Latest news with #Comptroller
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Illinois State Comptroller Susana Mendoza says she won't seek re-election
The Brief Illinois Comptroller Susana Mendoza announced she won't seek re-election in 2026 and called for stronger leadership in Chicago. She left open the possibility of another run for mayor, criticizing the last two administrations as "very unsuccessful." Mendoza, who has served as comptroller since 2016, said she plans to finish her term before deciding her next political move. CHICAGO - Illinois State Comptroller Susana Mendoza announced she will not pursue re-election in 2026 and called for stronger leadership in Chicago. Mendoza, 53, made the announcement Wednesday at Los Comales restaurant in Little Village. Mendoza has served as state comptroller since 2016. "I know I leave the comptroller's office in our state in a much, much better spot and I'm definitely not done serving moving forward," Mendoza said. What they're saying Mendoza thanked her supporters and said she plans to finish her term before deciding the next step in her political career. "I'm going to figure out what the right move is for our family, for our city, and for our state. [I will] find out where I'm needed most, what's that next biggest challenge that I need to take on, because no challenge is too big as far as I'm concerned. When I decide what that is, then you better believe I'll be all in because I'll be the best person for the job," Mendoza said. Mendoza made a previous run for mayor in 2019 when she was eliminated in the first round of voting. She went on to endorse Lori Lightfoot, who was eventually elected mayor. Mendoza did not rule out another run for mayor. She cast shade on the tenures of Lightfoot and Mayor Brandon Johnson. "Chicago is in need of competency, of someone who understands the needs of the city, who understands how important the role of the city is in the good functioning of the whole state, and I think we've had two very unsuccessful mayors in a row. Chicagoans deserve better. They deserve a lot better," Mendoza said. Mendoza began her career in politics as a state representative from 2000 to 2011. She then served as the first woman elected as the City Clerk of Chicago until 2016, prior to taking office as state comptroller. The Source The information in this report came from a news conference by Susana Mendoza. Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Illinois Comptroller Susana Mendoza announces she's not running for reelection, keeps door open for Chicago mayoral run
Illinois Comptroller Susana Mendoza said Wednesday she would not run for a fourth term in 2026 as the state's top fiscal officer, opening the door for her to challenge Brandon Johnson in what would be her second bid for Chicago mayor. 'I am announcing today that I will not be running for another term as your comptroller,' she said during a news conference at a restaurant in Little Village. 'It's been my truest honor and privilege to serve you in what has been the hardest and most fulfilling job I've had yet.' During her sometimes-emotional speech, Mendoza also clearly left open the door for another political run, saying she's 'definitely not done serving.' 'Moving forward, I'm going to figure out what the right move is for our family, for our city and for our state,' she said. (And) find out where I'm needed most. Stay tuned.' Mendoza's announcement comes one day after the Tribune noted speculation was growing that she wouldn't run for a fourth term. It also came just before Cook County Democrats gather later this week to approve their slate of candidates, including for statewide offices such as comptroller. By not appearing before slatemakers, Mendoza avoids putting county Democrats in the position of asking them to endorse her for a reelection bid that she may not make. Mendoza during her speech said she was making her announcement to give others time to pitch themselves for the job to Democrats and voters statewide. With Mendoza not running for reelection, it not only sparks speculation about her running in the Chicago mayoral race but also creates a statewide office opening in the already competitive 2026 election. U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin's announcement earlier this year that he would retire at the end of his term launched a scramble among candidates looking to move up. U.S. Rep. Robin Kelly of Matteson and U.S. Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi of Schaumburg are running to succeed Durbin, meaning their congressional seats open next year. Additionally, the 9th Congressional District seat is also open, as U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky, who has been in Congress since 1999, has announced her retirement at the end of her term. Mendoza, a former state representative and Chicago city clerk, ran for mayor in 2019. But she finished fifth in the first round of voting with 9% and missed the runoff election, which featured Lori Lightfoot against Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle. Lightfoot ultimately won that election but lost reelection in 2023 in a race that saw Johnson ascend to the top spot at City Hall. Mendoza won the comptroller's office in a 2016 special election to fill the unexpired term of the late Republican Comptroller Judy Baar Topinka. Mendoza used the position to sharply criticize one-term Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner's fiscal policies, including a dispute Rauner had with then-House Speaker Michael Madigan that led to the state going two years without adopting a budget. As comptroller and in working with Pritzker's administration, Mendoza promptly cleared up a multibillion-dollar backlog of bills left by Rauner's administration. She also has pushed to increase the state's 'rainy day' fund. In recent months, she has used the comptroller's office as a platform to criticize Johnson's actions, including using an op-ed in the Chicago Tribune to accuse the mayor of pursuing a 'reckless fiscal course' for the Chicago Public Schools. In February text messages with Pritzker, Mendoza raised a rumor that United Airlines was looking to move its headquarters out of Chicago and warned of an 'absence of any semblance of competency coming out of the 5th floor,' a reference to the location of Johnson's office in City Hall. Mendoza may not be the only statewide elected official looking at a Chicago mayoral run. Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias is also believed to be considering a bid for mayor. Giannoulias is scheduled to appear on Friday before Cook County Democrats as he runs for a second term.
