Some of the state’s leading law enforcement officials on Tuesday, Dec. 20, urged lawmakers to pass a statewide ban on high-power, high-capacity weapons, which they say are growing in prevalence in Illinois. “What the public asks members of the law enforcement community to do each and every day is stunning, knowing full well that the […]
Peter Hancock
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Gun control only one part of a bigger puzzle
A legislative committee on Thursday, Dec. 15, heard more witnesses call for a ban on high-power, semi-automatic rifles and large-capacity magazines, but some experts said that alone won’t solve the problem of violent crime in Illinois. During its second hearing on a proposed assault weapon ban, an Illinois House committee, meeting in Chicago, heard from […]
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Speaker Welch reflects on growing House majority
Illinois House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch, who recently announced he has the support for another term as House speaker, says he looks forward to governing with an even larger supermajority than he had during his first two years. “Expanding our caucus was definitely a priority of mine,” he said during an interview with Capitol News […]
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Tax rebate checks go out this week
Gov. JB Pritzker announced Sept. 12 that Illinois taxpayers will soon start receiving rebates of their income and property taxes, either in the mail or by direct bank deposits. Speaking at a news conference in Chicago where he was flanked by other state officials and Democratic leaders of the General Assembly, Pritzker said the rebates […]
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Closing the equity gap for public schools
Five years ago this month, Illinois lawmakers passed legislation that overhauled the way public schools in the state are funded. The so-called Evidence Based Funding formula, or EBF, was designed to calculate the actual cost for each district to provide the kind of education the state expects, and then gradually increase the share of that […]
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New law provides $700 million for nursing home staffing
Gov. JB Pritzker signed legislation May 31 that will pump an additional $700 million annually into Medicaid-funded nursing homes, provided they use that money to increase staff and wages in their facilities. “This is truly a game changer,” Pritzker said at a bill-signing ceremony at a Chicago-area nursing home. “…Together we’ve delivered a victory for […]
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Cost of Statehouse renovation higher than estimated but within state’s budget
The cost of renovating the north wing of the Illinois Statehouse will be more expensive than officials initially estimated. Only one bid came in for the project, which is about to get underway. CORE Construction Services of Illinois Inc. priced the job at $243.5 million, well over the $170 million that was originally estimated. “Despite […]
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Welch reflects on first year as House speaker
One year after being named speaker of the Illinois House, Rep. Emanuel “Chris” Welch says he is proud of the accomplishments he and his colleagues achieved and he looks forward to building on that record. “I actually thought 2021 was one heck of a year,” the Hillside Democrat said during a recent interview. “You know, […]
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Springfield transportation hub to relieve rail congestion
A railway improvement project intended to improve traffic congestion between St. Louis and Chicago reached a milestone Tuesday, Oct. 12, as work began on a multimodal transportation hub in the capital city. Gov. JB Pritzker was joined at a groundbreaking ceremony by U.S. Sens. Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth, along with several state lawmakers and […]
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Cairo pins hopes on river port development
CAIRO – Anyone who has driven America’s interstate highway system is familiar with those standard blue signs near major exits indicating the services available ahead – fuel, food and lodging. Driving south on Interstate 57 in Illinois, approaching the city of Cairo at the state’s southernmost tip, most of the images on those blue signs […]
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Illinois announces first $24 million in Back to Business grants
Gov. JB Pritzker’s administration on Thursday announced the awarding of the first $24 million in “Back to Business” grants, a program funded with federal relief aid to help businesses recover and reopen from the pandemic. The announcement took place at a Mexican restaurant in the Little Village neighborhood of Chicago, Mi Tierra en la Villita, […]
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Session ends with major legislation, but no energy bill
Illinois lawmakers finished a two-day special session June 17 by passing some important legislation but without reaching agreement on the one issue they had hoped to resolve – an energy bill that would phase out all carbon emissions from power plants over the next 30 years. “I think a very successful legislative session got a […]
