By ANDREW ADAMS& HANNAH MEISELaadams@capitolnewsillinois.comhmeisel@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – As the General Assembly prepares to wrap up its spring legislative session this week, Democratic lawmakers are advancing a bill that would mandate job postings to include a salary range in a move they say would promote equity within the workplace. Meanwhile, a […]
Author: Capitol News
Measure banning vaping indoors in public places clears General Assembly
By NIKA SCHOOONOVERCapitol News Illinoisnschoonover@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – A measure that would ban the use of electronic cigarettes inside of public buildings in Illinois needs only a signature from Gov. JB Pritzker to become law after it received final approval from lawmakers this week. House Bill 1540 passed the Senate on a 42-11 […]
As many Illinoisans struggle with food access, lawmakers consider state grants for grocers
By ANDREW ADAMSCapitol News Illinoisaadams@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – Lawmakers are considering creating a grant program that would send state dollars to grocers in Illinois communities that have few options for buying food. Senate Bill 850 would direct the state’s Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, or DCEO, to establish the “Grocery Initiative,” […]
Assault weapons ban back in place for now after appellate court’s order
By PETER HANCOCKCapitol News Illinoisphancock@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – The assault weapons ban that Gov. JB Pritzker signed into law in January is back in force after a federal appeals court on Thursday blocked a temporary injunction that a lower court judge in East St. Louis issued on April 28. In a […]
Bill blocking libraries from state funding if they ban books clears General Assembly
By PETER HANCOCKCapitol News Illinoisphancock@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – A bill that would block libraries from receiving state grants if they ban books cleared the Illinois Senate Wednesday and will soon be sent to Gov. JB Pritzker, who is expected to sign it. House Bill 2789 is an initiative of Secretary of State […]
Latest state budget forecast puts brakes on previously predicted surplus
By JERRY NOWICKICapitol News Illinoisjnowicki@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – The state’s Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability has decreased its current-year budget forecast by $728 million, erasing much of a once-predicted surplus that had led Gov. JB Pritzker to float the idea of tax cuts earlier this spring. While the commission’s $51.2 million estimate is now […]
Medicaid renewals resume for first time since beginning of COVID-19 pandemic
By JERRY NOWICKICapitol News Illinoisjnowicki@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – Medicaid recipients in Illinois should be on the lookout for correspondence from the state regarding their coverage as the normal renewal process resumes for the first time in three years. Medicaid is a health insurance program for low-income and disabled people that is jointly funded […]
Measure would require schools to notify parents of bullying incidents within 24 hours
By NIKA SCHOONOVERCapitol News Illinoisnschoonover@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – Legislation that would tighten anti-bullying protocols in Illinois schools will head to the full state Senate after unanimously passing out of committee this week. House Bill 3425 particularly targets cyberbullying, requiring that schools “make diligent efforts” to notify the parents or guardians of students […]
Bill requiring schools to teach Native American history heads to Senate floor
By NIKA SCHOONOVERCapitol News Illinoisnschoonover@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – Lawmakers advanced a measure that would require public elementary and high schools to include a unit of Native American history in their social studies curriculum, beginning with the 2024-2025 school year. House Bill 1633 passed out of a Senate committee this week with a […]
Report: Tuition costs skyrocketed at public colleges amid 20 years of state disinvestment
By ANDREW ADAMSCapitol News Illinoisaadams@capitolnewsillinois.com CHICAGO – As university faculties around Illinois strike for better pay and working conditions, budget analysts have found that state spending on higher education has fallen dramatically over the past 20 years. When adjusted for inflation, state spending on higher education fell 46 percent between […]
