House Bill 4733 expands eligibility for honorary scholarships at the University of Illinois to the children of veterans who served at any time during the invasion of Panama between December 20, 1989, and January 31, 1990. These children would join the sons and daughters of veterans who served during conflicts dating back to World War II in having eligibility for the scholarships.
Moody’s adds “positive” outlook to State of Illinois credit rating of A3. This moves Illinois further away from “junk bond” territory. However, Illinois debts continue to have a lower credit rating than the debts issued by most U.S. states. Illinois taxpayers continue to be required to pay higher interest rates than most other states on the debts sold to rebuild public roads, bridges, and infrastructure. This is an increasing concern in a time of rising worldwide interest rates.
House Bill 4241 amends the Sex Offenses Article of the Criminal Code and ensures that school employees who commit acts of sexual conduct or sexual penetration with a student, regardless of the student’s age, are held responsible.
“The passage of House Bill 4059 is the first step in addressing the critical shortage of licensed daycare providers in the state of Illinois,” said Rep. Haas. “This bill ensures the Department of Children and Family Services continues to host at least two licensing orientation programs in each district for individuals interested in becoming daycare providers.”
House Bill 4350, also known as the Child Abuse Notice Act, sponsored by State Representative Jed Davis (R-Yorkville), passed on the House floor last week. The bill will now move to the Senate for a vote.
“The passage of the Child Abuse Notice Act is a huge step forward to save children in Illinois facing abuse and trafficking,” said Rep. Davis. “Many children in these situations are kept away from places where adults may recognize the signs of abuse. This bill will target victims in locations identified by the Illinois State Police, such as truck stops, train stations, and tattoo parlors.”
“The passage of the Child Abuse Notice Act is a huge step forward to save children in Illinois facing abuse and trafficking,” said Rep. Davis. “Many children in these situations are kept away from places where adults may recognize the signs of abuse. This bill will target victims in locations identified by the Illinois State Police, such as truck stops, train stations, and tattoo parlors.”
The safety issues that resulted from the protesters’ decision to shut down a ramp to O’Hare caused Rep. Dan Ugaste to consider the public safety implications of their actions. Not only did the protesters prevent people from getting to the airport and create a major traffic nightmare, but, their actions could have also delayed first responders and other medical services, like the transport of vital organs, with terrible consequences.
Rep. Patrick Sheehan wastes no time getting to work in Springfield. With just over a month left in the legislative schedule, newly minted State Representative Patrick Sheehan wasted no time getting to work on behalf of his constituents.
In a statement to the press after being sworn into office, Sheehan said he couldn’t wait to hit the ground running for suburban families. And, hit the ground running is exactly what he did.
In a statement to the press after being sworn into office, Sheehan said he couldn’t wait to hit the ground running for suburban families. And, hit the ground running is exactly what he did.
When the legislation, House Bill 5465, passed through committee recently, Keicher said, “Victims of human trafficking and sexual exploitation, especially children, represent our most vulnerable, and we need to do everything we can to help them through their recovery process. That’s why I’m proud to be carrying House Bill 5465. The legislation builds on a law we passed last year by creating an easier process for child victims of trafficking to have their juvenile records expunged or sealed as a result of any criminal acts they were forced to take part in while being abused.”
The proposed bill aims to close a loophole reported on by CBS Chicago where a Chicago area woman’s opioid prescription was stolen. The incident involved Doris Jones, whose oxycodone prescription was wrongfully dispensed to an unidentified individual that somehow knew her personal details.
House Bill 4795, introduced to the General Assembly by Representative Kam Buckner (D -Chicago), would establish the Single-Family Zoning Ban Act. The proposed legislation would require all townships, municipalities, and counties with populations greater than 100,000 residents to make several amendments to their zoning ordinances and zoning maps. Such amendments would require all zoning areas currently zoned for single-family homes to allow the use of “middle housing”, meaning duplexes, triplexes, and other types of multi-family homes.
In his statement to the press last week, Sheehan said he couldn't wait to hit the ground running for suburban families. And, hit the ground running is exactly what he did.
Sheehan was sworn into office on Friday to fill the vacancy left by the retiring Representative Tim Ozinga and by Monday he was in the State Capitol voting his District's interests on the raucous floor of the Illinois House of Representatives. The whirlwind day included meeting his staff for the first time, moving into his office, hearing testimony in committee, attending a Caucus meeting, listening to floor debate and preparing to do even more on day two.
