“While generally complimentary of the state’s reform efforts, (attorney Noelle ) Brennan suggests in her filings that the problems at the Capital Development Board could point to broader shortcomings in how the state is rolling out its new ‘Comprehensive Employment Plan,’ which is supposed to form the basis for the job reforms that would make Shakman oversight unnecessary.”

A “risk scoring calculator” used by a health network with hospitals in Wisconsin, Illinois, Missouri, and Oklahoma “provides a 7-point bonus to all patients who are ‘non-white or Hispanic,'” according to the Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty.

Rep. Tom Weber said that the agency is having difficulties placing children, leaving more than 350 children this past year in psychiatric care for an average of 55 days — despite being approved for placement with a family. In 2019, Gov. Pritzker ordered a DCFS study to identify areas of improvement and he boosted the agency’s funding by $75 million.

“I don’t think there are many political parties that are so dependent on union support as the Democratic Party in Illinois…And it’s really describes actually, in some sense, the plight of Illinois because of its reliance, particularly on public sector unions, which has replaced largely the industrial union, that’s the source of the pension crisis, because what unions do. Public sector unions do is they take a lot of their exactions in some sense off the book. So the current generation of politicians doesn’t pay for them, but the next tax generation of tax payers will pay for them and

Coroner Bob Gessner said there have been six overdose deaths in the county since the start of the year.

“That revenue category is up for the first six months of the year by $266 million. At the same time, net sales-tax revenue exceeds last year’s number by $643 million. Less impressive was the small $40 million total increase in other revenue categories, including cigarette taxes, motor-fuel taxes, utility taxes and insurance taxes and fees…Illinois, of course, is a long way from restoring itself to good financial health. Indeed, given the state’s profligate spending practices, that day may never come.”

Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed a resolution in August adding Jan. 17, Ali’s birthday, to the list of commemorative school holidays in the state.

In Illinois, the University of Illinois at Chicago is holding remote classes Jan. 10 through Jan. 23. The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, however, is spending only one week online and will resume in-person classes after Jan. 23.

Orphe Divounguy, of Illinois Policy Institute: “J.B. Pritzker was elected governor, he made it clear his main objective was to reverse the state’s population decline by supporting businesses, maintaining a 21st-century workforce, and by bringing jobs and investments to underserved communities. Instead, Illinois has lost 137,155 residents during Pritzker’s tenure…The share of Illinois’ budget spent on underserved communities is falling, income inequality is worse than ever before, and Illinois lags behind other states on almost every measure of economic performance.”

Pritzker contributed $90 million to his campaign fund, according to a Illinois State Board of Election Friday night report of the donation. Pritzker campaign spokesman Natalie Edelstein said some of that money will support Democratic candidates and causes. Aurora Mayor Richard Irvin, that city’s first Black mayor, is expected to jump into the Republican primary contest on Monday, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, various sources said.