, a decision that was certain to fuel renewed calls for other states to do the same. (more)

MADISON, Wis. – The Wisconsin Senate has passed a resolution calling for police to take 14 Democrats into custody for contempt after they fled to Illinois to avoid voting on a union rights bill. (more)

Rockford, Ill., is eagerly using its sudden presence on the national stage to promote the city’s lesser-known qualities: a great nightlife, a bush-league hockey team, the birthplace of Cheap Trick and — until recently — the perfect place to hide. (more)

URBANA, Ill. (AP) — Illinois, known for its wayward politicians and back-door political dealings, is in the odd position of having become the Switzerland on the Prairie as lawmakers fleeing votes in Wisconsin and Indiana take refuge in its borders. (more)

ELGIN, Ill. (CBS) – A 74-year-old Elgin man has been charged with putting sleeping pills into his female home health caretakers’ fruit juice, and sexually abusing one of them afterward. (more)

The Obama administration has all but officially abandoned a proposal to turn a vacant Illinois state prison into a facility for suspected terrorists now held at the U.S. naval base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. (more)

There may be many adjectives to describe the 14 union-loving Wisconsin Democrats who hot dogged it to Illinois in order to prevent a quorum on Gov. Scott Walker’s budget bill. There is only one, truly accurate descriptor though: Elusive. (more)

CHICAGO (AP) — Federal prosecutors asked a judge for permission Wednesday to dismiss racketeering charges against ousted Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich as he heads to a retrial, trying to simplify a case that deadlocked jurors in the first trial complained was too hard to follow. (more)

A day after offering a laid-back message on Democratic lawmakers fleeing his state to avoid a vote on union legislation, Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels toughened up his talk this morning. (more)

It is fitting that Illinois is the destination of choice for Democratic legislators desperate to flee their states to prevent newly elected majorities from delivering on the budget reforms they campaigned on. Perhaps the fleeing legislators from Wisconsin and Indiana watched the budget trickery in Illinois last month and knew it was a safe place for big tax-and-spenders. (more)

The 14 Wisconsin Democratic state senators who hightailed it to Illinois are almost as hard to find as mountaineering Taliban. Almost. (more)

Solyndra, Inc. was supposed to have showcased the effectiveness of the Obama administration’s stimulus and green jobs initiatives, but instead it has become the center of congressional attention for waste, fraud and abuse of such programs. (more)

A three-day-long stand-off at the Wisconsin state capitol between union supporters and those backing the Republican governor’s budget cuts just went to another level Thursday as Democratic senators apparently fled the area to prevent a vote on Gov. Scott Walker’s budget-repair bill, which would cut public employee union collective bargaining rights and require them to contribute to pensions and health care. (more)

Ronald Reagan was a man of second — and third — acts. But if you want to know about the core of the man, I recommend taking a trip to his alma mater, Eureka College, out on the rolling plains of Illinois. (more)

A week ago I attended and spoke at a private conference in California, which was hosted by two very successful and prominent businessmen. These businessmen and their wives have hosted this same conference in Palm Springs for the last eight years, and many of the invited attendees are also successful people. (more)

It looks like the third time won’t be a charm for Republican Rep. Dan Burton of Indiana. A review of his resolution to encase the House visitors’ galleries with Plexiglass will likely not pass the House Administration Committee, whose chairman “will not support the bill.” (more)