Opinion

Op-Ed: What Message Are We Sending Our Kids?

BY RYAN HIDDEN Illinois state legislators are considering adult-use cannabis legalization. Some argue the reason to legalize cannabis is to raise revenue for the state. One estimate is the state could generate $350 million to $700 million per year with…

Op-Ed: The Peoria City Council should vote to conduct “due diligence” of the city’s water system

BY CHERYL BUDZINSKI Chairwoman, League of Women Voters of Greater Peoria Water Action Committee The League of Women Voters of Greater Peoria believes a financial analysis that could lead to public ownership of a water utility is warranted. Our LWVGP…

Op-Ed

Soil: Last Great Hope to Mitigate Climate Change BY DAVE BISHOP Dave Bishop farms organically in Central Illinois on PrairiErth Farm, a multi-generational, 480-acre operation that follows “regenerative farming” practices. Developing regenerative farming systems has been the mission at PrairiErth…

Op-Ed

This book will scare you to death! It’s essential reading. BY ELAINE HOPKINS A recently published tiny paperback, the 126-page book “On Tyranny, Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century,” is essential reading today. The author, Timothy Snyder, a distinguished professor at…

Op-Ed

Judicial Integrity Unit Needed Here BY SHERRY CANNON I completely agree with the premise in the September Community Word’s editorial by Clare Howard. In it Clare stated that a democratic nation cannot exist without a fair and functioning judiciary. Trump’s…

Op-Ed

Unions Benefit Both Members and Non-Members BY SHARON K. WILLIAMS Most people may not realize how much unions have positively affected the workplace. If you value your weekend, your health insurance, your retirement plan, your middle class income and your…

Op-Ed

Be A Force For Change BY DALE GOODNER The dandelions were pretty much invisible. As I looked across my lawn from a distance, here in July, that distinctive green foliage blended in perfectly with the grasses, clovers, and dozens of…

Op-Ed

Could 2017 be the year for industrial hemp in Illinois? BY REBECCA OSLAND Farmers and other advocates have been trying for decades to bring hemp back to Illinois agriculture. This year, the Illinois Legislature grappled with SB1294, co-sponsored by Sen.…

Op-Ed

Put Healthy Food within Reach for All Peorians BY SUSAN LEVIN, M.S., R.D. Putting healthy food into reach: That’s the tagline for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly food stamps. But the reality is that healthful foods are out…

Op-Ed

Sad History of Public Land for Private Profit By Karrie E. Alms What does open space forever mean to you? Many of our early leaders believed and many today know that public parks are a smart investment for America’s health…