The Pritzker Group, a private and venture capital firm co-founded by Gov. J.B. Pritzker, is connected to at least two companies creating COVID-19 tests.
The governor has made a series of threats against business owners and officials to force compliance with his executive order.
Just as Illinois opened its unemployment system to self-employed workers, the new system exposed Social Security numbers and other private information of 32,483 applicants, according to a Freedom of Information Act response.
"It’s really hard to put a new budget together and say this is where we’re going to end up. We know we can’t keep going like this for a long period of time."
Self-employed and gig workers were finally allowed to file for benefits last week, driving the total to nearly 1.1 million Illinoisans seeking help since COVID-19 hit the state’s economy.
Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker rescinded the rule that could have put defiant business owners in jail for up to a year. He first imposed it when his authority to close them during the pandemic was challenged.
“My store is closed. The morning I had to explain to my staff that I had to lay them off, I cried."
"I just don’t know how much more people can be taxed and remain in business."
"I don’t know what the future is for my business. I know I can’t go 150 days [closed]. There’s no way I will survive. I will have to quit something I’ve done for 22 years."
What to watch for as the Illinois General Assembly convenes for the first time in more than two months.
Small business owners trying to save their livelihoods could face up to a year in prison under Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s new emergency rules, unless a key committee fights back.
As new claims overwhelm an unprepared and inefficient system, the state has been pre-approved for a $5 billion loan from the federal government to ensure benefits continue to be paid.
The governor’s new penalty comes without approval from the Illinois General Assembly.