The proud people of the Southland have heard talk about a new airport here for decades. It might finally be time to settle the issue, once and for all. In 1993, a friend served on a committee aimed at finding partners to construct the airport and serve the growing south...

SPRINGFIELD, IL - A new measure poised to significantly impact the demand for ethanol-based fuels has passed the Illinois Senate.  Championed by State Senator Patrick Joyce, the legislation introduces a range of tax credits and exemptions designed to benefit Illinois farmers and bolster the state's corn industry. The key provision of...

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. - Illinois Senator Pacione-Zayas has introduced new legislation aimed at removing gendered restrictions in insurance codes for healthcare coverage.  The bill would allow all genders to access pap smears or prostate exams, regardless of how they are listed on their insurance.  Pacione-Zayas noted that transgender and gender non-conforming individuals have...

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – Illinois State Senator Patrick Joyce, D-Essex, has proposed a bill aimed at protecting beavers and regulating the activities of nuisance wildlife operators.  On Thursday, the Senate Agriculture Committee passed the measure. The bill would prohibit the destruction or disturbance of dams, lodges, burrows, or feed beds of beavers while...

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. - There soon could be much less paperwork involved for fishermen and hunters in Illinois. A new bill proposed by State Senator Patrick Joyce (D-Essex) would allow Illinois residents to obtain a three-year hunting, fishing, trapping, and sportsmen's combination license at three times the cost of an annual license.  House...