Capitol News
CAPITOL RECAP: Budget passes after all-night session
By CAPITOL NEWS ILLINOIS SPRINGFIELD – Illinois lawmakers worked until the early hours of Saturday to pass a $46.5 billion spending plan for the upcoming fiscal year, as well as a $1.8 billion package of mostly-temporary tax cuts that Democrats said are intended to soften the impact of inflation on working families. After 3 a.m.…
Session Recap: Illinois lawmakers pass bill to combat organized retail theft
By GRACE KINNICUTT Capitol News Illinois gkinnicutt@capitolnewsillinois.com Editor’s note: This article is part of an ongoing “Session Recap” series in which Capitol News Illinois is following up on many of the more-than 200 measures that passed both houses of the Illinois General Assembly during the final week of spring session which adjourned at 6 a.m.…
Session Recap: Lawmakers pass limits on campaign contributions in judicial races
By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois phancock@capitolnewsillinois.com Editor’s note: This article is part of an ongoing “Session Recap” series in which Capitol News Illinois is following up on many of the more-than 200 measures that passed both houses of the Illinois General Assembly during the final week of spring session which adjourned at 6 a.m.…
Lawmakers wrap up session with early-morning passage of $46.5 billion budget
By JERRY NOWICKI & PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois news@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – Illinois lawmakers worked until the early hours of Saturday to pass a $46.5 billion spending plan for the upcoming fiscal year, as well as a $1.8 billion package of mostly-temporary tax cuts that Democrats said are intended to soften the impact of inflation…
Pritzker taps former Rauner chief of staff, former judge for PRB
By BETH HUNDSDORFER Capitol News Illinois bhundsdorfer@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – Gov. JB Pritzker on Friday named a former Cook County judge and the chief of staff of his Republican predecessor to the Illinois Prisoner Review Board. Both of those appointees, ex-Cook County Judge Robin Shoffner and Republican former Gov. Bruce Rauner’s chief of staff Rodger Heaton,…
Pritzker, legislative Democrats announce budget agreement
By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois phancock@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – Gov. JB Pritzker and Democratic leaders of the General Assembly announced Thursday they had reached agreement on a $45.6 billion budget package that would include $1.8 billion of mostly-temporary tax relief. Senate President Don Harmon, of Oak Park, and House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch, of Hillside,…
Nursing home payment reform drives $700 million to improve staffing, quality of care
By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois phancock@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – A bill that would inject more than $700 million annually into Medicaid-funded nursing homes to increase staffing levels and improve quality of care unanimously cleared the Illinois House on Thursday, one day after clearing the Senate. It will head to Gov. JB Pritzker who praised its…
CAPITOL RECAP: Budget framework surfaces as negotiations continue
By CAPITOL NEWS ILLINOIS SPRINGFIELD – The House on Wednesday, April 6, unveiled a $45.6 billion spending plan for the upcoming fiscal year that begins July 1. Revenues are expected to be just over $46 billion. The negotiations on an agreed proposal continued Wednesday and the bill numbers were likely to change before a budget…
House Dems release $45.6 billion budget as negotiations continue
By JERRY NOWICKI Capitol News Illinois jnowicki@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – Democrats in the Illinois House unveiled their own tax cut proposals and outlined spending tied to recent public safety measures at a news conference Wednesday, just three days before the scheduled April 8 adjournment of the 2022 regular session. Those provisions are part of a $45.6…
GOP asks for a performance audit for state’s child protection agency
By BETH HUNDSDORFER Capitol News Illinois bhundsdorfer@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – In the wake of the recent deaths of five children who were in contact with the state’s child protection agency and eight contempt citations against the agency’s director, House Republicans on Wednesday asked for a performance audit at the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services.…
DCFS releases details of 8-year-old’s death as hearing on 30-year-old consent decree looms
By BETH HUNDSDORFER Capitol News Illinois bhundsdorfer@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – In the weeks before 8-year-old Navin Jones died, the Department of Children and Family Services had investigated his parents for nabbing him from his legal guardian and had received a hotline call reporting that the child didn’t go to school and was berated, bruised and starved.…
Senate Democrats unveil legislation aimed at addressing carjackings
