Illinois’ ban on most evictions is in its 11th month. Evictions filed and approved before the pandemic can move forward if there are “serious health and safety concerns,” officials said.

State Sen. Sue Rezin: “Exchanging emails and phone calls was not a sufficient response by the Pritzker administration. If it were, the employees and residents of the LaSalle Veterans’ Home would not have had to wait 12 days into the outbreak to receive effective hand sanitizer and PPE.”

“This is something that helps your mom-and-pop retailers and your consumers” said Alec Laird, Vice President of government relations with the Illinois Retail Merchants Association. But Danielle D’Alessandro, Executive Director of the Illinois Craft Brewers Guild, said small craft brewers are being left out, thus disadvantaged.

Under Illinois labor law, public school teachers and staff can not engage in a strike when there is a current collective bargaining agreement in place. Striking while under contract is considered an illegal strike. And while refusing to report to work may not be termed an official “strike,” it certainly would look like one – especially if the teachers’ union orchestrates the refusal.

Illinois’ employment was ranked as one of the nation’s slowest to recover from the COVID-19 economic downturn in a new survey by WalletHub. Illinois was ranked 42nd, making it one of the states that recovered the least during the past week.

“Illinois legislative maps are drawn by state lawmakers who pick their voters, instead of the other way around. Without independent mapmaking, nothing will be changed by Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s threat to veto a partisan map.”

Whiteside County Sheriff John Booker knows that law enforcement is in need of some change. But he’s upset that law enforcement didn’t get a say in the bill being considered. “It can’t just be a one-sided thing, it needs to be a combined effort to get the outcome that is best for everyone.”

“But to first get the surrender of the holdouts, Madigan has to break their spirit. If he is able to keep a strong coalition together for multiple ballots, the 19 holdouts will see there is no path for them to convince their fellow Democrats to come to their side. If this drags on for days or even weeks, members won’t be able to go home to their families, to their day jobs, and will be eating boxed meals on the floor of the Bank of Springfield for God-knows how long.”

Attorney General Kwame Raoul said Friday the Attorney General’s Task Force on Unemployment Insurance Benefits Fraud would allow state and federal resources to be deployed on a large scale to combat unemployment insurance benefits fraud for the first time.

“While some are trying to intentionally twist my words to mean something antithetical to my beliefs, let me be clear: I’m passionately pro-Israel and I will always be a strong advocate and ally of the Jewish community,” she said. “I’ve been in discussion with Jewish leaders across the country and am grateful to them for their kindness and forthrightness.”

Illinois lost a net 31,100 eating and drinking place jobs in November, which was easily the highest among the 36 states that experienced employment declines.

David Greising, of the Better Government Association: “Given the state of Illinois government — all but insolvent, rife with corruption, struggling against a resurgent pandemic and indifferent to issues of equity — there are times when it would almost feel like a relief if the legislature did not meet. But doing the people’s business is its job, and Illinois has a lot of business that needs to be done.”