Insurance industry officials defended recent homeowners insurance rate spikes this week, blaming such factors as inflation and climate change while warning that attempts to regulate their ability to set rates would be bad for consumers. In testimony during a virtual meeting Wednesday of the Senate Insurance Committee, officials pushed back against criticisms by Gov. JB […]
Peter Hancock
Posted inNews
Advocates await action on bill protecting rights of immigrant students in Illinois
Immigration rights advocates in Illinois are anxiously awaiting the governor’s signature on legislation aimed at protecting K-12 students who may be in the country without legal authorization from being denied access to a free public education. House Bill 3247, known as the “Safe Schools for All Act,” passed both chambers of the General Assembly in […]
Posted inNews
Major higher education policy bills stall in General Assembly
Gov. JB Pritzker got some of what he requested from the General Assembly in the area of higher education, but his biggest requests fell short. Pritzker’s wins include a $10 million increase in need-based student financial aid and passage of a direct admission program to make it easier for eligible Illinois high school and community […]
Posted inNews
State to end health coverage program for immigrant adults
State officials are on track to shut down a program at the end of June that provides publicly funded health care coverage to more than 30,000 non-U.S. citizens in Illinois, including many who are in the country without legal authorization. A legislative oversight committee took no action May 13 on a set of administrative rules […]
Posted inNews
Illinois nursing homes seek Medicaid rate hike
Nursing home industry officials are urging Illinois lawmakers to increase the rates they receive from the state’s Medicaid system, arguing the current rates are outdated and are forcing many facilities around the state out of business. “We’ve expressed our concerns that closures will happen. We’ve been saying that for years, and it’s actually happening now, […]
Posted inNews
Kwame Raoul rules out bid for U.S. Senate
While many Illinois Democrats wait anxiously to hear whether U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin will run for reelection in 2026 or step down after five terms in the Senate, at least one incumbent officeholder appears to be ruling himself out as a potential successor. Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul said Tuesday he is not interested in […]
Posted inNews
Despite Trump order, Illinois won’t require voter proof of citizenship
Illinois voters casting ballots in the April 1 consolidated elections will not be required to show proof of U.S. citizenship, despite an executive order issued last week by President Donald Trump. On March 25, Trump issued an executive order directing federal agencies to implement and enforce a nationwide requirement that voters show documentary proof of U.S. […]
Posted inNews
Illinois joins motion to block dismantling of U.S. Education Department
Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul and 20 other state attorneys general are asking a federal judge to immediately halt President Donald Trump’s efforts to dismantle the U.S. Department of Education. In a motion filed March 24 in U.S. District Court in Massachusetts, the coalition of Democratic attorneys general are seeking a preliminary injunction to block […]
Posted inNews
Illinois locked in legal battles with Trump administration over immigration policy
Illinois participated in one court battle with the Trump administration Thursday when a federal judge temporarily blocked enforcement of an executive order that sought to end “birthright citizenship” under the U.S. Constitution. But the legal battles between the state and the White House over immigration policy continued along other fronts this week as well. The […]
Posted inNews
Groups demand release of after-school program funding
Organizations that provide tutoring, recreation and other after-school programs are calling on Gov. JB Pritzker and the Illinois State Board of Education to release $50 million that was included in this year’s budget to fund those programs. The organizations say tens of thousands of students are being denied access to services because the money is […]
Posted inNews
Illinois schools prepare for immigration enforcement
The Illinois State Board of Education is encouraging local school districts to adopt clear policies spelling out how and when their staff should cooperate with federal immigration officials carrying out enforcement actions or seeking information from school officials. The “non-regulatory guidance” on immigration enforcement actions was issued on Jan. 22, two days after President Donald Trump […]
Posted inNews
Budget pressures could impact K-12 funding
Public schools in Illinois have enjoyed several consecutive years of substantial increases in state funding, thanks largely to steady growth in state revenues and a new funding formula that lawmakers approved in 2018. But whether that can continue into the upcoming fiscal year is an open question that state lawmakers will have to face when […]
