Senate Bill 4, the likely vehicle for ethics reform in Springfield, offers slight improvements over the Madigan era. But if Illinois is serious about ending its culture of corruption, key points need more muscle.
HB 2789 could threaten in-person instruction at public and private schools while the COVID-19 emergency order – or any other emergency order – persists.
When a child’s lemonade stand was targeted by government regulators, the 11-year-old entrepreneur fought back. Now Illinois is about to bar government from interfering with a child’s right to sell cold summer drinks.
A federal probe again hit close to former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan. The indictment of his former chief of staff is the latest indication questions are still being asked about Madigan, bribery and corruption.
Grocery and liquor stores would be barred from selling beer, wine and liquor after 10 p.m. if Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot gets her way. She said the move would curb crime by stopping gatherings outside liquor stores and help recovering bars and restaurants.
A proposed Illinois constitutional amendment, SJRCA 11, would give government unions unchecked, unlimited power.
When Gov. J.B. Pritzker and state lawmakers doubled the gas tax in 2019, they built in automatic annual increases. The next boost hits July 1. Perfect timing, as Pritzker spends $6 million to ask Illinoisans to take a drive.
It has been a year since George Floyd died beneath a Minneapolis police officer’s knee, setting off riots in Chicago and protests across Illinois. Lawmakers vowed reforms, but nothing will change as long as police contracts overpower state law.
An amendment to Illinois House Bill 2789 could result in a flurry of complaints against private and public schools for alleged violations of COVID-19 protocols, provides harsh penalties, including punishing teachers, and expands state authority over private schools.
A proposal in the Illinois General Assembly would prohibit right-to-work laws in Illinois, making Illinois the only state to ban worker freedoms in its constitution.
Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker gave fellow Democrats a very clear signal to gerrymander state legislative maps when he backed off his veto threat and said he trusted them to be fair. Mike Madigan-style maps place 23 Republicans into races against other incumbents.
Job losses peaked in April 2020 amid COVID-19 and state-mandated shutdowns. In the year-long recovery since, Illinois’ has been among the nation’s slowest.
Chicago had planned to use half of its federal relief funds to pay down pandemic debts, but new federal guidance may prevent that. Regardless, without pension reform the city will continue drowning in debt.