PDF Versions
Neighbors
Comings & Goings
Illinois News
Senate passes Medicare, tax zone legislation
By RAYMON TRONCOSO Capitol News Illinoisrtroncoso@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – Capping off a slow legislative week as the General Assembly grapples with drawing redistricting maps, the state budget for the upcoming fiscal year and massive energy overhaul legislation, the Senate passed 14 bills Thursday, most of them unanimously. Senate Bill 1747, introduced by Grayslake Democratic Sen. Melinda…
CAPITOL RECAP: Pritzker announces plans for broader reopening
By Capitol News Illinois SPRINGFIELD – Gov. JB Pritzker said Thursday that Illinois will enter the “bridge” phase to full reopening on Friday, May 14. And barring any reversal of current trends, Phase 5, or full reopening, will begin on June 11. He also announced that residents can now obtain COVID-19 vaccines from their physicians’…
Pritzker: Broader reopening to begin next week
By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinoisphancock@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – Gov. JB Pritzker said Thursday that Illinois will enter the “bridge” phase to full reopening on Friday, May 14. And barring any reversal of current trends, Phase 5, or full reopening, will begin on June 11. He also announced that residents can now obtain COVID-19 vaccines from…
Pritzker now says budget can include added $350 million for K-12 schools
By JERRY NOWICKI and TIM KIRSININKAS Capitol News IllinoisJnowicki@capitolnewsillinois.comtkirsininkas@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – Citing an “improved” economic outlook, Gov. JB Pritzker announced Thursday his support to increase evidence-based education funding in the state by $350 million in fiscal year 2022 which begins July 1. In his February budget proposal, Pritzker originally proposed flat spending for education, citing…
GOP leaders call out House Dems for redistricting ‘hypocrisy’
By GRACE BARBIC and SARAH MANSUR Capitol News Illinois gbarbic@capitolnewsillinois smansur@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD — Illinois House Republicans continue to demand a “fair” redistricting process, following a news report depicting Democratic lawmakers meeting behind a closed door to discuss the mapmaking process. The “secretive” room on Capitol grounds where House Democrats are said to be drawing maps…
Bill proposes standardized election procedures
By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinoisphancock@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – Two Republican senators have introduced legislation to standardize the way local election authorities across Illinois handle elections, from the training of election judges to posting information about delays in election night ballot counting. Sens. Sally Turner, of the Logan County town of Beason, and Sue Rezin, of…
Illinois law enforcement community honors officers killed in line of duty
By TIM KIRSININKAS Capitol News Illinoistkirsininkas@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – After a delay due to the COVID-19 pandemic last year, members of Illinois’ law enforcement community gathered in Springfield Thursday to honor officers killed in the line of duty in 2019 and 2020. In a ceremony at the Illinois State Capitol, the names of 16 Illinois officers…
Illinois Attorney General responds to cybersecurity attack, audit warning
By SARAH MANSUR Capitol News Illinois smansur@capitolnewsillinois SPRINGFIELD — Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul on Wednesday addressed the recent cyber breach of his office’s online network, as well as an audit of his office released earlier this year that warned of weaknesses in its cybersecurity programs. Raoul told a House committee his office has implemented…
Judge vacates nationwide eviction moratorium, doesn’t impact Illinois
By SARAH MANSUR and TIM KIRSININKAS Capitol News Illinoissmansur@capitolnewsillinois.comtkirsininkas@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD — A federal judge invalidated a nationwide eviction moratorium on Wednesday but the decision will not impact the moratorium on rental evictions in Illinois, according to housing attorneys. The decision from U.S. District Judge Dabney L. Friedrich involves the eviction moratorium issued by the U.S.…
Senate committee advances bills on sex ed, decriminalizing HIV transmission
By RAYMON TRONCOSO Capitol News Illinoisrtroncoso@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – Legislation that would overhaul sex education in Illinois and a measure to decriminalize the transmission of HIV were among several bills that passed the Senate Executive Committee Wednesday. The committee, following a long and contentious debate, advanced legislation that would require public schools to teach sex ed…