A proposal in Springfield could increase grant amounts for temporary assistance for needy families from 30% of the federal poverty guidelines to 50%, and also allow dollars for child support to go directly to parents or guardians instead of the current system where some of the money is dispersed by the state.

“Voters don’t elect Tollway leadership. But they do elect governors, and they put their trust in those governors to make the right choices about who is on the agency’s board, who chairs that board, and who is the Tollway’s executive director. And for as long as we can remember, the agency has been mired in mismanagement and scandal.”

There are 21 states that empower their legislatures to end a state of emergency by joint resolution at any time, and 12 of those require their legislatures to approve any extension of emergency declarations.

At the governor’s direction, the departments of Human Services, Children and Family Services, Public Health, Healthcare and Family Services, Juvenile Justice and State Board of Education are to take part in a working group aimed at bettering support for children in need of behavioral health services.

“The government is not limited to the evidence that it has on the date of indictment,” said Nancy DePodesta, a former federal prosecutor and current white-collar criminal defense lawyer. “In fact, it is very common for the government’s case to improve and become an even stronger case, as they continue to investigate and prepare for trial.”

Longer unemployment durations for Black workers will do lasting damage to Illinois’ economy because higher joblessness among Black Illinoisans represents lost production, forgone investments and reduced economic potential.

While it is clear Illinois’ employment recovery severely lags the rest of the nation, what is far less clear is how the state can ever catch up.

Jim Dey: “With the election-year price of a gallon of gasoline hovering between $4 and $5, Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker and GOP legislators are facing off over rival tax-cut plans. At the same time, businesses and labor unions oppose Pritzker’s plan and want to modify the GOP plan. ‘It’s a question of priorities,’ said Illinois Chamber of Commerce President Todd Maisch.”

Right now, lawmakers are considering how much money they can put into the unemployment trust fund that has $4.5 billion in debt. The Senate passed a plan last week to use $2 billion from the American Rescue Plan to help fill that hole. “What was done in the past is business agreed to raise the unemployment tax to service the bonds,” House Majority Leader Greg Harris noted. “There are different actions labor can take.”

Though he has served in the House and the Senate for a total of 39 years, his influence has largely been behind the scenes. Until now.

“We have seen people step up in a way we could have never imagined,” bakery owner Emily Lewis said. She described people coming in to buy pies with no occasion, people seeking out the businesses specifically because they were new and local.

It reads, in part, “Working together, our offices will advance legislation to remove any Russian companies from Illinois’ pension assets and prohibit contracting with any companies based in Russia. Beyond these financial consequences, we will also join national efforts to assist with this heartbreaking refugee crisis.”

The Department of Insurance has begun reviewing the updated BCBSIL directory of doctors to determine its network adequacy, though it has been careful not to confirm an active investigation. Other sources familiar with the matter say the agency has already opened a broader market conduct exam to investigate and potentially fine Blue Cross Blue Shield for violating consumer protections in the law.

Ezike was the first African American woman to lead the department in its 145-year history. Prior to that she worked for Cook County Health for more than 15 years. Ezike is a board-certified internist and pediatrician, recognized nationally as an expert on health care in the juvenile justice system, speaks four languages fluently (English, Spanish, French and Igbo), and is a mother of four.

Last year, Illinois’ coal-burning power plants burned more coal than the year before, stepping up production by 39% — the biggest percentage increase among the top 10 coal-burning states, according to federal data. The increase came as demand for electricity went up following pandemic-related lockdowns. Coal also benefited from high prices for another energy source, natural gas.

The industries that saw job growth in a majority of metro areas included: Leisure & Hospitality, Wholesale Trade and Other Services, Government, Professional & Business Services, and Manufacturing and Education & Health Services.

Judge Sue Myerscough noted the list is available to state and local political committees, as well as to governmental entities for governmental purposes. This led Myerscough to say, “By Illinois’ own terms, then, the interest in protecting citizens’ privacy is not infringed when the list is made available for viewing.” Myerscough added that “proper redaction of highly sensitive information can be accomplished without an undue burden on the State.”