“It’s good for our communities because we know that there’s often lots of needles around in parks and streets because people are using heroin when they do inject. (Safe consumption sites) cut down on the nuisance of needles,” said State Rep. La Shawn Ford, who’s sponsored a bill that would allow for the creation of such sites in Illinois. “It has also been proven that this could save lives.”

The biggest day on the sports betting calendar saw Illinois sportsbooks come out on top to the tune of $9.5 million, generating more than $1.4 million in tax revenue, according to figures released by the Illinois Gaming Board.

Governor Pritzker’s Office released a statement concerning JCAR’s vote Tuesday which reads, in part, “…As doctors have said time and again, masks are the best way to preserve in-person learning and keep children and staff safe. We look forward to continuing to work with members of the General Assembly, school districts, parents, communities and all stakeholders to use the tools we have to keep in-person learning…”

When Gov. Pritzker asked the General Assembly’s Joint Committee on Administrative Rules (JCAR) to renew the mask mandate Tuesday, lawmakers refused. The vote was a stunning bipartisan 9-0, with two lawmakers abstaining.

“The Peoria area does not have a workforce people shortage,” said Mayor Ali. “We have a workforce skills shortage.”

Jerame Simmons got his long-held wish in December when he became the chief of the fire department that dismissed him 24 years ago after he was charged with setting fire to a vacant house and attempting to burn down his high school. It took a prosecutor’s dismissal of a serious felony arson charge, a plea deal to get rid of two other felonies, misdemeanor charges wiped from his record, dismissed domestic violence charges and a limited police investigation into a gun charge to help make it happen. But it was a pardon from Gov. JB Pritzker that finally cleared the

If approved, Illinois State Police would be responsible for the training of DCFS workers on how to effectively use pepper spray. The bill, which has bipartisan support, would require DCFS to provide funding for the training program.

“We’ve paid 2,158 retirees a little over $243 million as part of the [cost of living allocation] buyout program,” said Tim Blair, director of the State Retirement System. The state borrowed to cover those costs, but Blair said it saves more than $300 million in liabilities.

On Feb. 15 the Joint Committee on Administrative Rules of the Illinois General Assembly voted 9-0-2 against extending Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s emergency rules to enforce state mask, vaccine and testing mandates. The Illinois Department of Public Health attempted to reissue an emergency rule to counteract a Feb. 4 Sangamon County court order.

Illinois is still missing 251,900 jobs since the pandemic began, and 35% of the missing jobs are in the leisure and hospitality industry.

Illinois State Police hope to receive a 12.5% increase in state funding in the next fiscal year. Director Brendan Kelly said increased funding can help bring on more state troopers, replace equipment and technology, and create a new state-of-the-art crime lab in Decatur. The proposed budget could also equip every trooper with a body camera.

“The economic impact is a game changer for our farmers, (who are) more competitive now in the world than they’ve ever had to be,” U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin said. “They’re going to get a boost and an opportunity in that regard.”

The Illinois Department of Public Health controls the supply of several of these medications, but isn’t tracking who providers and pharmacies are dispensing them to. That’s after two years of a pandemic where long-standing health disparities forced equity to the forefront.

“I feel we could all be a little bit more patient. I know there are so many more factors — economic, political and psychosocial. But coming from my perspective as an epidemiologist and infectious disease physician, I would like to see the mask mandates continue,” said Sharon Welbel, director of hospital epidemiology and infection control for Cook County Health.

U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said that Illinois is doing everything right regarding electric vehicles. “The EV revolution needs to happen quickly enough to beat climate change, that it happens on equitable terms that benefits all Americans, and that is a made in America electric vehicle revolution. You see all of those goals at play in what’s going on right here in the Bloomington, Normal area.”

While Chicago Public Schools may seem far away – both geographically and politically – from other districts in the state, no district will be safe from this sort of government union power if Amendment 1 passes. That’s because CTU is poised to take its militant tactics to school districts across the state.

We saw the highest number of suicides last fiscal year than we’ve seen in at least a decade: 8. The average was two to four in the years before this.