COVID-19 Impact In Both Legislation And Politics at Statehouse.
COVID-19 was both in the forefront and in the background during the abbreviated spring legislative session that Illinois lawmakers wrapped over the…
News Around Illinois – May 25, 2020
State COVID-19 Cases Top 110,000 SPRINGFIELD – On Sunday, the state reported 2,508 new coronavirus cases, bringing the total to 110,304. Illinois Department of Public Health also reported an additional 67 deaths, making the statewide total 4,856. The Coles County health department says two more residents of Charleston Rehab and Healthcare died of COVID-19. The […]
Illinois House Passes Budget Relying On Federal Funding
SPRINGFIELD — The Illinois House passed a $40 billion state budget late Saturday that relies heavily on federal funding. The Chicago Tribune reported the spending plan for the budget year that begins July 1 now heads to the Senate. The budget passed on a largely party-line vote of 68-44. The coronavirus pandemic that prompted Gov. J.B. Pritzker […]
Latest From Springfield: Vote-By-Mail Expansion, Budget Proposal & More
Vote-By-Mail Expansion Approved In Senate SPRINGFIELD — A plan to expand mail-in voting because of the COVID-19 pandemic is close to approval by the governor after the Senate OK’d it Friday. The idea is to make it easier for voters to cast ballots and limit the number who have to go to physical locations and […]
State Lawmakers Approve Mail Voting Measure, Gov. Says He’ll Sign It
Expanded voting-by-mail is coming to Illinois. Governor J.B. Pritzker said Friday he will sign the expanded voting measure into law.
News Around Illinois – May 21, 2020
Illinois On Track To Loosen Restrictions Later This Month CHICAGO — Gov. J.B. Pritzker says all parts of Illinois are on track to see coronavirus-related restrictions loosened and more businesses reopen before the end of the month. The Illinois Department of Health reported 2,388 new COVID-19 cases Wednesday, with the total cases surpassing 100,000 An […]
House Rep. Ejected For Face Mask Rule-Breaking, State Lawmakers Greeted By Protests
A lawmaker who portrays himself as an outsider found himself on the outside Tuesday. A group of protestors, meanwhile, made their voices heard as state…
News Around Illinois May 14, 2020
State To Keep Bloomington COVID Testing Site Open Through May 22 BLOOMINGTON – McLean County residents will have another week to prove they want a convenient drive-thru COVID-19 testing site in their backyard. Amid criticism from local officials, Gov. JB Pritzker’s administration will delay the planned closure and relocation of Bloomington’s testing site at the […]
Pritzker Calls For Session, $25 Million For Infrastructure
Gov. J.B. Pritzker called for the legislature to reconvene to discuss an economic recovery plan for the state. Pritzker said his administration has…
Sen. Brady: Return To Springfield Could De-Escalate Stay-At-Home Order Tensions
One of Illinois’ top Republicans says that bringing lawmakers back to Springfield could help de-escalate mounting tensions over the governor’s stay-at-home order. State Sen. Bill Brady, the Senate minority leader from Bloomington, said he wants to see lawmakers return to Springfield to address a “minimal” list of emergent issues, including some appropriations work related to […]
How Two Central Illinois Lawmakers Are Getting Work Done During The Coronavirus Outbreak
Concerns about the coronavirus have kept the Illinois General Assembly from meeting in Springfield for a month. And it’s not clear when they’ll be back in session — or back in their offices. The suspension of the spring legislative session in mid-March sent State Senator Scott Bennett and State Representative Mike Marron back to their […]
News Around Illinois – March 12, 2020
Illinois Colleges Suspend In-Person Classes Due To COVID-19 CHICAGO — Illinois, DePaul, Northwestern and Illinois State universities have decided to suspend in-person classes due to coronavirus fears. The schools on Wednesday joined colleges and universities around the U.S. that have announced a halt to face-to-face instruction. None of the universities are reporting cases of COVID-19 […]
Lawmakers Cancel Session, Pritzker Seeks Sick-Time Relief
SPRINGFIELD — The Illinois General Assembly has canceled scheduled legislative sessions next week to limit the possibility of spreading COVID-19 among large groups. Gov. J.B. Pritzker confirmed the canceled Springfield meeting days in a Chicago news conference Wednesday during which he announced a plan to expand unemployment benefits to employees without paid sick time who […]
News Around Illinois – March 11, 2020
Illinois COVID-19 Cases Increase To 19 [perfectpullquote align=”left” bordertop=”false” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]Click here to connect with WILL’s Coronavirus Information Center. [/perfectpullquote] CHICAGO – State officials say Illinois now has 19 confirmed cases of coronavirus. The state identified eight new cases since yesterday afternoon – including a teenager from McHenry County. Dr. Ngozi Ezike is […]
News Around Illinois – February 7, 2020
Judge Orders Municipalities To Refund Carle Foundation $6.2 Million URBANA – A circuit judge has ordered the city of Urbana and other local taxing bodies to refund $6.2 million in property tax payments to the Carle Foundation. In a ruling issued Wednesday, Judge Randall Rosenbaum also called on Carle and the taxing authorities to end […]