There are just a few steps between announcing plans to introduce a bill and watching the governor put pen to paper.

One of the most important legislative debates next year will be about reforming, restructuring and finding a way to fund northeast Illinois’ public transportation system.

These questions don’t have easy answers, but asking them helps move our state forward.

Oct. 30 marks the 86th anniversary of the national radio broadcast of “The War of the Worlds,” which was misunderstood by many listeners as an actual attack on Earth by Martians. An estimated 9 to 12 million Americans were frightened by the broadcast on Oct. 30, 1938.

The Department of Health and Human Services says investments in these centers have helped reduce homelessness, substance abuse and reliance on emergency rooms and hospitalization, all of which ease tension on the social safety net.

Quite a bit of administering a government happens between seemingly interminable campaign cycles, and a key to understanding the next election is observing what incumbents do when they’re not on the stump.

Pro soccer doesn’t maintain nearly the same stature in the civic pride firmament as other major sports, but that could change with a Fire franchise owned and operated by a local guy.

Menopause is a topic that would not have come up in polite conversation years ago but these days there is more research available, and more attention being paid, to addressing a woman’s physical and mental health needs during this big “change” in her life.

Another takeaway – regardless of whether a jury decides Madigan was corrupt – is the political importance of leading without becoming poisonous.