2 weeks Ago
It’s time once again to dive in to another round of quick takes on the people, places and events that were being talked about over the past week: Non-walking wounded Two area Illinois House members — Democrats Carol Ammons of Urbana and Sue Scherer of Decatur — are on the disabled list. Ammons, an Urbana Democrat, is using a wheelchair and crutches to get around because she suffered a torn meniscus, according to office spokesman Grant Chassy. Medical experts say that, like many knee injuries, a meniscus tear is a painful, debilitating and common injury often associated with athletics.
The meniscus is described as “a piece of cartilage in your knee that cushions and stabilizes the joint, acting as a shock absorber to protect the bones from wear and tear.” Chassey said Ammons started having a problem a “couple of weeks ago” and that she’s waiting to hear from doctors about what steps to take to address the problem. He said she is using crutches and a wheelchair for “pain relief.
” While Ammons has managed to continue her work, The Illinoize reports Scherer, a former school teacher, “is home recovering from a serious April 1 automobile accident that left her with broken vertebrae in her back.” The accident occurred around 8 a.m.
April 1 at a street intersection in northwest Decatur. Scherer told police she did not remember what happened, but authorities said she drove her car into the intersection and was struck by another vehicle. Republican lawyer in jam A state lawyer disciplinary panel has recommended that a former Republican candidate for Illinois attorney general be suspended from his law practice for six months.
Thomas Devore was cited for a variety of violations of lawyer conduct rules that included “engaging in a conflict of interest and a sexual relationship with a current client.” Devore, a downstate lawyer, was the 2022 GOP candidate for attorney general. He was defeated by incumbent Democrat Kwame Raoul.
Devore also made a lot of news and noise by filing lawsuits that challenged the restrictions put in place by Gov. J.B.
Pritzker during the coronavirus pandemic. In recent days, he has been active in GOP politics on behalf of some of the party’s more conservative elements who oppose Republican House Leader Tony McCombie. The misconduct charges against Devore stem from his personal and professional relationship with female client Riley Gaines.
Devore reportedly represented her in a divorce and went into the hair care business with her before they had a falling out. The final decision on lawyer discipline issues is made by members of the Illinois Supreme Court. The disciplinary case is prosecuted by lawyers from the state’s Attorney Registration & Disciplinary Commission and defended by the accused’s lawyer.
A three-member lawyer hearing panel reviews evidence, hears witnesses and decides if disciplinary action is required. As a practical matter, the high court follows the panel’s recommendations. Hoosiers are/aren’t coming The Chicago Tribune reported this week that Hoosiers who want a piece of Illinois are on the move.
Too bad they won’t get anywhere. Nonetheless, legislation on the Illinois/Indiana border question has passed both of Indiana’s chambers and went to Gov. Mike Braun, who quickly signed it.
A spokesman said the legislation intends to show “the Braun Administration wants to work hand in hand with the General Assembly to build a pro-growth, pro freedom, taxpayer friendly state, the most in the whole country here in Indiana. Illinoisans have noticed the stark contrast and they want freedom, a pro-opportunity, pro-business state.” The law would establish a rule for a two-state boundary commission that, theoretically, would allow Illinois counties to join Indiana.
Gov. J.B.
Pritzker has accurately called the proposal a “stunt” that isn’t going anywhere because Illinois has no intention of participating in that discussion. But Indiana officials and some in Illinois continue to have a lot of fun with the issue at Pritzker’s expense. There is extreme discontent in Illinois counties with the state’s current governance.
Illinois has 102 counties, 34 of which have voted to secede. But this protest movement is useful only for registering discontent to attract Pritzker’s attention and that of state legislators. How does Billy Joel know? During her 2022 confirmation hearings, Supreme Court nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson cogently addressed questions put to her by members of the U.
S. Senate Judiciary Committee. But she professed to be at a loss when asked by Tennessee’s Republican U.
S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn to define what a woman is.
The question of gender has come up in discussions about men competing in women’s sports. It produced the following exchange. “Can I provide a definition?” Jackson repeated the question.
“Mmhmm, yeah,” Blackburn confirmed. “I can’t,” Jackson replied. “You can’t?” Blackburn asked.
“Not — in this context, I’m not a biologist,” Jackson said. The response by Jackson, the mother of two children identified as girls, created quite a media stir. Fortunately, the British recently provided an answer to this vexing question.
AP reported last week that, “In a judgment with far-reaching implications, the U.K. Supreme Court ruled (April 16) that a woman is someone born biologically female and that transgender women are excluded from that legal definition.
” It said “the ruling was cheered by some feminists who have campaigned to safeguard rights for women on the basis of biological sex. Trans rights campaigners were disappointed, and worry about the ruling’s implications for transgender women.” The decision, of course, raises a question.
Presumably, the members of Brits’ Supreme Courts are, like Jackson, lawyers, not biologists. So how were they able to come up with a definitive answer to such a polarizing question? Big win for dopers The Illinois Senate last week approved legislation that restricts the ability of police officers who smell marijuana during a traffic stop to search the vehicle. It did so by eliminating the statutory requirement that a motorist possessing marijuana store it in an “odor proof” container.
Consumption of marijuana for recreational use is legal in Illinois. But legislators initially sought to discourage those intoxicated by marijuana from getting behind the wheel by requiring it be transported in “odor proof” containers. But the law generated confusion and conflicting court decisions.
One appellate court ruled that mere smell alone is insufficient to justify a search because marijuana is legal and the odor can be generated in a variety of ways that do not involve in-car consumption or intoxicated driving. Another ruled that a violation of the “odor proof” requirement rule is grounds to allow authorities to investigate further and, depending on what is discovered, make arrests. While jettisoning the “odor proof” rule, the law requires cannabis to be kept in a “sealed or reusable and child-resistant container that is inaccessible.
” The question, of course, still remains. How will an officer be able to check the container issue if he can’t act on what his nose tells him? Local state Sen. Chapin Rose, a Mahomet Republican, objected to the change by citing how it conflicts with suspected alcohol violations.
“We would never, ever ask a police officer to disregard the odor of alcohol when they pull a car over. Why on earth would we ask a police officer to disregard the odor of cannabis? At a minimum, they should have a duty to ensure the driver is not impaired,” he said. Author suited for any pseudo-intellectual Book recommendations are the usual fare in this space.
Today is different. It’s time to celebrate an author whose works are consistently excellent, well worth the time of general interest readers. He’s Jonathon Eig, who wrote “King: A Life.
” This masterpiece was recommended in last’s week’s column. “King” is Eig’s sixth book. His previous biography of boxing champion Muhammad Ali and chronicle of Jackie Robinson’s ground-breaking first year as a Brooklyn Dodger are both outstanding.
One other highly-acclaimed work is “Luckiest Man: The Life and Death of Lou Gehrig.” Although three of his books concern sports figures, they will appeal to more than tunnel-visioned fans. They are loaded with recitations of social history and insights into popular culture of the time.
It’s no accident Eig’s books are winners. Readers won’t be disappointed when/if they check him out..
