Illinois universities and community colleges will be required to submit policies for awarding an academic credit or non-credit alternative to the Illinois Board of Higher Education and Community College Board. Lawmakers hope this proposal could help election authorities address the constant shortage of election judges across the state.

“We don’t have to be smart about this at all,” state Rep. John Cabello said. “We can just take what Indiana has done in the last 10 years, take all the bills that they have passed in Indiana, implement them here, and we’re going to be already in a different trajectory.

“And, I must say that I think people who run for judge do it for the right reasons and I think that people who give to candidates for judge do it for the right reasons,” Gov. JB Pritzker said.

The longest serving legislative leader in U.S. history seemed everywhere during arguments while he personally was nowhere to be found during the daylong proceedings in the overflow courtroom. As part of her opening, Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Streicker left little to the imagination, telling jurors “in short, Madigan wanted, the defendants gave and the defendants got. It’s that simple.”

“Illinois has the second worst unemployment rate in the country, and it is severely impacting small businesses,” Chris Davis, of the Illinois chapter of the National Federation of Independent Businesses, said. “The NFIB Small Business Index indicates that 47% of small businesses are attempting to hire, and of those 47%, 90% are reporting a lack of qualified applicants.”

Missouri had 20 local government entities placed on the list, more than any other state. Following Missouri was Texas (16), New York (11), Pennsylvania (11) and Alabama (8). Other states with governments on the list include Arizona, Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Georgia, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Montana, New Jersey, North Dakota, Ohio, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Washington, Wisconsin and Wyoming.

“This fortuitous result was in part due to the exceptional generosity of federal aid but also was attributable to surges in economic activity and own source tax revenue…While this good news may be cause to celebrate, we caution that Illinois’ fiscal situation remains tenuous and is likely to require diligence and restraint to remain healthy in the coming years.”

A statement from Kwame Raoul reads, in part, “In Illinois, I am initiating the Firearms Industry Responsibility Act, which I urge members of the General Assembly to support. The Firearms Industry Responsibility Act, or FIRA, will make clear that the Attorney General’s office can use Illinois’ Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act to take enforcement action against firearms dealers and manufacturers that engage in dangerous sales and marketing practices.”

“We need to take steps to change the culture surrounding distracted driving, which will lead to more responsible drivers and ultimately save lives,” Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias said in a prepared release.

The most recent SEC filings from IMRF indicated the fund had at least 2,251 shares of SVB at the end of 2022, though that number could be higher. It is also possible that IMRF and other Illinois pension systems had exposure to SVB through index funds or ETFs. IMRF also had millions invested in funds with exposure to FTX, a digital currency exchange that went bankrupt in late 2022.

Mr. Frerichs said in an interview that he supported SB 2152 stressing “this bill fights for workers’ security” and noted that his office manages $50 billion in a variety of state funds with a strong focus on active proxy voting to urge corporations the funds are invested in to make long-term decisions in managing their companies.

The loan fund aims to assist approximately 100 new and existing county businesses and entrepreneurs, focusing on those who do not qualify for traditional lending. Eligible businesses can access small loans up to $50,000.