Carbondale Reporter

State Representative Paul Jacobs of Illinois has announced his assignments to several House Committees for the 104th General Assembly. Representing the 118th district, Jacobs will serve on committees including Appropriations Higher Education, Cybersecurity, Data Analytics & IT, Ethics & Elections, Health Care Licenses, Prescription Drug Affordability, and Veteran’s Affairs. He will also be the minority spokesperson on the House Museum, Arts, Culture, and Entertainment Committee.

Jacobs expressed enthusiasm about his committee roles: "My committee assignments cover a wide variety of topics, and I’m looking forward to getting going in this new General Assembly." He emphasized the importance of ethics reform: "One of the major items we must address is ethics reform so we can finally rid our state of the embarrassment of public corruption."

As an optometrist with over 45 years of experience, Jacobs aims to improve health care licensing efficiency. "I have seen first-hand how pathetic our state has been at getting people their professional licenses on time," he stated.

Jacobs also highlighted his role as House Minority Spokesperson for arts and culture: "Serving as the ranking member on this committee will help me bring a greater voice for tourism to the capitol for Southern Illinois interests."

In other political developments, House Republicans led by Minority Leader Tony McCombie have filed a lawsuit challenging Illinois' legislative maps. The suit claims that current maps result from extreme partisan gerrymandering intended to favor Democrats. McCombie said: “Illinois’ State House District Maps are the byproduct of extreme partisan gerrymandering.”

The lawsuit seeks to have these maps declared unconstitutional and proposes a redistricting plan that complies with state constitutional provisions. State Representative Ryan Spain criticized current practices: “Instead of a promised New Day by Speaker Chris Welch...the most egregious remains the map.” Meanwhile, Dan Ugaste advocated for fair maps and ethics reform.

Dr. Jowei Chen from the University of Michigan contributed research supporting these claims. Ugaste noted Chen's description of Democratic-drawn maps as an “insurance policy” against electoral losses.

On another front, former Speaker Michael Madigan's federal trial continues with jury deliberations expected next week. Wiretap evidence presented includes discussions between Madigan and lobbyist Michael McClain about controversial bills and insider deals.

In education news, Illinois students scored above average in national assessments conducted by NAEP in 2024. However, achievement gaps remain among racial groups despite overall high scores in mathematics and reading.

Lastly, job data released by IDES shows shifts in Illinois' economy with declines in professional services and manufacturing jobs throughout 2024.