Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul’s office said the lawsuit is necessary because the mass firings have caused irreparable harm to Illinois and the other plaintiff states. “Many of these illegal firings have come without cause or warning, leaving tens of thousands of federal workers and their families struggling to pay rent, buy groceries and cover other vital household costs,” Raoul said in a statement.

Both Republican and Democratic representatives have introduced similar legislation to establish Daylight Saving Time as the year-round standard time in Illinois. If approved, the change could take effect in March 2026, provided it aligns with federal regulations.

Workers at companies that don’t offer a retirement plan are automatically enrolled in the Secure Choice Savings Program and the automatic contribution starts at 5 percent of the employee’s paycheck. House Bill 1435 would amend the Secure Choice Savings Program Act and change penalty criteria for employers who fail to enroll employees in the program and remit contributions.

“I think that we as a state, as a government should look at more business-friendly policies to support small businesses so that they can hire more people, pay higher wages,” State Rep. La Shawn Ford said. “That money will automatically come right back to the state in revenue because people are going to spend it.”

The measure targets Freeburg Community High School, where the mascot is the Midget. “The ‘M word’ as a slur makes me think of the ‘N word’ as a slur that’s often-times used on me. It has been used on me even in the position of state representative,” state Rep. Maurice West said.

“Two identical bills have been introduced to address the problem, Senate Bill 1696 sponsored by Sen. Laura Fine and House Bill 3138 sponsored by Rep. Suzanne Ness. The bills would grant the foster care agencies and their employees immunity from civil liability for a two-year period ‘unless the agency’s acts or omissions constitute willful and wanton conduct.’ This being Illinois, the politically powerful trial lawyers have a large seat at the bargaining table. They’re the ones who file the lawsuits.”

Illinois once again second only to New Jersey for highest effective rate.

Kurt Beathard was the Redbirds’ offensive coordinator heading into the 2020 season. In August, athletic department employees printed posters featuring athletes in ISU uniforms and the Black Lives Matter slogan. Beathard said he doesn’t know who put the sign outside his door, but he replaced it with his handwritten sign that was in place for about two weeks.

“As we consider what it takes to ensure that Illinois is one of the best places in the nation to raise a child, let us consider what that means, every day, in the classroom. Each of them deserves access to fully licensed, high-quality teachers who serve as role models and reflect their identities and experiences.”

The first plan would increase criminal penalties for distributing and selling the drug. The second would increase the mandatory prison sentence. The third would require defendants to prove they’re not a public threat when granted pretrial release and the fourth would re-classify fentanyl overdose deaths to fentanyl poisoning, as the lawmakers say many victims don’t knowingly consume fentanyl.

Some of Illinois’ largest school districts already have adopted their own limits on cellphones in their classrooms, including Springfield, Peoria and Champaign.

One of the increased costs to the county is due to the Safety Act, or the Pretrial Fairness Act, which requires court to be open every day, all year. It caused increased costs for everything from cleaning and infrastructure to paying judges, prosecutors and court security, Board Chair Corinne Pierog said.

Officials say they think increased naloxone distribution throughout the state, community outreach through harm reduction organizations and drug overdose prevention programs, the availability of fentanyl test strips, and improved access to treatment and medication-assisted recovery have contributed to the decrease in deaths. Since 2021, the state has distributed one million two-dose boxes of Narcan statewide.

Walgreens was scheduled in two years to celebrate its 100th year as a publicly traded company. Now the storied pharmacist and retailer won’t honor that milestone, because it no longer will be publicly owned.

“It’s kind of like what’s been often said about what you must do to appreciate fiction, like Shakespeare’s plays. You need to have a ‘willing suspension of disbelief.'”