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IDOC makes plan to close units at Vandalia, Pontiac prisons
By BETH HUNDSDORFER Capitol News Illinois bhundsdorfer@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois Department of Corrections is making plans to downsize—plans that a major public employee union claims have not been shared with its members. With inmate population dwindling to 28,000 and mounting maintenance bills on prison buildings at correctional centers across the state, DOC developed a…
State, opponents urge court ruling on school mandates despite JCAR vote
PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois phancock@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – The question of whether K-12 schools in Illinois can continue to enforce mask mandates and other COVID-19 mitigations remained unclear Wednesday as all three branches of state government tried to grapple with it. Gov. JB Pritzker said Wednesday that his executive order requiring those measures remains in…
General Assembly appoints new lawmaker watchdog as GOP decries search process
By JERRY NOWICKI Capitol News Illinois jnowicki@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – Democrats in the Illinois General Assembly this week fast-tracked the approval of their party’s appointee to the watchdog position tasked with investigating lawmaker misconduct. A harshly partisan debate and near one-party approval for the legislative inspector general nominee, former federal Judge Michael McCuskey, came despite members…
Illinois Democrats vote to remove 9 maskless Republicans from House chamber
By GRACE KINNICUTT Capitol News Illinois gkinnicutt@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois House voted to remove nine Republican members from the House floor Thursday afternoon for their refusal to comply with face covering requirements, delaying the start of the legislative session for the third straight day. In a 66-39 vote, Democrats voted to remove Reps. Joe…
Republicans Cite SAFE-T Act as Reason Chicago Man Not Charged with Murder
Grand jury approved weapons charges, not first-degree murder. By Grace Kinnicutt Capitol News Illinois gkinnicutt@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – Illinois House Republicans on Wednesday continued a push to repeal a criminal justice reform bill passed one year ago, citing the law as the reason a Chicago man was not charged with murder for his role in a…
Gas Companies Push Back Efforts to Repeal Surcharge
Consumer advocates say fee is no longer needed. By Peter Hancock Capitol News Illinois phancock@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – Natural gas utilities in Illinois warned of job losses and possible risks to public safety if state lawmakers repeal a law allowing them to add a surcharge on customer bills that consumer advocates say is being used to…
‘Coexist with COVID:’ Pritzker, Ezike Address Plan to Lift Mask Mandate by February 28
School mandates would remain in place for ‘coming weeks,’ pending court decision. By Jerry Nowicki Capitol News Illinois jnowicki@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – If hospitalizations for COVID-19 continue to decline for the rest of the month, Gov. JB Pritzker plans to lift his executive order that mandates face coverings indoors by February 28. The plan does not…
Programming Glitch Takes Rental Assistance Portal Offline for Two Days
Applicant alerted agency he could see others’ information. By Beth Hundsdorfer Capitol News Illinois bhundsdorfer@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – An online portal through which tenants impacted by COVID-19 can apply for rental assistance went offline for two days last week after the discovery of a programming glitch that compromised some personal information. It was an applicant’s call…
Governor, AG Address Expressway Shootings, Organized Retail Crime
Hundreds of cameras being installed on Chicago area highways. By Jerry Nowicki Capitol News Illinois jnowicki@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – Two of the state’s top officials each held news conferences Monday morning to outline current and proposed responses to increasing crime, including expressway shootings and organized retail thefts. Gov. JB Pritzker appeared with Illinois State Police Director…
Pritzker: ‘Stay Tuned’ for New Mask Guidance
Decisions from other Democratic-led states, Illinois court ruling ramps up pressure. By Jerry Nowicki Capitol News Illinois jnowicki@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – Illinoisans should stay tuned for an announcement on the state’s indoor mask mandate, Gov. JB Pritzker said at an unrelated news conference Tuesday, although he declined to say specifically what changes might be coming. “I…
State Appeals Court’s Order on School COVID-19 Mask, Vaccine Mandates
Sangamon County judge says emergency rules were improper. By Peter Hancock phancock@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul and Gov. JB Pritzker’s administration are asking a state appellate court to set aside a lower court order from late Friday that invalidated the mask and vaccine mandates the state imposed last year for public schools.…
Illinois DOC resumes intake of inmates after COVID-19 variant surge
Illinois DOC resumes intake of inmates after COVID-19 variant surge Space used to quarantine COVID-19-exposed inmates will return to intake By BETH HUNDSDORFER Capitol News Illinois bhundsdorfer@capitolnewsillinois.com The Illinois Department of Corrections resumed intake of inmates from county jails last week after a two-week pause due to a COVID-19 spike. As COVID-19 cases at Illinois…
Comptroller Says Proposed Budget Could Lead State to Another Credit Upgrade
Mendoza praises efforts to pay down debt, bill backlog. By Grace Kinnicutt Capitol News Illinois gkinnicutt@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – Comptroller Susana Mendoza said she expects the state’s credit rating to improve and the remaining bill backlog reduced under Gov. JB Pritzker’s $45.4 billion proposed budget. Another credit rating upgrade would be noteworthy, as the state had…
Black and Latino Caucuses Voice Support for Proposed Budget
‘Good place to begin the process’ of budgeting, Senate Black Caucus chair says. By Beth Hundsdorfer Capitol News Illinois bhundsdorfer@capitolnewsillinois.com Members of the Illinois Legislative Black Caucus and Illinois Legislative Latino Caucus voiced their overall support for Gov. GB Pritzker’s budget in separate news conferences Wednesday, but said they will continue to push to address…
Pritzker Declares Disaster for Snow Event; Forges Ahead with In-Person Budget Address
With session canceled, governor’s address will take place at Old State Capitol. By Jerry Nowicki Capitol News Illinois jnowicki@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – With a massive winter storm expected to blanket the entire state in ice and snow, Gov. JB Pritzker on Tuesday issued a disaster declaration and activated members of the Illinois National Guard. He also…
Bills Addressing Teacher Shortages Advance
Senate panel endorses bills to let retired teachers work more days. By Peter Hancock Capitol News Illinois phancock@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – Two bills aimed at relieving the state’s teacher shortage, at least in the short term, advanced out of a Senate committee Tuesday. The Senate Education Committee unanimously endorsed two bills that would allow retired teachers…
What’s in Pritzker’s Proposed Budget?
A look inside the final spending plan of the governor’s first term. By Jerry Nowicki Capitol News Illinois jnowicki@capitolnewsillinois.com Each year in February, Illinois’ governor must propose to lawmakers a spending plan for the upcoming fiscal year. The General Assembly will then spend the next several months negotiating which proposals to include and which to…
