“This legislation, I want to stress, does not mean consumers don’t have to pay that medical debt and their medical bills,” state Sen. Steve Stadelman said. “I just believe medical debt is different than other debt. It’s spontaneous.”

“Right now, we’re prioritizing those who have been convicted by a jury,” said Sen. Andrew Chesney. “Yet, you can be a single working mother and $20 is perhaps a hill too high to climb right now financially. Those that are not convicted and playing by the rules are left to pay the fee.”

“Are we going to see the return of investment when it comes to that $300,” state Rep. Margaret Croke said. “If it’s not enough to make a huge impact in someone’s life that we’re seeing in these other states, is it worth it to do at this moment in time where we’re looking at a financial situation in the state that we have?”

Jim Dey: “The (Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability) reported, however, that the increase in personal-income-tax revenue is not as good as it sounds, nor is the decline in corporate-income-tax revenue as bad as it sounds. That’s because of accounting changes called ‘true-up’ adjustments affecting both categories that will continue until June.”

A first violation of the law, if passed, would be a written warning. Second or subsequent violations could levy a civil penalty of $500 for each violation.

State Rep. Blaine Wilhour said TFA funding, like a lot of education funding, doesn’t go to the classroom. “Seven out of 10 of our kids can’t read, the same with math and it gets even worse in minority communities that these programs [like TFA] are supposed to be focused on,” he said. “Where is this money going?”

While Illinois looks at tax credits for gifting endowments, student loans, hiring journalists and music companies, Missouri is looking at phasing out not just tax credits but also their corporate income tax. Not among the slew of tax credits the Illinois Senate is reviewing is the Invest in Kids school choice scholarship tax credit, which expired at the end of 2023.

A study released earlier this year ranked Illinois as the worst state to start a new business. Simplify LLC scored Illinois low because of the state’s maximum corporate tax of 9.5 percent and the exodus of what the company called “educated adults” from the state in 2023.

“It tries to end surprise sales that result in new owners coming in, raising rates and seniors on fixed income and low-income residents that are basically economically evicted,” state Sen. Steve Stadelman said. Specifically, he said Senate Bill 2935 creates a right of first refusal for residents or a homeowners association in the park.

While Chicago considers passing an ordinance to ban natural gas in some new building construction – following the lead of places like New York City and Seattle – state officials are moving more slowly in an attempt to ensure Illinois meets its goal of having 100 percent renewable energy by 2050.

U.S. Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi said the road to a cease-fire includes American pressure on Israel, which the representative said is already happening through the enforcement of arms transfer conditions that require credible assurances the arms would be used in accordance with international law, and that humanitarian assistance be allowed to flow in greater quantities.

One bill bans companies from selling vaping devices that look like normal household items. The other bill bans people from shipping them in Illinois except to retailers and distributors.

Under former CEO John Lansing, NPR made increasing diversity, both of its staff and its audience, its “North Star” mission. Senior Editor Uri Berliner says in the essay that NPR failed to consider broader diversity of viewpoint, noting, “In D.C., where NPR is headquartered and many of us live, I found 87 registered Democrats working in editorial positions and zero Republicans.”

For example, the Illinois Municipal League notes that Chicago will lose $80 million, Joliet will lose $3 million and Orland Park will lose $2.5 million. “We intend to provide, in the legislation, the ability for communities to reimpose that tax if they want to,” Gov. JB Pritzker said. “I would not suggest it.”