CBS News
03-07-2025
- Business
- CBS News
New York State comptroller announces unclaimed funds workshops. Here's when and where.
How to watch your finances this summer How to watch your finances this summer How to watch your finances this summer Could there be unclaimed funds out there with your name on them? The New York State comptroller's office is taking new steps to make sure you aren't leaving money on the table. New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli says the Office of Unclaimed Funds returns an average of $2 million every day. Unclaimed funds can stem from things like utility deposits, trust funds, old bank accounts, uncashed checks or unused gift cards. "We're returning more than $2 million a day to New Yorkers, and my office is working to make it easier than ever to reclaim lost money, including mailing some checks directly to their rightful owners," DiNapoli said in a statement earlier this week. How to search for NYS unclaimed funds To help educate the public about the resources available, the comptroller's office will be hosting a series of workshops around the state during the month of July. Here are the dates and locations: July 7 on Long Island: 6 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the Hillside Public Library on Lakeville Road in New Hyde Park 6 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the Hillside Public Library on Lakeville Road in New Hyde Park July 10 in the lower Hudson Valley: 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. at the Croton-on-Hudson Village Hall on Van Wyck Street in Croton-on-Hudson 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. at the Croton-on-Hudson Village Hall on Van Wyck Street in Croton-on-Hudson July 11 in Central New York: 12 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Boilermaker Health & Wellness Expo at MVCC Utica Campus on Sherman Drive in Utica 12 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Boilermaker Health & Wellness Expo at MVCC Utica Campus on Sherman Drive in Utica July 19 in Central New York: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at OUF Cortland Pride at the Cortland Courthouse Park on Church Street in Cortland 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at OUF Cortland Pride at the Cortland Courthouse Park on Church Street in Cortland July 19 in Western New York: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Wellsville Main Street Festival on North Main Street in Wellsville 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Wellsville Main Street Festival on North Main Street in Wellsville July 26 in the Capital Region: 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. at the Steinmetz Park Family Fun Day at Steinmetz Park on Lenox Road in Schenectady 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. at the Steinmetz Park Family Fun Day at Steinmetz Park on Lenox Road in Schenectady July 30 in the mid/upper Hudson Valley: 3:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. at Ethelbert B. Crawford Public Library on Broadway in Monticello CLICK HERE for an updated map of unclaimed funds by county and region. You can also search for and claim funds online here or by calling 1-800-221-9311.
Malay Mail
23-06-2025
- Politics
- Malay Mail
Azmi Rohani appointed Comptroller of the Royal Household, effective July 1
PUTRAJAYA, June 23 — Tan Sri Dr Azmi Rohani has been appointed as the new Comptroller of the Royal Household, Istana Negara, effective July 1, said Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Shamsul Azri Abu Bakar. Shamsul Azri, in a statement today, said His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim, King of Malaysia, has consented to the appointment of Azmi, 59, who has been the Johor State Secretary since January 1, 2017. 'Given his vast experience and credibility, I believe he will further strengthen the administration of Istana Negara and discharge his duties effectively as the Comptroller of the Royal Household in supporting and upholding the authority of His Majesty as the Head of State,' he said. Azmi holds a Bachelor's degree in Development Science (Economics and Management) from Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, as well as a Master's degree in Human Resource Development and a PhD in Land Administration and Development from Universiti Teknologi Malaysia. He has 33 years of experience in the civil service, having started his career as an assistant district officer at the Muar District Office in 1992. — Bernama
Yahoo
22-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
State of Texas: Sen. Kelly Hancock resigns to become acting Comptroller, announces campaign for position
AUSTIN (Nexstar) — Republican State Sen Kelly Hancock resigned from the Texas Senate and was hired to be the Chief Clerk at the Texas Comptroller's office on Thursday. The move puts Hancock in the position to become the acting Comptroller of Public Accounts when Comptroller Glenn Hegar leaves his position to become the next Chancellor of the Texas A&M System on July 1. Hancock announced his campaign for Comptroller later that same day, becoming the third Republican in the race for the state's top tax-collector. Hancock has served in the Senate as a representative from the 9th district — based in Tarrant County — since 2013. He was one of just two Senate Republicans who voted to convict Attorney General Ken Paxton in his 2023 impeachment trial. Speaking about his new job and candidacy, Hancock said he is still the same person he has always been. 