Politics
by PETER HANCOCKCapitol News Illinoisphancock@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – All high schools in Illinois would be required to offer instruction in how to understand and evaluate news and social media as part of their computer literacy courses under a bill that advanced out of a Senate committee Tuesday. Sen. Karina Villa (pictured to the left), D-West Chicago,…
Read Full Article From Illinois Information Services SPRINGFIELD – Governor JB Pritzker joined the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) and labor, legislative and local leaders today to announce the release of a $20.7 billion multi-year plan to improve Illinois’ roads and bridges over the next six years. This commitment, fueled by the historic, bipartisan Rebuild Illinois capital plan,…
Read Full Article From Chicago Tribune – The Illinois State Board of Education has adopted a resolution requiring daily in-person learning next school year with limited exceptions for remote learning. Though some Board members expressed reservations about the resolution’s language during an hour-long discussion, they voted unanimously in favor. The vote came after several parents asked the board…
Read Full Article As he hinted he would do during his speech to the Lewis County (Mo.) GOP on May 7, St. Louis attorney Mark McCloskey officially filed to run for the U.S. Senate on Tuesday. From THE MISSOURI TIMES – Mark McCloskey, the St. Louis attorney who gained notoriety last year for brandishing guns at Black Lives Matter protesters,…
Read Full Article By BRYCE HILLIllinois Policy Census estimates tallied population decline in 98 of Illinois’ 102 counties. Only Los Angeles County lost more people than Cook County last year. Illinois’ population decline hasn’t just affected select areas of the state: New data from the U.S. Census Bureau estimates only four of the state’s 102 counties avoided losing…
Read Full Article By PETER HANCOCKCapitol News Illinois SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois Senate is gearing up for a debate over a package of ethics reforms, possibly as early as this week, but it’s one that Republicans say doesn’t go far enough. Senate Bill 4, which moved out of the Senate Ethics Committee on April 21, is a package…
Read Full Article By SARAH MANSURCapitol News Illinois SPRINGFIELD — Gov. JB Pritzker issued a new executive order Monday that allows fully vaccinated residents to not wear masks inside and outdoors. The updated rules for mask wearing are nearly identical to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s updated guidance, which was released Thursday. The CDC guidance permits fully…
Read Full Article From ILLINOIS POLICY – Illinois state lawmakers are trying to set up a free shot and a beer for those who get a COVID-19 immunization. One per customer, though. And someone else is paying. House Bill 4078 proposes a single free alcoholic drink as part of a promotion to get people vaccinated against COVID 19. Lawmakers want to…
Read Full Article From ILLINOIS POLICY Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker is encouraging road trips just in time for drivers to catch the next boost in the state’s gas tax. The law that doubled Illinois’ state portion of the gas tax also automatically boosts the tax every July 1 based on inflation – a move that saved state lawmakers from the…
Read Full Article From The Center Square – The director of the Illinois Department of Public Health can’t recall if she had talked with the former director of the Department of Veterans Affairs during the peak of the deadly LaSalle Veteran’s Home COVID-19 outbreak last fall. On Nov. 1, 2020, it was clear there was a COVID-19 outbreak…
Read Full Article By TIM KIRSININKAS- CAPITOL NEWS ILLINOIS SPRINGFIELD – Gov. JB Pritzker announced a new $6 million tourism advertising campaign Wednesday aimed at attracting visitors to the state and sparking economic activity following the COVID-19 pandemic. The multimedia campaign, featured around the theme “Time for Me to Drive,” showcases various destinations in all parts of the…
Read Full Article From MISSOURI INDEPENDENT – The Missouri House passed the first tax increase that would go into effect on a governor’s signature in 28 years Tuesday night after a lengthy debate that exposed deep divisions in the Republican caucus. On two votes, the Republican majority of 113 split almost evenly, first on the question of whether…
Read Full Article By the Missouri Times JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — Gov. Mike Parson moved to cut federal pandemic-related unemployment benefits Tuesday, arguing the move would encourage more Missourians to get back into the workforce. Missouri will phase out of the six programs by June 12. “From conversations with business owners across the state, we know that they are struggling…
Read Full Article From The Missouri Times – Both chambers of the Missouri legislature gave final approval to the more than $34 billion budget Friday afternoon. The House began third reading budget bills, passing them along to the Senate. Most bills passed without conflict, with the lack of funding for Medicaid expansion the biggest topic of conversation in the lower chamber. A recommendation from…
