Restaurants, Hotels Call For Reopening Plan
SPRINGFIELD – Officials from the hotel, restaurant and convention industries told a state Senate panel Thursday that they need a clear plan for how they will be allowed to reopen as the COVID-19 pandemic wanes, warning that without such a plan, many will go out of business permanently. “We need to know… a strategy, we […]
ISBE Seeks To Waive State Assessments, Address Drop In Public School Enrollment During Pandemic
SPRINGFIELD – For the second year in a row, the Illinois State Board of Education is seeking a waiver from the U.S. Department of Education for standardized tests normally given during schools’ spring semester. Earlier this month, State Superintendent Carmen Ayala sent a letter to the U.S. Department of Education asking for the waiver on assessments, […]
Pritzker Protects K-12 Spending From Cuts, But Advocates Say More Investment Is Needed
SPRINGFIELD – Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker outlined a proposed budget for the next fiscal year this week that keeps state spending on both K-12 and higher education mostly flat. If approved by state lawmakers, this would be the second year in a row that Illinois hasn’t invested in its school funding formula. The formula, passed […]
Ex-Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan Resigns Seat
SPRINGFIELD — Former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan has resigned from the seat he’s held for the last 50 years effective Thursday. Madigan went from being the longest-serving House Speaker in the nation to a mere state representative on Jan. 13 — the day he passed his Speaker’s gavel to Chris Welch, who makes history […]