After the frenetic flurry of legislating during the lame duck session and the pomp and circumstance of inaugural activities early last month, state lawmaking has entered a lull period.
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The Center Square: Local officials look to Illinois statehouse for pension relief
Local officials are urging Illinois state government to assist in addressing local pension deficits.
Chicago owes nearly $34 billion in unfunded pension liabilities for public safety workers like police, firefighters and other city positions.
Chicago Tribune: State Farm, Wells Fargo plan to lay off hundreds in Illinois
State Farm and Wells Fargo are planning layoffs of employees downstate, the companies reported in mandatory state filings Tuesday.
Insurance giant State Farm, which is headquartered in Bloomington, told the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity it would eliminate 451 positions at the end of March. Wells Fargo reported the layoff of 140 workers in Springfield.
WTTW: Proposed ComEd Deal Brokered by Lightfoot Blocked From Advancing at Council Meeting
In the wake of Commonwealth Edison’s admission that it engaged in a yearslong bribery scheme, a furious Mayor Lori Lightfoot warned the utility giant would have to make significant changes if it wanted to keep its lucrative city contract.
But the proposed agreement that Lightfoot introduced to the Chicago City Council on Wednesday does not include “a comprehensive ethics reform plan that rebuilds trust with the city, its residents and its businesses,” as demanded by Lightfoot in a September 2020 letter.
Pantagraph: 13 bills Illinois lawmakers have introduced in 2023
Legislators took a full week off in the middle of last month. The Senate returned last week but did not do much. The House is back this week, but isn’t doing much. It is a slow pace that is more reminiscent of the start of past legislative sessions. Call it a return to normal after years of pandemic disruptions.