Two suits have been filed in federal court, which is a key difference from previous challenges. “[Republicans] are eager to get our case in front of someone who doesn’t owe their career or appointment or election to Mike Madigan and the Democrat establishment,” one attorney said.

“It’s extremely important to lead by your actions, not your words. You have to lead by your actions,” House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch explained. “I think the more you do that the more people believe in you and what you represent.” Welch also said he believes in strong collaboration with others to get work done.

The Illinois State Board of Education did not take a position on the bill.

Illinois Director of the National Federation of Independent Business Mark Grant said lawmakers are leaving employers on the hook for the debt. “Lawmakers are divvying up tens of billions of dollars in state and federal revenue while small businesses, the engine driving Illinois’ economic comeback, are about to be stuck with a $5 billion tax bill in the form of huge hikes in unemployment taxes brought on by the pandemic shutdowns.”

State Rep. Tom Demmer criticized Democrats on the House floor, claiming they were using a pandemic tool for partisan purposes. “Only today, when we’re in Phase Five and at the end stage of the pandemic, are we making this change to allow remote participation simply because of a significant budget error that has to be corrected today.”

Rep. La Shawn Ford was diagnosed with prostate cancer during the COVID-19 pandemic. The 48-year-old knew he had to act quickly to address the disease, as he just recovered from having COVID-19.

The IDES has remained closed since March 2020 and currently has no planned date of opening according to the IDES website.

Pat Quinn was Illinois governor when AMVETS got the grant in 2014. Bruce Rauner came and went as governor afterward, and now, Gov. JB Pritzker is in charge. With the passage of time and a promise, there has not been a penny delivered. “Their answer was: ‘We’re busy. We have a lot to do,’” said veteran Art Rodriguez.

Illinois legislators are weighing a bill that would create a special purpose depository trust for digital assets, providing a regulatory framework for banks and other custodial institutions to hold cryptocurrency accounts for clients. The proposal, which unanimously passed the House in April, did not make it through the Senate before summer recess, and will likely be taken up in the fall.

This week alone, the Peoria area is hosting two conferences and a softball tournament estimated to bring in $300,000 to the city, said MacKenzie Taylor, of the Peoria Area Convention and Visitors Bureau.

“It makes no sense, allowing adults, at higher risk of getting sick from the virus, to congregate unmasked as much as they want and not allowing the kids to take off their masks. … It’s upside down,” said Ted Dabrowski.

There are at least 25 states that will stop paying claims before the September deadline. Illinois is not one of them, which means Illinois is once again a target for scammers.