“They want to turn this into firemen,” retired Riverside Police Chief Tom Weitzel said of Illinois lawmakers. “Firemen, they wait in the station until the call comes out. That’s not a criticism, that’s just what they do. Well then, you know what they’ll want policemen to do? Just go find a parking lot and sit there all day long, and answer your radio calls. Period. That’s it. Don’t do any patrol. Don’t be any aggressive patrol. Don’t do any preventative patrol,” he said.

Under House Bill 4216, Illinois school districts could have the ability to hire fully-trained school safety officers starting January 1, 2025. This legislation could require the Illinois Law Enforcement Training Standards Board (ILETSB) to create a new course on de-escalation, use of force, mental health awareness, officer wellness, child abuse and neglect, and cultural competency.

“I’m not interested in delaying this case for any length of time so that the government can figure out what they’ve passed in the legislation,” federal Judge Stephen McGlynn said to the notion of discovery finishing up in late November.

Senate Bill 2979 would limit the number of claims accrued under that scenario should an employee bring a lawsuit against a company for a violation of BIPA. If a certain biometric identifier is collected by the same employer in the same manner, only one violation would accrue. The measure would also modernize the manner in which written consent can be granted to include the use of electronic signatures.

While conceding that he shares some of the same concerns expressed by law enforcement about the transmissions conceivably landing in the wrong hands, bill sponsor state Rep. La Shawn Ford quickly added “we have no evidence” that allowing accredited news outlets access to real time crime activities raises any danger.

The programs, originally launched for those aged 65 and older in 2020 then expanded in waves, became a sticking point in state budget negotiations last year when Gov. JB Pritzker’s administration projected their single-year costs to exceed $1 billion. But current estimates now project the programs will cost $773 million in the current fiscal year. Those estimates, however, have declined by $60 million since August, the month following the Pritzker administration’s initial announcement of certain cost-saving measures.

“The problem is Illinois’ tax system doesn’t generate enough revenue growth to cover the cost of maintaining the same level of public services from one fiscal year into the next. That’s no bueno, because over 94% of all state spending on services goes to the core areas of education, health care, human services and public safety. Which means state decision makers already need to reform revenue policy so it can generate the capacity to fund core services sustainably over time. That will ensure Illinois can also do what’s right from both a moral and fiscal standpoint: assist migrant families today

“I’ve been calling the senator,” emailed Cima Dairanieh. “Daily. For many weeks. I haven’t gotten a callback, email or letter. I also email her, daily.” In another email, Cara Piraino wrote that she’s called Duckworth multiple times a week since mid-October, but has gotten the recording directing constituents to contact the senator via her website “almost every time. I’ve only gotten through to a person twice in the past three months.” And Ashlee

The inaugural training, titled “CEI’s Role in Procurement: A Comprehensive Review,” is anticipated to revolutionize how State employees engage with essential procurement concepts. This immersive course delves into relevant statutes, provides historical context, and explores CEI’s pivotal role in the state’s procurement evolution.

Current estimates now project the programs will cost $773 million in the current fiscal year. Those estimates, however, have declined by $60 million since August, the month following the Pritzker administration’s initial announcement of certain cost-saving measures.

Pritzker was dismissive that the resolution would continue to build support within the party to change President Joe Biden’s position on the war. “It’s a nonbinding resolution that passed just barely. It was 50-50 in the City Council,” he said at an unrelated press conference. “It doesn’t really send much of a message, in my opinion, to the White House.”

Jim Dey: “’Tim Mapes (top aide to former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan) accepts the jury’s verdict — though he disagrees with it and continues to maintain his innocence,’ his lawyers stated in their sentencing memorandum…But they also made an odd — bordering on weird — request, that Mapes be sentenced to ‘time served.’ That would be a credible request if Mapes had actually served any appreciable time in custody prior to his conviction. But he has not. A spokesman for the Chicago U.S. Attorney’s office speculated that Mapes’ lawyers are referring to a few hours he spent ‘being processed’

And while the dust settles on the last remap, there are already advocates plotting the 2030 map and pushing for reform.

IEPA officials say that water main breaks of this magnitude are not that unusual in Illinois. “I Googled water main breaks in Illinois and I see Dixmoor, Warrenville, Western Springs, Park Forest, LaGrange, Litchfield (and) Schaumburg,” Gary Bingenheimer, section manager for the SRF program, said. “It happens all over the state in the wintertime, when the ground is freezing and thawing. It’s a very common occurrence.”

It is vital that the courts release this data and their analyses because they are not subject to Illinois’ Freedom of Information Act. Since the courts are not subject to FOIA, the public will only be able to access this information if the courts choose to release it.