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Illinois Department of Agriculture Director John Sullivan said Tuesday that interest in the newly-legalized hemp industry continues to build, but more work needs to be done for the industry to mature. Sullivan spoke to reporters at the state's first Hemp Summit at the Illinois State Fairgrounds in Springfield where nearly 700 farmers, processors and other people involved in the hemp industry gathered to talk about what they learned during the 2019 growing season - the first...
Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker said Monday he fully supports allowing refugees to resettle in Illinois and he is expected to sign a letter to the Trump administration to that effect in the coming days. Such a letter of consent is now required from state and local officials under an executive order that President Donald Trump issued earlier this year. Under that order, state and local officials have until Dec. 25 to issue written statements of consent. "As the great grandson of...
Cook County State's Attorney Kimberly Foxx filed motions in court Wednesday to vacate more than 1,000 low-level marijuana convictions, following through on a recently-passed state law legalizing adult recreational use of the drug. "We are undoing the harm prosecutors have caused," Foxx posted on Twitter Wednesday. "Prosecuting these cases was not in the public interest, or in the interest of public safety." They were the first of what are expected to be many filings across the...
Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed legislation Tuesday aimed at ensuring minority workers have access to jobs created through the state's new $45 billion capital improvements plan, as well as access to training for careers in construction and building trades. Senate Bill 177 establishes the Illinois Works Jobs Program, which makes $25 million available to community-based organizations - including public colleges and universities - to recruit new apprentices to work on...
As the month of December arrived, many Illinois farmers were still working to harvest their corn and soybeans - the state's two largest field crops - and agriculture officials are anticipating one of the smallest harvests in recent years. As of Nov. 24, only about 88 percent of corn acres in Illinois had been harvested, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, down from 100 percent at the same time last year. Soybean harvesting was 95 percent complete, down from 99...
The Trump administration is about to impose new regulations that would tighten eligibility rules for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, also known as food stamps, in a way state officials say could cut off benefits for an estimated 140,000 Illinoisans. The new rules apply to a category of SNAP recipients ages 18 to 59 known as "able-bodied adults without dependents," or ABAWDs. Currently, who meet the program's income eligibility limits are limited to three months...
State Sen. Martin Sandoval, whose Statehouse office was raided by federal agents in September, announced late Wednesday that he will step down from his seat effective Jan. 1. "Respect for my constituents and the Senate has convinced me that this action is necessary in order to proceed without distraction to the important work that needs to be accomplished throughout the state of Illinois in the future," Sandoval wrote in a letter addressed to the secretary of the Senate, Tim A...
The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday declined to hear an appeal challenging a controversial state law that allows someone to be convicted of murder if a death occurs during the commission of another forcible felony, even if it is caused by someone else. The ruling means the Illinois law still stands, although at least two bills have been introduced in the state General Assembly to narrow how it's applied. One of those bills was prompted by a recent controversy in Lake County when...
Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Monday vetoed a bill that would have provided a sales tax exemption on the sale of private jet parts and components retroactive to 2010 and continuing through 2024. House Bill 3902 cleared the state House on Oct. 30 by a vote of 113-0, with one member voting "present." It passed the Senate Nov. 14 by a vote of 48-1. Sen. Rachelle Crowe, a Glen Carbon Democrat and lead sponsor of the bill in the Senate, argued that the tax exemption had been on...
Two major issues that lawmakers were expected to deal with during the fall veto session regarding a Chicago casino and the upcoming legalization of adult use recreational marijuana stalled Wednesday in the General Assembly as the session entered its final day. While both chambers of the Legislature still have time to act on the marijuana follow-up measure, Senate President John Cullerton, D-Chicago, conceded Wednesday the Chicago casino bill would not clear both chambers...
Illinois lawmakers will return to the Statehouse on Tuesday, with all eyes waiting to see what, if any, action will be taken on ethics reform in the General Assembly. But a host of other issues are on the table as well, including action that would enable the city of Chicago to attract casino developers, follow-up on the landmark adult-use marijuana legalization bill passed during the regular session, regulations on vaping and flavored tobacco products and labor relations...
Amtrak routes that connect Chicago to St. Louis and Milwaukee saw record numbers of riders in the federal fiscal year that ended Sept. 30 while the national passenger rail system turned in its best financial performance in several years. Amtrak reported Friday that the Chicago-St. Louis corridor recorded 756,062 riders during the fiscal year, up 5.5 percent from the previous year, and 24 percent higher than fiscal year 2011. That corridor includes the "Lincoln Service" route...
If Sen. Andy Manar has his way, people in Illinois would move their clocks ahead one hour this coming spring, then never have to change them again. Manar, D-Bunker Hill, said in a Twitter post Wednesday he plans to push for passage of Senate Bill 533 when lawmakers return next week for the final three days of the fall veto session. That bill calls for setting clocks ahead one hour to Daylight Saving Time on Sunday, March 8, 2020, then leaving the state on Central Daylight...
Republicans in the Illinois Senate unveiled a bill Wednesday that would give the legislative inspector general independent authority to launch investigations and issue subpoenas, something that previous inspectors general have also urged. Senate Bill 2297 was introduced Wednesday by Sen. Jason Barickman, R-Bloomington, and 17 other Republicans. "I believe the people of Illinois want us to relinquish the control that the Legislature has to police the actions of their colleagues...
The Illinois Senate voted Wednesday to sustain Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker's veto of a bill that would have prohibited him, or any future governor, from seeking federal approval to weaken consumer protection provisions under the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare. Senate Bill 2026, sponsored by Sen. Sue Rezin, R-Morris, and Rep. Joyce Mason, D-Gurnee, originally passed the Senate unanimously in April. It passed the House by a vote of 75-41 in May. It would have...
Chicago Teachers Union representatives are asking lawmakers for legislation that would force Chicago Public Schools to direct more of its state funding to services aimed at low-income students, English language learners and students with special needs. This comes amid a strike now stretching into its second week. Kurt Hilgendorf, a lobbyist for the union, told a legislative committee Monday Illinois' new Evidence Based Funding formula is designed, in part, to direct more...
SPRINGFIELD – Bipartisan support appears to be building in the Illinois General Assembly for a statewide ban on red-light cameras. Those are devices that some municipalities install at intersections to detect drivers running through red lights or turning without coming to a full stop. Critics of those devices, however, argue they serve only to generate revenue and are a potential source of political corruption. "Studies have shown that it does not improve safety. In fact, t...