By unanimous vote, Penicillium rubens (strain NRRL 1951) was added to the State Designation Act during the latest legislative session. Though it may have been one of the quirkier bills passed by the General Assembly, the designation recognizes0 the role Illinois played in the development of one of the world’s great wonder drugs.

The issue came to light because of Edward Kodatt, who briefly replaced former House Speaker Mike Madigan. Kodatt served only three days in office, but was entitled to a whole month’s pay.

The governor says his administration’s efforts to help families through the COVID-19 pandemic, while also managing the state’s fiscal challenges, could be an example for the country. “Democrats are investing in priorities that will grow and revitalize our economy, improving our fiscal outlook dramatically and reducing tax expenditures on the wealthiest corporations. It’s the Democrats that are getting the state’s fiscal house in order.”

Talks on an energy package were continuing behind closed doors even as lawmakers were working into the wee hours of the morning Tuesday to push through the budget package. After it passed, the House adjourned “until the call of the chair,” meaning it could be called back into session at any time.

In his first public appearance in nearly two weeks Tuesday, Gov. J.B. Pritzker also couldn’t say what level of subsidies there’d be, but promised the utility is not writing the bill.

According to the Metropolitan Planning Council, replacing all lead lines in the state would lead to an investment of $5.5 billion to $14 billion. State Sen. Jason Barrickman expressed concerns. “The reality is for many of our downstate smaller communities, this is another mandate that they will have to fulfill.”

Amy Korte, vice president of policy for the Illinois Policy Institute, said more needs to be done. “We would like to see it go a little further in terms of the time period that a member of the General Assembly would need to wait before lobbying former colleagues after leaving office.”

Illinois Manufacturers’ Association President Mark Denzler said the Democrats’ budget has some questionable priorities, such as using $1 billion in federal funds and spending “it on projects back in home districts instead of taking on critical issues like helping replenish the unemployment insurance trust fund that provided a lot of benefits for workers over the last year.”

Gov. J.B. Pritzker issued his 16th disaster proclamation on May 28, extending his emergency powers until long after he predicted the state would fully reopen June 11. At the end of the latest 30-day declaration, Pritzker will have wielded emergency powers for 474 consecutive days.

“More than two years after he won the race for Macon County sheriff by one vote, Democrat Antonio Brown lost the court-authorized recount by 16 votes.”

Move.org used ranked cities based on four main criteria: median gross rent, monthly food cost, violent crime and property crime. It didn’t account for taxes, debts, child support, or other added expenses.

The 156-page omnibus bill was filed Sunday night, passed the House 72-46 at about 6 p.m. Monday, then passed on a partisan 41-18 split in the Senate at about 10 p.m. It will need only a signature from the governor to become law.

Other issues that failed to take flight included the repeal of a parental notification abortion law, a fix to major delays in obtaining state firearm permits, and creation of an elected Chicago school board, which was a priority of the Chicago Teachers Union that Mayor Lori Lightfoot fought to reshape. “Count the victories,” House Speaker Chris Welch said in talking with reporters after they had adjourned. “Don’t look at the things that didn’t get done yet.”

Frank Wagner said he only uses his trailer on Memorial Day and a few other days a year. “Which is just crazy for something like a boat that only hits the road for maybe 50 miles a year.”

“If we don’t put the welfare of these animals top of mind, there’s something wrong with us,” said Sen. Linda Holmes.

“It wasn’t exactly an exorcism, but the ghost of Mike Madigan faded a little more when state lawmakers passed new ethics rules for themselves.”

It has been 445 days since the Illinois Department of Employment Security offices were open to the public. There are 22,344 calls awaiting a response from IDES staff, as of May 21.

Pritzker gets a $650 million corporate tax loophole closed, the data center industry delays a bill it fought and the governor’s $42 billion budget is teed up for final passage, as lawmakers sprint to the end of the spring session.

The federal American Rescue Plan Act, or ARPA, will provide about $8.1 billion that the state can spend over the next four fiscal years; Lawmakers said they plan to use the money for one-time projects such as affordable housing development, public health improvements, violence prevention programs and infrastructure projects.

House Majority Leader Greg Harris said the budget spends $42.3 billion based on $41.3 billion in revenue. “There are no tax increases in this budget We pay down $2 billion in debt and we pay our interfund borrowing. We fully fund the evidence based [K-12 school funding] model.” Republicans say that represents a $1 billion deficit.

Teachers’ unions have had unmatched access to the public officials in determining the future of rules that will affect both public and private schools. Private schools and parents were not invited to participate. But then they demanded to be heard, by filing their opposition to the bill, demonstrating at the state capitol and making scores of phone calls to their local representatives.

The bill allows the Office of the Legislative Inspector General to launch an investigation into violations of the state’s election laws without approval of the Executive Ethics Commission, and prevents lawmakers from collecting a full paycheck if they do not see their full term to completion. The bill also prevents former lawmakers and officers of the executive branch from taking a lobbying job within six months of leaving their public position

Rep. Maurice West said, “Our proposal is to do this one time change just to see how it works and I think it will be beneficial to the state, and then it can maybe be something we keep moving forward.”