While BIPA has been in place for nearly fifteen years, it is only in the past few that it has triggered much litigation.

As part of the Economic Opportunity Bill, the African Descent-Citizens Reparations Commission was established to bring an equity focus on African American communities and residents that have been disproportionally impacted by longstanding disinvestment due to direct and systemic repercussions of slavery.

Gov. JB Pritzker tells “Face the Nation” that Democrats should be focusing on what he described as Republican attempts to “ban books and libraries, they’re trying to keep our schools from teaching Black history.”

“Chicago runs Illinois, not just politically but in terms of its status as a world-class city and its economic strength. If Chicago catches a cold, the rest of the state gets pneumonia. Right now, Chicago is in a world of hurt, overrun by crime that has undermined its reputation as a ‘city that works’ and nasty tribal politics.”

The Times Higher Education has prompted a debate in the teaching academy over a call for “Black bereavement leave” by Angel Jones, a visiting assistant professor teaching educational leadership courses at Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville. Jones wrote that Black educators need time off to cope with the killings of black individuals in society. The leave would not depend on the educators knowing or having any relationship to the deceased. The question is whether such race-based leave would be constitutional.

Senate Bill 2193 creates the “Brewer Shipper’s License” that mirrors the permit that lets winemakers ship their products to customers in other states using third-party delivery services like DHL, FedEx, and UPS.

A recession could lead to a decline in overall economic activity, and House Republicans are concerned about the impact outmigration has on the state’s tax revenue. Rep. Martin McLaughlin stressed that people leaving the state have higher income than people who move back to Illinois.

There have been two official state flags – the first was adopted in 1915. The second was adopted in 1969, which did not change the original design of the flag but added “Illinois.”

On her radar is the Next Generation Fuels Act, legislation introduced in the previous Congress with backing from I-state members, that would reverse regulations currently limiting the use of fuel with higher blends of ethanol. “I am excited about biofuels in the future, where it is potentially going, for two reasons,” Budzinski said. “One is that it supports the farmers in this district, the corn and soybeans that is produced to support and create biofuel, but also it reduces carbon emissions.”

In January, at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker pushed back at assertions that businesses are leaving the state due to violent crime. But the number of residents and businesses that are moving out are hard to ignore.

Senate Bill 1534, filed by state Sen. Tom Bennett, fixes an issue with homestead exemptions for veterans.

A recent state report shows there were 140 shootings in 2022, leading to three deaths, compared to 264 shootings in 2021 with 24 deaths. “That technology is proving to be a real game-changer,” Illinois State Police Director Brendan Kelly said.

Court records show Montano was arrested near two handguns last summer after running from a stolen car that was wanted in a shooting. He was only charged with a misdemeanor count of resisting arrest, and that charge was later dropped in return for Montano performing community service.

Deerfield-based Walgreens says it will not sell abortion pills in states in which Republican attorneys general have threatened legal action – despite the drug being legal in some of those states.

Where are our counselling services? Where is our grace for missed meetings and deadlines while we mourn?” she asks. Her university biography reads something like the profile pages of woke-parody Twitter accounts:Expertise: “racial microaggressions, Racial Battle Fatigue, and gendered-racism”; research focus on “The impact of racism on the mental health of Black students at historically White institutions”; recent work on “How Black graduate women respond to and cope with gendered-racial microaggression”; Next study on “Exploring the experiences of Afro-Latina students with Racial Battle Fatigue.”

The city of Chicago is expected to get $78 million over 18 years from Illinois’ share of the legal settlement with the four drug companies, which didn’t admit wrongdoing. Local governments in Illinois, including Chicago, are getting 45% of the state’s share of the national $26 billion legal settlement. Officials said the state will use the other 55% — estimated to come to $437 million over 18 years — for programs that help address the opioid crisis.