SPRINGFIELD – Gov. JB Pritzker on Friday named a former Cook County judge and the chief of staff of his Republican predecessor to the Illinois Prisoner Review Board.
Eight-year-old Navin Jones died March 29 at a Peoria hospital. Last week, the Department of Children and Family Services shared a report on the investigation that preceded the child’s death.
House Republicans Ask for a Performance Audit of DCFS
SPRINGFIELD – In the wake of the recent deaths of five children who were in contact with the state’s child protection agency and eight contempt citations against the agency’s director, House Republicans on Wednesday asked for a performance audit at the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services.
Republicans Jesse Sullivan and Kathleen Murphy speak with reporters Monday just before filing petitions to run for governor and lieutenant governor.
Petition Filing Ends With Crowded Field in Governor’s Race
SPRINGFIELD – Seven teams of Republicans and one team of Democrats have lined up to challenge Gov. JB Pritzker and Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton in the 2022 elections.
Former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan
Illinois Department of Public Health Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike appears with Gov. JB Pritzker in his office in Springfield in March 2020. She announced Tuesday she is stepping down as IDPH director after three years.
IDPH Director Ezike to Step Down
SPRINGFIELD – Illinois Department of Public Health Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike will resign on March 14 after three years leading the agency and two years navigating a deadly pandemic that has claimed the lives of more than 32,000 Illinoisans.
Former House Speaker Michael Madigan, who was indicted on 22 counts Wednesday by a federal grand jury, is pictured in a file photo from the Illinois Democratic County Chairs Association brunch in 2019.
Feds Indict Madigan on 22 Counts
SPRINGFIELD – Longtime Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan has been indicted by a federal grand jury on 22 counts for allegedly using his position as the top House Democrat to solicit “personal financial rewards” for himself and others, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Northern District of Illinois.
Illinois State Senator Sally Turner, R-Beason
Senators Unveil Bill to Empower Parents and Improve Opportunities
A new package of legislation was unveiled last week aiming to help Illinois parents not feel voiceless and in the dark when it comes to their children’s education.
Sen. Sally Turner, R-Beason
Senate Passes Turner’s Victims Privacy Protections Legislation
SPRINGFIELD – On Feb. 16, State Senator Sally Turner’s (R-Beason) legislation designed to provide additional privacy protections for victims of child sex crimes passed unanimously out of the Illinois Senate.
Most Illinois Mask Mandates Set to End
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MACKINAW, IL –
Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker announced Wednesday that most statewide mask mandates will be lifted on February 28th, provided the continual decline of Covid cases in the state. However, Pritzker is not dropping masking rules for schools, public transportation, medical care facilities, or government buildings. When announcing his decision, Pritzker pointed to a rapid drop in the number of Covid hospitalizations around the state, after Illinois experienced a surge of cases in December and January thanks to the omicron variant.
Abe Scarr, director of the consumer advocacy group Illinois PIRG.
Gas companies push back against effort to repeal surcharge
SPRINGFIELD – Natural gas utilities in Illinois warned of job losses and possible risks to public safety if state lawmakers repeal a law allowing them to add a surcharge on customer bills that consumer advocates say is being used to gouge customers.
Hazel Crest Police Chief Mitchell Davis testifies Friday before the House Public Safety and Violence Prevention Task Force.
Police Chiefs, Sheriffs Warn Lawmakers
SPRINGFIELD – Police chiefs and sheriffs told a panel of state lawmakers Friday that they need more resources and support from the public and the General Assembly to combat a rising rate of violent crime in Illinois. Some said they don’t feel they are getting that now, especially in light of recently-enacted criminal justice reforms.
Masks Mandated at Schools, Day Cares, Long-Term Care Facilities
Masks will be required at all Illinois long-term care facilities, day cares and Pre-K-12 schools, Gov. JB Pritzker announced amid a nationwide surge of COVID-19.
Census Shows Population Drops in Most Illinois Counties
Nearly every county in Illinois lost population over the past decade, mirroring a national trend of greater concentrations of people leaving rural areas and moving to larger metropolitan areas.
Jeffrey Bieber Named Officer of the Year
Patrolman Jeffrey A. Bieber of the East Peoria Police Department has been named as the 2021 Most Outstanding Law Enforcement Officer of the Year by the Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police. He will be honored August 20 at the ILACP Annual Awards Banquet in Tinley Park, Illinois.
VanVickle to Head Sheriff’s Association
Ogle County Sheriff Brian VanVickle was sworn in to serve as President of the Illinois Sheriffs’ Association (ISA) on February 11, 2021 at the Virtual Winter Training Conference.
Vaccine Distribution Ramping Up
The number of vaccinations administered in one day in Illinois saw a record spike Tuesday. The state reported 53,628 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine were administered Tuesday, the highest reported one-day total to date. It was more than 25,000 doses higher than were administered the day prior and almost 20,000 more than were administered the previous seven days on average.
Sally Turner Appointed as Illinois State Senator
Sally Turner is now the newest member of the Illinois Senate after being appointed over the weekend by the Republican County Chairs of Logan, McLean, Menard, Sangamon and Tazewell Counties. She fills the empty seat in the 44th Senate District left by former State Senator Bill Brady (R-Bloomington), who announced his retirement last month.
Seven Day COVID Rate Continues to Drop
The graph shows the rolling, 7-day positivity rate for tests completed starting on June 1. The positivity rate peaked at 13.2 percent on a rolling average as of Nov. 13, and the entire state entered strict Tier 3 mitigations on Nov. 20. Since then the positivity rate has been on a continual downward trend except for the two weeks following Christmas day when it rose from just under 7 percent to over 8.5 percent before beginning to fall again. Hospitalizations for the disease continued on a gradual downward arc as well, decreasing for the eighth week in a row as of Sunday night after peaking the week ending Nov. 22. Approximately 32 percent of staffable hospital beds and 29 percent of staffable ICU beds remained unused statewide. That surge capacity had dropped to the high teens for ICU beds and low 20s for hospital beds in December.
Steans to Resign From Illinois Senate
Sen. Heather Steans, a Chicago Democrat, plans to resign at the end of the month after a 12-year tenure in the Illinois Senate. “It’s been the privilege of a lifetime to represent the most diverse Senate district in the State of Illinois,” Steans said in a written statement issued Tuesday. “I’ve benefited tremendously from the many perspectives of the people a I’ve represented. We’ve made great progress together, and now it’s time to pass the baton.”
Low Risk Sports to Resume
Illinois Governor JB Pritzker announced on January 15, 2021, that regions 1, 2 and 5 are being rolled back from Tier 3 mitigations to Tier 2 mitigations. This announcement allows further participation opportunities in low-risk sports for IHSA schools located in those regions that are under Tier 2 mitigations.
Madigan Out As Speaker, Welch Chosen
Rep. Emanuel “Chris” Welch made history Wednesday, Jan. 13, by becoming the first Black person elected speaker of the Illinois House, succeeding Rep. Michael Madigan, who leaves the job after serving for 36 of the past 38 years. The House came into session Wednesday afternoon to begin the 102nd General Assembly just moments after it adjourned a rare lame duck session that ended the 101st biennial session.
IHSA Update Following Meeting with IDPH
Illinois High School Association (IHSA) Executive Director Craig Anderson, members of the IHSA staff, and Illinois Elementary School Association (IESA) staff members met virtually with Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike, Deputy Governor Jesse Ruiz, and IDPH Chief of Staff Justin DeWitt on the evening of January 6, 2021.