New legislation awaiting Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s signature foresees the possibility of felons being allowed to hold office. Other election law changes would expand vote by mail, push back the 2022 primary election and make Election Day 2022 a state holiday.
Chicago and state mask mandates have been dropped for fully vaccinated Illinoisans in most circumstances. Here is where masks will continue to be required, or not.
Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker wants masks on and social distancing intact when children return to school next year. Most COVID-19 restrictions will be dropped June 11, but not all.
The former president of the Illinois Senate is now a lobbyist for a power utility. Illinois needs stronger rules on when their peers can return to sway state lawmakers.
Illinoisans on June 11 will take off their masks and breathe a sigh of relief – except where required by federal, state, local, tribal, or territorial laws, rules and regulations, including local business and workplace guidance and Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s mandates.
Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed Democrats’ partisan legislative and judicial redistricting plans. He had repeatedly promised to veto any maps drawn by state lawmakers for their own benefit.
Illinoisans are not getting COVID-19 vaccinations at the rate they once were, so Gov. J.B. Pritzker may turn to cash prizes through a vaccine lottery to boost immunizations.
Illinois could fully reopen by June 11, but Gov. J.B. Pritzker decided the state was still a disaster zone and he needed emergency powers until the end of June.
Illinois made an important first step in its break with the corrupt practices that defined the legislative process under former Illinois House Speaker Mike Madigan. New ethics rules about lobbying, financial disclosures and the legislative watchdog were passed in the final hours of the session.
Tim Mapes, longtime chief of staff to former Illinois House Speaker Mike Madigan, pleaded ‘not guilty’ to federal charges he lied to a grand jury about Madigan and bribery. Strong ethics reforms can help fix Illinois’ culture of corruption.
Senate Bill 4, the likely vehicle for ethics reform in Springfield, offers slight improvements over the Madigan era. But if Illinois is serious about ending its culture of corruption, key points need more muscle.
HB 2789 could threaten in-person instruction at public and private schools while the COVID-19 emergency order – or any other emergency order – persists.
When a child’s lemonade stand was targeted by government regulators, the 11-year-old entrepreneur fought back. Now Illinois is about to bar government from interfering with a child’s right to sell cold summer drinks.
A federal probe again hit close to former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan. The indictment of his former chief of staff is the latest indication questions are still being asked about Madigan, bribery and corruption.