Tens of millions of dollars in cost recovery would be disallowed under legislative proposal

On the heels of Chicago approving a phase out of the lower wage, advocates want to end it statewide.

Business groups have long sought changes to the statute that’s led to hundreds of lawsuits.

Last November UIS Innovate Springfield and the Community Foundation for the Land of Lincoln hosted a public event titled “The Next Technology Revolution,” which featured, Springfield native and Vice Chairman for equity private markets at Jefferies’ Global Technology Investment Banking Group, Cully Davis.Davis has nearly 30 years of investment banking experience and worked with numerous businesses known for being on the cutting edge of technology including, Google, Groupon, Lyft, Box, Kite Pharma, MicroStrategy, and SunPower to name a few. At this event, Davis shared lessons he’s learned in Silicon Valley and the elements needed to make Springfield the home of the next technology revolution.

The electric automaker Rivian is out with a new “impact” report tracking progress on sustainability goals, workplace culture and employee diversity, and philanthropic efforts.

Carlos Ortega will be the new executive director for Downtown Springfield Inc.

The Cats' Pyjamas is the new cat café opening soon in Springfield, Ill. The owners are Springfield locals Tom Raymond and Samantha Enz. They spoke to Community Voices about the origins of cat cafes, how to properly engage with cats and what they hope to offer at the café. They also talk about the benefits of having a cat café in town.

State inks new incentive deal for manufacturing plant, is ahead of schedule on pre-K growth.

Ryan McCrady, CEO, Springfield Sangamon Growth Alliance, joins Community Voices to update us on the Scheel's Sports Park, new flights at the airport, downtown plans, state fairgrounds, and more.This audio has bonus content from the interview.

Last November the Community Foundation for the Land of Lincoln with support from the MacArthur Foundation, hosted a panel discussion at the University of Illinois Springfield titled “A Commitment to Local News.” The event was part of a national effort called Press Forward, which seeks to reshape the local news landscape across U.S. communities.The discussion featured Executive Editor of the Chicago Sun-Times Jennifer Kho, State Government and Politics Reporter at Capitol News Illinois Hannah Meisel, and Evan Smith a senior advisor at Emerson Collective and The Texas Tribune, as well as the host of “Overheard with Evan Smith,” a weekly half-hour interview program that airs on PBS stations around the country. The panel was moderated by Springfield’s retired political writer and columnist Bernard Schoenburg. The panelists discussed the state of journalism, how to grow diverse audiences, and how to rebuild trust with audiences.