By GRACE KINNICUTT Capitol News Illinois gkinnicutt@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – Illinois Senate Democrats unveiled legislation Tuesday to address the increase in carjackings by protecting victims and providing additional resources to law enforcement in targeting and capturing offenders. House Bill 3699, sponsored by Sen. Robert Martwick, D-Chicago, would aim to provide additional resources to metropolitan law enforcement…
Paid COVID-19 leave for vaccinated educators signed into law
By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois phancock@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – Public school, community college and public university employees who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 are now entitled to paid administrative leave for any days they miss this school year due to coronavirus-related issues. Gov. JB Pritzker on Tuesday signed House Bill 1167 into law, which provides…
House advances bill protecting nursing home visitation rights during public health emergencies
By GRACE KINNICUTT Capitol News Illinois gkinnicutt@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois House advanced a measure Monday that aims to ensure nursing home patients have a right to visitors even amid a public health emergency. Senate Bill 1405 states that a health care facility must ensure “an opportunity for at least one visitor to visit a…
Democrats stand with law enforcement groups to tout ‘new way’ of addressing crime
By JERRY NOWICKI Capitol News Illinois jnowicki@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – Flanked by members of law enforcement advocacy groups, about a dozen Democrats from both chambers of the Illinois General Assembly called a news conference Monday to tout proposals that they say will help with the recruitment and retention of law enforcement officers. The lawmakers touted a…
DHFS letter: Deal may be near on nursing home payment reform
By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois phancock@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – Officials at the Department of Healthcare and Family Services believe they made “significant progress” last week toward reaching agreement on a plan to overhaul the way nursing homes are reimbursed through the state’s Medicaid program, according to a letter obtained by Capitol News Illinois. It’s something…
CAPITOL RECAP: Democrats unveil tax relief, community investment proposals
By CAPITOL NEWS ILLINOIS SPRINGFIELD – Democrats in the Illinois Senate on Friday announced a $1.8 billion package of mostly temporary tax relief proposals that they hope to include in the Fiscal Year 2023 budget as the legislative session entered its final week. The package is $800 million beyond the tax relief package proposed…
Illinois Senate Democrats introduce mostly temporary $1.8 billion tax relief proposal
By JERRY NOWICKI Capitol News Illinois jnowicki@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – Democrats in the Illinois Senate on Friday announced a $1.8 billion package of mostly temporary tax relief proposals that they hope to include in the Fiscal Year 2023 budget as the legislative session enters its final week. The package is $800 million beyond the tax…
Democrats look to address crime with youth investment programs, witness protection
By JERRY NOWICKI Capitol News Illinois jnowicki@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – Democrats in the General Assembly on Friday outlined community investment proposals that they say will be part of a broader crime reduction package that is still being negotiated as session enters its final week. The measures outlined by House and Senate Democrats stand in stark contrast…
Two children die after families contacted by DCFS
By BETH HUNDSDORFER Capitol News Illinois bhundsdorfer@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – Peoria County Coroner Jamie Harwood admits he has seen a lot of horrible things in his 20 years as an emergency room nurse in Chicago trauma centers and five years he has served as county coroner. But he said he has never seen a worse case…
Illinois House Democrats pass measure protecting providers of abortion-related medical services
By GRACE KINNICUTT Capitol News Illinois gkinnicutt@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – Members of the Illinois House Democratic Caucus were joined by Planned Parenthood officials at a news conference Thursday to tout actions they say reaffirm women’s reproductive rights. House Democrats passed House Bill 1464, which prevents the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation from being able…
State Senate approves energy grid reliability task force
By JERRY NOWICKI Capitol News Illinois jnowicki@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – The state Senate on Thursday advanced a measure to create a task force to study electric grid reliability in light of the 2021 passage of the energy regulatory overhaul bill known as the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act. A House committee, meanwhile, began preliminary conversations about…