'I'm still the guy that shops at Walmart, and I'm small business owner,' Hancock said. 'Sure, I've served as a school board member for 13 years, served in the legislature, but that's not who I am.' Hancock is vying to lead the agency that is tasked with rolling out the state's new education savings account program. That will provide state dollars to families who want to send their child to private school. Hancock said he will draw from his 13 years of experience on his local school board to approach that task. 'My love for kids and making sure that every — you know, every child — gets to achieve their dream. Education is how we do that,' Hancock said. Hancock immediately received an endorsement from Gov. Greg Abbott. Former State Sen. Don Huffines and Railroad Commissioner Christi Craddick announced their campaigns for Comptroller earlier this year. Huffines is among those questioning whether this maneuver is constitutionally legal. Huffines reposted a post from a conservative member of the media on X, pointing out the 'holdover' provision of the Texas Constitution. The provision states that a public official must continue to perform the duties of their office until their successor is named. This would appear to suggest that Hancock could not cease performing his duties as a senator until a special election is held to replace him. That also appears to suggest that Hancock could not become Comptroller right away, because the Texas Constitution bars a public official from holding an office in the legislative and executive branches simultaneously. The move raises questions about his appointment to the position. Asked about the contradiction, Hancock said he was hired to the office just like anyone else. 'There was an opening, I was asked to fill it,' Hancock said. 'Comptroller Hegar and I are good friends. We've known each other for a long time, and so that's the way we wanted to go about it.' Huffines called the move by Hancock a 'gross manipulation.' 'It's a gross manipulation of the process by the establishment Republicans, the political elite, because they're scared of me, and they know that I'm going to win,' Huffines said. Now that Hancock has officially resigned his seat, Abbott has to schedule a special election to replace him. The district is strongly Republican — Hancock won reelection in the 9th district by 20 points in 2022 — but given recent trends in special elections across the country, the seat has the potential to become competitive. The U.S. Supreme Court reversed a ruling by a federal appeals court Thursday, clearing the way for plans to temporarily store nuclear waste at a facility in West Texas. The 6-3 vote came in the case, Nuclear Regulatory Commission v. Texas, where the U.S. Court of Appeals in the Fifth Circuit sided with Texas and Fasken Oil and Ranch in their suit against the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to prevent the temporary waste site from being built. The justices reversed the Fifth Circuit ruling. But the Court did not decide the underlying dispute about whether the NRC has the power to license private storage facilities for nuclear waste. While the Court's decision is not a final ruling in favor of the licenses, it clears a key hurdle for the waste storage plans. Texas argued that federal law requires nuclear waste to be stored on site at reactors in the absence of a permanent storage site. Interim Storage Partners, LLC, the company trying to build the storage site in West Texas, argues that the law cited by the state — the Nuclear Waste Policy Act — does nothing to forbid the creation of a temporary storage site. 'The Fifth Circuit held that the NWPA 'doesn't permit' the ISP license, ISP App. 30a, but cited no statutory provision that says that. Nor do respondents. There is none,' the ISP writes in its response. Currently, high-level nuclear waste generated from nuclear power plants is stored at the reactors themselves to avoid transporting the fuel. High-level nuclear waste is highly radioactive and dangerous fuel, which no longer has a fast enough fission process to be used to generate energy, but still poses a threat. Because no federal waste storage site has been built, the NRC hoped to create a temporary storage site in West Texas. Opponents to the site, including the state, said that it would likely become a permanent site with no existing alternative. According to the NRC's website, high-level waste only becomes harmless after being stored for thousands of years. The concern is not only over storage, but transportation. Transporting spent nuclear fuel requires strict oversight and protection. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, the most radioactive material is transported in casks, which are containers that are designed to withstand collisions, being dropped onto a steel spike, burning in gasoline for 30 minutes and withstanding being submerged in water for eight hours. The state also expressed worries about the site's location near oil fields in West Texas. Gov. Greg Abbott submitted comments in the suit that said the nuclear waste site could inflict significant damage to the oil fields if an act of terrorism or an accident affected the site. Texas has strived to lead the nation in nuclear energy production, with plans for the construction of several new uranium mines in South Texas and power plants purchased by large tech companies, like Google and Amazon. Because nuclear power can produce energy without carbon emissions, it is a popular