In 1925, Northly Island was constructed, as first suggested by architect Daniel Burnham in his “Plan Of Chicago”. The plan outlined several proposals to bring more beauty to the city, including a man-made island connected by a land bridge that would be used as a space for a large park. However, as the aviation industry grew, some within the city, including the head of the Chicago Aero Commission, Merrill Church Meigs, suggested that the space be converted into an airport that would allow for quicker access to downtown.
In 2022, Medicare-eligible state retirees were summarily informed that Aetna insurance would be the only Medicare option available to them. Moreover the change was effective immediately. This forced many people to switch healthcare providers at a moment's notice when they learned their provider did not accept Aetna. In the rural parts of the state where there is a shortage of healthcare providers, this led to gaps in services for many enrollees while they looked for new providers that would take the insurance. It was of particular of concern to those who learned that Carle Hospital of Urbana did not accept Aetna at the time. Carle has since negotiated a contract with the insurance provider.
Cashless Bail Fails: Six months of diminished public safety. Six months after the full implementation of the cashless bail, and other provisions, of the Illinois SAFE-T Act, Illinois residents are finding themselves anything but safe.
“House Republicans warned against the passage of the SAFE-T Act because of problematic provisions in the law that make the work of law enforcement officials harder to do, and because the law will make our communities less safe.
“House Republicans warned against the passage of the SAFE-T Act because of problematic provisions in the law that make the work of law enforcement officials harder to do, and because the law will make our communities less safe.
Estimated Illinois taxpayer spending on non-citizens from Fiscal Year 2023 to Fiscal Year 2025 include $820 million in support services, which is broken down to $478 million for asylum seeker assistance, $160 million for new additional state investments, and $182 million for emergency funding requests.
“House Republicans warned against the passage of the SAFE-T Act because of problematic provisions in the law that make the work of law enforcement officials harder to do, and because the law will make our communities less safe.
“Republicans showed up with good bills for consideration. Bans on kangaroos and exotic cats made the cut while Republican bills to reduce taxes, hold criminals accountable, and strengthen families were blocked by Democrats. The priorities of this chamber are upside down and it’s immoral to leave early while so much work remains.”
Rep. Mike Coffey joined the Illinois Retail Merchants Association at a press conference to express their concerns and opposition to the legislation.
“As I’ve traveled the district, employees who have excelled at providing service to residents have asked me to stand up and fight against this bill," explained Coffey. "They are concerned their take-home pay will decrease and businesses will close their doors."
Current Illinois law allows employers to pay their tipped workers 60% of the state’s minimum wage. That amounts to $8.40 hourly, compared to the minimum wage of $14 per hour. However, if employee wages plus tips do not equal minimum wage, the employer must make up the difference.
If enacted, House Bill 5345 would mandate all businesses who currently employ tipped workers to compensate them at $15 an hour, beginning in 2025.
“This legislation would cause turmoil in the service industry, causing job creators to cut good-paying positions and putting these businesses at risk of closure,” Coffey said. “Ultimately, consumers who are already feeling the higher cost of living in this state will have to pay more to offset the higher labor costs.”
House Bill 5345 has so far failed to attract key support, as the witness slips filed on this bill show 564 opponents and just 37 proponents. Nevertheless the legislation passed out of committee on April 4. While the legislation is advancing through the process, strong bipartisan opposition prompted the sponsor to promise not to bring the bill to a vote in the full House without first negotiating amendments to address concerns.
Human Trafficking is a crime of exploitation. Traffickers profit at the expense of their victims by forcing them to commit illegal acts, perform free labor, and/or engage in commercial sex. Victims can be of any age, race, ethnicity, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, nationality, immigration status, cultural background, religion, socio-economic class, and education attainment level.
Some local and state governments have implemented guaranteed income programs on an experimental basis. Guaranteed income programs provide regular monthly payments to targeted individuals, usually for a defined length of time. These programs can promote government dependency and a reliance on handouts while decreasing incentives to work, all while costing taxpayers millions of dollars.
Morel mushrooms are a type of fungus best known for their nutty flavor and meaty texture. These mushrooms, which can be found growing on the floors of Illinois’ many wooded forests, are regarded as a delicacy thanks not only to their taste but also their elusive nature. Unlike many other species of fungi in Illinois, morels are a sensitive variety of mushrooms that grow only during the spring months and only under the right conditions, meaning they are as scarce as they are delicious.
While millions of taxpayers use a fee-based service to assist with filing their state and federal tax returns, there are an estimated 100 million people who are eligible to utilize several services to file their returns for free. These services can have income and age restrictions; and include VITA (Volunteer Income Tax Preparation), which is provided by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).
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