In 2021, 356 kids statewide had been hospitalized beyond the time it was medically necessary. The average stay? 55 days longer than a doctor deemed appropriate, and 18% of the kids were 10 years old or younger. But the agency now reports the number of youths who are hospitalized “beyond medical necessity” is down by more than 80%.

A statement from the caucus, comprised of State Representatives Adam Niemerg, Chris Miller, Brad Halbrook, Blaine Wilhour and Dan Caulkins reads, in part, “Substantive bills deserve individual roll calls so that members are completely aware of the full implication of their votes. The people of Illinois expect legislators to do their jobs and debating and voting on legislation is part of the job.”

President Obama, a former Illinois state lawmaker, was a U.S. Senator representing Illinois when he announced his bid for presidency from the Old State Capitol Feb. 10, 2007.

Around 27,300 incarcerated individuals in the state were ineligible to vote in the 2022 midterm elections, with 55% of those being Black. If passed, Illinois would join Maine, Vermont, Washington D.C., and Puerto Rico as places that allow incarcerated citizens to vote.

Legislation is pending in Springfield that would close a loophole and require Illinois pawnbrokers to charge no more than 36% APR for their loans.

House Bill 1293 urges the state’s five retirement systems to divest their holdings in companies domiciled in either of those countries as well as their sovereign debt, and prohibits them from making new investments there. Said state Rep. Lindsey LaPointe, “We in Illinois have to do everything we can … to make sure we’re doing our part to call out Russia and to end this war.”

The court found that Marc Smith did not willfully ignore a Cook County judge’s order to move children who were discharged from psychiatric hospitals into group homes or residential settings. He was just unable to do it.

Sen. Robert Peters, D-Chicago, filed a 308-page amendment to House Bill 1095. Among other things, it states that when cash bail ends on Jan. 1, the changes will apply to those charged with crimes after that date; it clarifies and defines that all people charged with “forcible felonies” and non-probationable offenses may be detained under the dangerousness standard; and it maintains that individuals accused of domestic violence may be held pretrial.

Just a year after passing major new tax incentives to lure electric vehicle makers here, the Pritzker administration is aiming to sweeten the pot. Legislation introduced in Springfield today that quickly passed a Senate committee would both widen and extend to up to 30 years payroll tax credits for those who work here under the existing Reimagining Electric Vehicles in Illinois law, known as the Rev Illinois Act.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that in Champaign and Decatur, both cities saw their lowest unemployment rates so far this year as of September. That number was 3.5% in Champaign and 5.7% in Decatur.

A government union-backed group is pushing parents to ask state lawmakers to kill tax credit scholarships serving the state’s most vulnerable students. The Invest in Kids Tax Credit Scholarship program to expire in 2024, ending scholarships that have helped at least 37,000 students in Illinois.

“In short, union membership status can play no role in a grievance or disciplinary procedure. While unions have considerable discretion in handling grievances, that discretion does not include discrimination based on membership status.”

Jim Dey: “According to a recent decision by the Fourth District Appellate Court, an Illinois Supreme Court decision that found that the odor of cannabis alone establishes probable cause to search a vehicle ‘is still good law.’ But an earlier decision by the Third District Appellate Court found otherwise, setting up the Supreme Court to break the tie.”

Barnes served four terms in Springfield, representing the South Side of Chicago. He helped form the influential Illinois Legislative Black Caucus, and sponsored the first Illinois Lottery legislation.

“An analysis by the independent non-profit Wirepoints.org detailed the wretched results of the Covid school closings in Illinois: an 18 percent drop in student reading proficiency overall — and 36 percent plunge for black kids. Ask the parents of those African American children how affirmative action in colleges — building the house of education from the top down — helps their kids.”

“I’d really argue that Congress is not the place where we should be the final arbiters of these decisions,” said U.S. Rep. Rodney Davis. “It sets a horrible precedent for the future where you’re not going to have voluntary agreements.”