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Former House Speaker Michael J. Madigan, 78, announced Thursday he will step down from the state House of Representatives after 50 years in office. "I leave office at peace with my decision and proud of the many contributions I've made to the state of Illinois, and I do so knowing I've made a difference," Madigan wrote in a lengthy emailed statement. His initial statement said he plans to retire by the end of the month, but by the end of Thursday the letter he submitted to...
Officials from the hotel, restaurant and convention industries told a state Senate panel Thursday that they need a clear plan for how they will be allowed to reopen as the COVID-19 pandemic wanes, warning that without such a plan, many will go out of business permanently. “We need to know … a strategy, we need to know the metrics as we move forward because we cannot, we cannot lose another summer here in the state of Illinois,” Sam Toia, president and CEO of the Illinois Resta...
Gov. JB Pritzker outlined a $41.6 billion budget proposal Wednesday that would hold most state agencies at flat funding levels but which relies heavily on changes to the state’s corporate tax structure that lawmakers have not yet approved. The budget proposal, which is only the governor’s request for lawmakers in the General Assembly, does not call for income tax increases. Over the next four months, lawmakers will work on an operating budget of their own to send to the gov...
Lockport, IL - On Feb. 16. 2021, at approximately 8:15 a.m. Illinois State Police (ISP) officials investigated a two-vehicle personal injury traffic crash on Interstate 80 eastbound over Interstate 55 in Will County, involving a District 5 ISP Trooper. A District 5 Trooper was on Interstate 80 over Interstate 55 at the scene of a motor vehicle crash. The Trooper was inside of the stationary squad car, positioned behind the crash scene in the right lane with the emergency...
Dangerous sub-zero temperatures and massive snow accumulation across Illinois prompted Gov. JB Pritzker to issue a disaster proclamation for the entire state on Tuesday. "I have directed my administration to use all resources at our disposal to keep our communities safe amid dangerous and ongoing winter weather," Pritzker said in the news release. "I urge all Illinoisans to take this extreme weather seriously, avoid all unnecessary travel and check in on your neighbors."...
SPRINGFIELD – The number of vaccinations administered in one day in Illinois saw a record spike Tuesday as the statewide seven-day rolling positivity rate continued to decrease to levels not seen since mid-October. The rolling case positivity rate hit 4.5 percent as of Wednesday, decreasing for the 19th consecutive day to hit its lowest number since Oct. 13. That came as the state reported 53,628 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine were administered Tuesday, the highest reported o...
One of the most transformative six-day periods in the history of Illinois government came to an end Wednesday with the election of Rep. Emanuel "Chris" Welch, D-Hillside, as the state's House speaker – the first Black man to hold the title. Equally groundbreaking was the fact that Welch unseated Rep. Michael Madigan, D-Chicago, the nation's longest-serving legislative leader who had been speaker for all but two years since 1983. Welch sought a unifying tone in his first f...
More than 107,000 Illinois workers filed first-time unemployment claims last week, a 45-percent increase over the week before as the COVID-19 pandemic continued to wreak havoc on the state and national economies. The Illinois Department of Employment Security reported that there were 107,616 new claims filed during the week that ended Saturday, Dec. 5, up from 75,536 the previous week. That compares to 14,798 initial claims filed during the same period last year. That increase was part of a nationwide trend as the entire...
Gov. JB Pritzker said Thursday his administration has requested the help of the Illinois National Guard at three of four state-run veterans homes, including two homes that are dealing with COVID-19 outbreaks. Pritzker said the National Guard members were sent to the LaSalle Veterans’ Home on Thursday, and will arrive on Monday at state-run homes in Quincy and Manteno to provide “staff support for screening and handling testing data tracking so that medical staff can focus on direct patient support.” The LaSalle Veter...
An astounding 16 million Americans served in World War II in the mid 1940s and of those, only roughly 325,000 are still alive. Among those is Donald J. Breen, a proud veteran of WWII who turned 100 years old in August. Celebrating Breen's legacy has been a challenge for family, friends and the staff at the Timbers of Shorewood where he resides. Originally, a large party was planned, but was derailed when the COVID-19 pandemic locked down the country in March. Then a birthday...
SPRINGFIELD – For the first time since Illinois adopted judicial retention elections in 1964, an Illinois Supreme Court justice lost a retention bid to stay on the state's highest court. Justice Thomas Kilbride failed to win at least 60 percent of the 'yes' vote in his district, earning only 56.4 percent of the vote, according to unofficial results. Kilbride conceded from the race in an email statement issued around 11:30 p.m. on Tuesday night. "Though votes continue to be c...
The chairman of a special committee investigating Democratic State House Speaker Michael Madigan’s role in a bribery scheme involving utility giant Commonwealth Edison has postponed the panel’s next meeting, which had been scheduled for Thursday. Rep. Emanuel “Chris” Welch, D-Hillside, announced Wednesday that the meeting is being delayed, in part because of the worsening COVID-19 pandemic and in part because it is still waiting to receive documents from ComEd. “The Committee is currently awaiting documents requested...
