A key Illinois House committee chairman is rejecting calls from Springfield Republicans for public legislative hearings on whether ratepayers got bilked in the ComEd bribery scandal—and, if so, what to do about it.

In a statement, House Energy Committee Chairman Ann Williams, D-Chicago, said that while she voted against the “smart grid” legislation of 2011, which raised rates and is at the core of the scandal, now is not the right time for the Legislature to respond.

The Illinois Department of Employment Security said Wednesday it has been affected by a nationwide fraud scheme involving the federal Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program.

That program, enacted as part of the federal CARES Act, provides 100 percent federally funded jobless benefits to independent contractors, gig workers and others who don’t normally qualify for the traditional unemployment insurance program.

Gov. JB Pritzker extended the ban on evictions until Aug. 22 as the state continues to grapple with the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The ban on housing evictions was scheduled to expire at the end of this month.

Without a word of debate, the City Council agreed Wednesday to rein in a vehicle impoundment program that became Chicago’s catch-all solution to crimes of all kinds, but also trapped motorists in a cycle of debt.

Last fall, Mayor Lori Lightfoot convinced aldermen to cut Chicago scofflaws some slack by reducing fines, expanding payment plans and stopping drivers’ license suspensions for non-moving violations.

Gov. J.B. Pritzker warned metro-east leaders Wednesday that unless they were more successful in stemming the increase in new coronavirus cases, the state would have to step in.

The governor made an example of southwestern Illinois to warn other regions in the state that COVID-19 can increase exponentially “in the blink of an eye.”

Sales tax revenue for DuPage County is more than $2.8 million short of projections because of the COVID-19 crisis, but officials say it could be worse.

The county’s sales tax revenue was ahead of budget until shopping malls, movie theaters and other nonessential businesses were forced to close due to the pandemic. Then sales tax collections were about $1.37 million, or 15.9%, less than expected for April and $2.72 million, or 32%, less than expected for May.

At its meeting Tuesday, the city council approved expanding the eligibility list for Champaign’s COVID-19 Small Business Grant program.

In the first round of funding, of the 68 businesses that applied, the 30 that didn’t receive financial assistance elsewhere were prioritized, while the rest were wait-listed.