Read Full Article Supporters say the changes are needed to rein in an aggressive Missouri Department of Natural Resources. From Missouri Independent – A Missouri House committee advanced a sweeping bill environmentalists say would hamper the state’s ability to enforce clean air and water laws. But several amendment votes could undermine the bill’s prospects in the Senate. The House Emerging…
Read Full Article By RAYMON TRONCOSO, Capitol News Illinois 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…
Read Full Article Officials from the City of Quincy and the State of Illinois officially kicked off $35 million in runway safety improvements at Quincy Regional Airport (QRA) Wednesday afternoon. Illinois Department of Transportation Secretary Omar Osman, Mayor Mike Troup, QRA Director Sandy Shorr and other dignitaries performed the ceremonial dirt turning signify the start of the project.…
Read Full Article Missouri’s governor today directed all state workers to return to their offices for in-person work no later than Monday, May 17, 2021, and that all state buildings be open and accessible to the public during normal business hours. “Since the start of COVID-19, our state team members have gone above and beyond to keep state…
Read Full Article From The Missouri Times: State Auditor Nicole Galloway said her office has begun a regularly scheduled audit of Ralls County. The county received an overall rating of “fair” from the most recent state audit, issued in November 2015.
Read Full Article by Jeff Smith for Missouri Independent What does it take to be a successful candidate for high office in Missouri these days? We might consider that question through the lens of Missouri’s 2022 U.S. Senate race.
Read Full Article By SARAH MANSURCapitol News Illinoissmansur@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD — A state watchdog report into the deadly COVID-19 outbreak at the LaSalle Veterans’ Home found multiple failures that contributed to 36 veterans deaths, stemming primarily from the home’s complete lack of infection prevention plans or policies. The report also found deficiencies in communication and staff training at the LaSalle home,…
Read Full Article Moline Democrat defeated Republican Bobby Schilling in 2012; Won narrow re-election bid in November From the QC-Times: Cheri Bustos said her decision came after a periodic assessment of her career, something she says she’s done every 10 years. The Moline Democrat said her health is good and that she has no future job lined up,…
Read Full Article From Illinois Policy Chicago’s public health commissioner said residents are not required to get vaccinated against COVID-19 – unless they want to attend summer events. City spending nearly $10 million to reach more neighborhoods with vaccines and close racial gaps. After a year of lockdown, summer in Chicago is back – but maybe only for…
Read Full Article By State Scoop Despite exponential growth in adoption over the past seven years, the body-worn cameras acquired by police departments nationwide have struggled or failed to result in the changes to officer behavior and public trust that advocates of the technology have sought, according to a report published this week by the nonprofit Council on Criminal Justice.…
Read Full Article By Capitol News Illinois SPRINGFIELD — The state Senate and House passed more than 750 bills between them last week, addressing isolated timeouts in schools, youth vaping, teaching Muslim history, the commemoration of Juneteenth and automatic voter registration in prisons, among other topics. Friday was the deadline for the General Assembly to pass bills out…
Read Full Article From themissouritimes.com It’s official: Missouri will not gain or lose any congressional seats, according to the 2020 apportionment results released by the U.S. Census Bureau Monday. Missouri will retain its eight congressional seats but neighboring Illinois is among seven states losing a congressional seat. California, Michigan, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia also lost a seat; Texas gained…
Read Full Article From Capitol News Illinois SPRINGFIELD – The U.S. Census Bureau announced Monday Illinois will lose a seat in Congress based on the results of the 2020 census. Illinois will move from 18 to 17 seats in the U.S. House, an expected result after some advocates had warned that an undercount could lead to the loss…
Read Full Article Missouri legislators are moving forward with an effort to loosen the state’s environmental regulations that critics contend could harm the state’s water and air — and its budget. Business groups and Republican lawmakers say the bill would help businesses that are treated unfairly by an “aggressive” Missouri Department of Natural Resources. “At the end of…
Read Full Article From Capitol News Illinois SPRINGFIELD – Members of an Illinois Senate committee sparred with officials from Gov. JB Pritzker’s administration Friday in a hearing on tax changes proposed by the governor in an effort to balance the state’s budget for the 2022 fiscal year. The Senate Revenue and Appropriations committees held the joint hearing, questioning…
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