Illinois restaurant owners are asking Gov. JB Pritzker to rethink the state's efforts to control the spread of COVID-19 as yet another medical region was placed under enhanced mitigation measures on Friday. "We want to collaborate with the state of Illinois on a different path, one that addresses the alarming surges we are seeing while protecting the livelihood of industry workers and restaurant owners-operators across Illinois," Sam Toia, president and CEO of the Illinois Res...
Gov. JB Pritzker announced changes to the licensing process for marijuana dispensaries Monday after weeks of criticism from activists, lawmakers and applicants who were initially denied for the first round of 75 licenses. Now, failed applicants will have an opportunity to amend their applications and receive more information as to why they were denied points in the scoring process. In a news release Monday, Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Reg...
The state on Tuesday announced another 20 COVID-19-related deaths and 1,549 new confirmed cases of the virus. That brings the total number of COVID-19 related deaths in Illinois to 7,657 out of 196,948 confirmed cases since the pandemic began. More than 3.14 million tests have been conducted during the same time period. A total of 4,162 of the virus-related deaths have occurred in long-term care facilities, where 25,452 confirmed cases of the virus have been reported, according to the Illinois Department of Public Health....
More than 200 federal agents will head to Chicago this week as state and local officials take a more measured tone of acceptance after railing against a potential federal surge earlier in the week. That's because the Trump Administration has offered assurances that the Illinois operations – an expansion of the Operation Legend initiative boosting law enforcement efforts in Kansas City, Mo. – will be different than recent actions by agencies in Portland, Ore. In that city, ther...
Top executives of utility giant Commonwealth Edison faced tough questions from state regulators Wednesday as they publicly apologized for the lobbying scandal that is forcing the company to pay a $200 million criminal fine. "That's the first words I wanted you to hear out of my mouth," ComEd CEO Joseph Dominguez told members of the Illinois Commerce Commission. "But the last words I want to leave you with is that I've observed the character of this company. I know what our...
Gov. JB Pritzker on Tuesday gave only vague answers to reporters' questions about potential future restrictions Illinois might put in place to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus in certain areas. He took the inquiries Tuesday morning at an unrelated news conference in Chicago, hours before the Illinois Department of Public Health announced another 707 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 26 more virus-related deaths. That brought the total COVID-19-related casualties in...
The chairwoman of the Illinois House Energy and Environment Committee said this week she will not hold hearings to examine what impact Commonwealth Edison's lobbying and bribery practices have had on utility ratepayers, rebuffing a request from two Republican lawmakers. Instead, Rep. Ann Williams, D-Chicago, said in a statement that she plans to introduce "tough new amendments" to the proposed Clean Energy Jobs Act next year "to ensure that we hold utilities accountable and ta...
Since January, Illinois residents and visitors have spent nearly $240 million on legalized recreational marijuana, producing $52 million in state revenue, according to a news release from the governor's office. Of that, $34.7 million came from excise taxes, while $18 million came from sales taxes. Per the law, 8 percent of that revenue will be shared with local governments, while the Illinois Department of Revenue estimates $25.9 million from excise and sales taxes will be...
With fewer than four months remaining until the general election, House Republicans said Tuesday they want to remind Illinoisans of Democratic lawmakers’ “failure” to address corruption in the General Assembly. It has been 260 days since former Chicago Democratic Rep. Louis Arroyo was charged by federal officials with bribery, House Minority Leader Jim Durkin said during a virtual news conference. Arroyo’s case remains pending. Durkin, of Western Springs, also mentioned the case of former Sen. Martin Sandoval, a Chicago...
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 state government and pandemic response going forward. "This discussion needs to go beyond 2:30 in the afternoon press conferences," Sen. Minority Leader Bill Brady said outside the Capitol, referencing the daily COVID-19 news briefings held by Gov. JB Pritzker. Brady, of Bloomington,...
SPRINGFIELD - The Illinois Republican Party wants to be excluded from the state's social gathering restrictions, as it alleged in a federal lawsuit that churches and political demonstrations already enjoy such exclusions. Throughout the year, the party holds a state convention, strategy meetings and candidate rallies - all with more than 10 people present. Under Gov. JB Pritzker's May 29 executive order addressing the continued spread of COVID-19, those in-person gatherings...
SPRINGFIELD – Anyone who cast a ballot in the last three years or who registered to vote or changed addresses after the March primary will be sent an application to vote by mail after Gov. JB Pritzker signed a bill expanding the program Tuesday. In a news release, Pritzker's office said the program is aimed at ensuring "safe and active participation in the 2020 general election during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic." Pritzker signed Senate Bill 1863 and House Bill 2238, w...
Don't pack away your hiking gear just yet. Starved Rock State Park is looking to re-open their gates to the public at the start of June. Illinois' most popular state park is excited to receive the green light and have visitors back into their space. They are taking important steps to reassure the safety of their staff and guests. The plan includes a deep cleaning in all rooms, cabins, restaurants and in the lodge area to prepare for guest to come back in. They have installed...