Among other measures, the bill would allow the attorney general to expand the authority of a statewide grand jury to investigate, indict, and prosecute public corruption cases, and give state’s attorneys power to investigate corruption of public officials. “We must bring an end to the known practices that lead to unethical behavior,” state Sen. Jil Tracy said.

Gov. JB Pritzker said he plans to deliver his annual budget and State of the State address in person Wednesday, Feb. 2. “And I don’t want to give any previews. You’ll certainly hear about it in the 24 hours or so before the speech and then, of course, a few surprises in the speech. But we want to make sure and keep that for next week.”

“We must return to supporting the victims of crime, rather than expanding the rights of criminals as the governor has done in his failed progressive, public safety agenda,” House Minority Leader Jim Durkin said.

Brad Cole of the Illinois Municipal League said, “The Leveling the Playing Field Act has been a substantial benefit to communities across the state because we have been able to collect those sales tax dollars. We see this as a huge benefit for the state and its local governments, but we do acknowledge the issue of the COVID-19 pandemic when many retail establishments were closed.”

A national republication of our Wirepoints column.

A spokesperson for Gov. J.B. Pritkzer told the Chicago Tribune there was some internal miscommunication. “When we had the outbreak in the veterans home it was miscommunication that led to the deaths of 36 veterans,” state Sen. Sue Rezin said.

“A recent survey from the Illinois Association of Superintendents of Schools revealed that almost 90 percent of the state’s school districts need teachers. The state has struggled to fill teaching positions for the same reasons as other states, but the state’s soaring salaries and pensions has also contributed to the void.”

Scott Dahl, director of the Springfield Convention and Visitors Bureau, said it’s not just the lawmakers; it’s staff, lobbyists, tourists, and more, generating millions of dollars in business for hotels, restaurants, and more. Some lawmakers rent apartments or own houses in Springfield, which also mean local business.

“While Illinois boasts a younger, more highly skilled population with fewer early retirees than most states, Illinoisans have been sluggish to get back to work. In fact, most of the United States’ employment recovery was concentrated in a few states…with fewer regulations, lower taxes and better overall governance. “

“We’ve got to have programs, but we can’t forget the law-enforcement side,” Champaign County Sheriff Dustin Heuerman said. If programs are offered at the right time, they might work, “but once somebody picks up that gun and they’re willing to shoot at somebody else, my opinion is those programs are pretty much done and public safety takes precedence.”

IHDA approved nearly 64,000 applications for the first round of the Illinois Rental Payment Program. Executive Director Kristin Faust explained the average payment to each household was $9,134.

The Springfield Airport Authority, a local unit of government that operates the airport with an annual budget of about $5 million – an amount that includes revenue from property taxes – contends the city owes the authority at least $808,000 from sales taxes on aviation fuel sales between July 2004 and November 2019.