alternative to fossil fuel-heavy sources like coal. But after nuclear disasters abroad and in the U.S. at power plants, including the Three Mile Island plant in Pennsylvania, creation of new nuclear power plants has slowed significantly in the U.S. Meanwhile, foreign powers, like China and India, are ramping up production. Both the Biden and Trump administrations made efforts to bolster nuclear energy in the U.S. by building new reactors and restarting old ones. Recent executive orders by President Donald Trump take measures, including speeding up the licensing process through the Department of Energy, beginning construction on 10 new reactors by 2030 and creating reactors for artificial intelligence data centers and domestic military bases. This week Gov. Abbott traveled across the state to sign a $10 billion property tax relief package and a historic $20 billion water infrastructure bill. Both were priorities of this past legislative session. Abbott started in Denton County on Monday to unveil the latest property tax legislation that will increase the homestead exemption from $100,000 to $140,000, and increase the exemption for disabled Texans and those 65 and older to $200,000. Senate Bill 4 and 23, both authored by State Sen. Paul Bettencourt, R – Houston, will save 5.7 million Texas homeowners about $484 per year on their tax bill, and $907 per year for 2.08 million seniors, according to Bettencourt's office. Even though both SB 4 and SB 23 passed unanimously in the Texas House of Representatives, the proposals did not pass without some criticism. State Rep. Brian Harrison, R-Midlothian, spoke out against SB 4 on the House floor before voting yes on the measure. He argues the property tax cuts do not go far enough. 'It is entirely conceivable that many or most homeowners and property owners will not see any real savings at all because the appraisals are likely to increase and eat up this new exemption,' Harrison said. Gov. Abbott praised the work by the legislature to pass additional tax breaks for Texas homeowners. Both bills will need to be approved by a majority of Texans in the November election. When asked if the state will be able to keep providing these exemptions in the future, the Governor assured the state is in a good financial spot. 'We have some other reserve money to make sure that we will be able to continue to maintain the property tax relief in the future that we provide today,' Abbott said. Later in the week the governor was in Lubbock to sign Senate Bill 7, aimed at investing $20 billion into the state's water fund. The governor called it 'the largest water law in the history of the great state of Texas.' 'Every day, on average in Texas, there's more than 1,000 more people who go to a faucet and turn that on because of the magnitude of the growth,' Abbott said during the ceremony. 'When they go to the faucet to turn it on, they expect the water to flow.' Under the plan, half of the $20 billion would fund new water supply sources, while the other half would support water infrastructure development and repair existing systems. The funding operates as a revolving loan program, providing $1 billion annually for 20 years with repaid loans reinvested in additional projects. House Speaker Dustin Burrows, R-Lubbock, emphasized the economic implications of the water crisis. 'People want to come here because of our economy, because of our culture, and they are coming here with U-hauls,' Burrows said. 'If they show up and they turn on that spigot, and water doesn't come out, those U-hauls are going to go the absolute opposite direction.' SB 7 tasks the Texas Water Development Board with coordinating large-scale water infrastructure projects across regions, promoting standardized specifications for interoperable systems and minimizing eminent domain use by maximizing existing transportation and utility easements. Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, accused the Biden Administration and members of the national press of covering-up the former president's declining health. It is the latest attempt from Congressional Republicans to paint President Joe Biden as unfit to lead. Sen. Cornyn helped lay out the allegations in a U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee hearing. Following the hearing, he called out the Democratic party for the alleged cover-up. 'There's no question they had the ability to raise this issue earlier, when his incapacity became obvious to everybody who was paying attention. So Congress needs to look at whatever what possible remedies that we might be able to legislate,' Cornyn said. Only two Democratic senators on the committee, Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Illinois, and Sen. Peter Welch, D-Vermont, attended the meeting. They called the hearing political theater. Other Democrats on the committee who did not attend the hearing called it a distraction from more pressing issues. The office of former President Biden denies any cover-up. A day after the hearing President Biden was in Galveston, TX to celebrate Juneteenth. Biden was presented a plaque for his role in designating Juneteenth as a national holiday. He spoke to the congregation at the Reedy Chapel-AME church. 'You know on this sacred day it reminds me of another sacred day, that wonderful day four years ago in the East Room of the White House when I had a great honor, of course objections from some, of making Juneteenth a federal holiday,' Biden said. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