COVID-19 leave for vaccinated teachers clears General Assembly
By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois phancock@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – A bill that allows teachers and other school and university employees or contractors who are fully vaccinated to take paid administrative leave if they have to miss work due to coronavirus-related issues cleared the Illinois Senate Thursday and will soon be sent to Gov. JB Pritzker.…
Lawmakers pass ban on withholding college transcripts
By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois phancock@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – Graduates from Illinois colleges and universities may soon be able to access their transcripts even if they still owe money to the school they attended. The Illinois House on Tuesday gave its approval to a bill that had already cleared the Senate prohibiting higher education institutions…
Local News
Lions Club District 1A Helen Keller race draws big field
By Kelly White The damp weather from overnight rain did not deter more than 100 people on Sunday morning from getting some exercise. The 14th annual District 1A Helen Keller 5k Fun Run/Walk proudly took place along at Harold L. Richard’s High School, 10601 Central Ave., Oak Lawn. “This is a really great event,” Oak…
EPCHS students collect shoes for Christmas Without Cancer Sneaker Drive
From staff reports Students in Evergreen Park Community High School’s junior physical education leadership class teamed up with the non-profit organization Christmas Without Cancer to help local families battling the devastation of cancer. The class – taught by EPCHS physical education teacher Ree McDonald – helped gather donations for Christmas Without Cancer’s second annual Sneaker…
Swallow Cliff Chapter, NSDAR, honors JROTC cadets
From staff reports Swallow Cliff Chapter, National Society Daughters of the American Revolution, participated in recent JROTC awards ceremonies held at Shepard High School in Palos Heights and Richards High School in Oak Lawn. The DAR JROTC award, consisting of a medal and certificate, was presented to Navy Cadet Emily Schrode at Richards High School…
Man charged with child abduction in Stickney Township
From staff reports A Chicago man was charged last week with child abduction and luring of a minor after Cook County Sheriff’s Police detectives found he attempted to lure a minor into his vehicle, said Cook County Sheriff Thomas J. Dart. According to police, about 4:43 p.m. on Monday, April 22, officers responded to an…
Worth Library celebrates 60th anniversary
By Kelly White The Worth Public Library has been around for decades. Resting in the heart of the village at 6917 W. 111th St., the library held an event focusing on its rich background story on April 23 with a historical photo exhibit. “It’s amazing because this library is still so important to the community,”…
Rose Zubik, Woman’s Club veteran, installed as 3rd District president
Rose Zubik, of Palos Heights, the new president of the 3rd District General Federation of Women’s Clubs-Illinois, lights a candle during the installation ceremony held April 27 at Fox’s Restaurant in Orland Park. Heather Linehan, the outgoing president, is beside her.By Dermot Connolly A longtime member of the Palos Heights Woman’s Club is now president…
Shots fired in Chicago Ridge Commons parking lot
From staff reports Shots were fired Wednesday night in the parking lot at Chicago Ridge Commons mall. Police said they received reports of the shooting about 9:45 p.m. No injuries were reported. Multiple witnesses told police four men were walking through the parking lot from the XSport Fitness area. They approached two vehicles and separated…
Hair salon with a ‘flair’ marks first year in Chicago Ridge
By Joe Boyle Melissa Kowalski wanted to do something meaningful to mark the first-year anniversary of her Flair With Hair Salon in Chicago Ridge. “We did not have a grand opening last year so I wanted to do something really special,” Kowalski said. “We wanted to say thank you to our clients.” Kowalski, a resident…
Palos East fifth-grader wins Scholastic Storyworks writing contest
Gabriel Chowaniec, a fifth-grader at Palos East Elementary School, has been named a winner of the Scholastic Storyworks Magazine writing contest. Gabriel, who is a student in Cathy Casey’s fifth-grade classroom, was named one of only five winners nationally for the December 2023/January 2024 competition. Garbriel’s submission for the nonfiction story “The Shattered Land,” “showed a strong understanding of the text along with the ability to author a well-organized and engaging response,…
Shepard celebrates Autism Week
By Kelly White World Autism Acceptance Week is organized by the National Autistic Society in the first week of April and aims to raise awareness about the challenges autistic people face across all areas of society. Not missing out the opportunity to celebrate all-inclusion was Shepard High School, 13049 S. Ridgeland Ave., Palos Heights. “We…