By JERRY NOWICKICapitol News Illinoisjnowicki@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – Lawmakers approved a state operating budget shortly before 2 a.m. Sunday, but despite the passage of the document, nothing about the next fiscal year is black and white. The state is depending on a broad package providing federal monetary aid to states […]
Author: Capitol News
Senate GOP: Stay in session until we have bipartisan reopening plan
Brady: ‘This discussion needs to go beyond 2:30 in the afternoon press conferences’ By JERRY NOWICKICapitol News Illinoisjnowicki@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – On just the third day of legislative session since March 5, Senate Republicans called a socially distanced outdoor news conference Friday morning to argue for a more collaborative approach to […]
Vote-by-mail expansion headed for governor’s signature after Senate passage
Bill also allows curbside voting, makes Election Day a state holiday this year By BEN ORNERCapitol News Illinoisborner@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – A major expansion of voting access for the 2020 general election is headed to the desk of Gov. JB Pritzker after the Illinois Senate overwhelmingly passed the measure Friday. After […]
Workers’ comp omnibus passes both houses
Deal between business, labor sees near-unanimous support By JERRY NOWICKICapitol News Illinoisjnowicki@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD — A compromise bill between business and labor which deals with COVID-19 and workers’ compensation passed the House on Friday with broad bipartisan support and will head to the governor. House Bill 2455 was carried by Democrats Linda […]
Illinois unemployment rate climbs to record 16.4% in April
New jobless claims in May appear to level out By PETER HANCOCKCapitol News Illinoisphancock@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois unemployment rate in Illinois reached a staggering 16.4 percent in April, the highest rate recorded since the modern system of tracking joblessness began in 1976, the Illinois Department of Employment Security said […]
COVID-19 response, Illinois budget top session agenda
By JERRY NOWICKICapitol News Illinoisjnowicki@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – The state’s COVID-19 response and operating budget will unsurprisingly be on the top of the agenda for lawmakers when they return for a socially distanced session this week, according to an email distributed to Illinois House members Tuesday. The House will meet Wednesday […]
GOP seeks to remove graduated tax measure from ballot
Pritzker says call shows Republicans ‘lack confidence’ in their position By JERRY NOWICKICapitol News Illinoisjnowicki@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – State Republican leadership is pushing for a vote in the upcoming legislative session to remove a graduated income tax amendment question from the November general election ballot. “Times have changed dramatically since this […]
IDES confirms data breach in online unemployment system
‘Glitch’ allowed access to personal data in Pandemic Unemployment Assistance system By PETER HANCOCKCapitol News Illinoisphancock@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois Department of Employment Security has confirmed that a new online portal that processes claims for federal Pandemic Unemployment Assistance briefly allowed public access to applicants’ personal information including Social Security […]
State saw nearly 73,000 new unemployment claims in final week before gig worker portal went live
50,000 pandemic unemployment assistance claims filed in first three days of new program By JERRY NOWICKICapitol News Illinoisjnowicki@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD — The U.S. saw nearly 3 million more unemployment claims the week ending May 9, including another 72,993 in Illinois, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. The 2.98 million claims […]
Illinois Lawmakers to return to Springfield for session May 20-22
State budget among top items to be considered By PETER HANCOCKCapitol News Illinoisphancock@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – Illinois lawmakers will return to Springfield next week for the first time in more than two months to take up a state budget and other critical matters while following strict social distancing and public safety […]