The state’s gigantic new energy law will change the source of Illinois’ power. The package aims to move Illinois to carbon-free energy by 2045, but it also serves to tip the scales in terms of who makes up the transforming energy industry.
Stories by amanda vinicky
New Partisan Political Maps in Courts’ Hands, Now That Governor Has Signed Them Into Law
Extolling redrawn state legislative districts as reflective of Illinois’ diversity, Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Friday signed into law a new set of maps that will come into play in next year’s election and elections over the next decade.
Illinois Child Care Investments Show Early Dividends, Pritzker Says
While specifics of President Biden’s $3.5 trillion economic recovery initiative are still being negotiated, Gov. Pritzker honed in on the package’s enhanced child care benefits and universal pre-K for 3- and 4-year-olds.
CTU, CPS in Standoff Over COVID Safety; Union Wants More Than ‘Contrition’
State education officials say students who don’t have medical exemptions must be taught in school this year. But in Chicago, there’s still a standoff between the mayor’s office and the teachers union over what in-person learning should look like during a pandemic.
Mandatory Vaccine Checks: Alderpeople Want Proof, Restaurants Don’t
Heading out to a bar, restaurant or theater in Chicago? You may be asked to show proof of vaccination against COVID-19. Proof is not required — and a coalition of restaurateurs say it shouldn’t ever be. But a group of City Council members have a different view.
Legislators Question Authority to Punish Schools Over Masks
It was early August, just before most students returned to their classrooms for the new school year, that Gov. J.B. Pritzker issued an executive order requiring students, teachers and staff to wear masks in school, regardless of their vaccination status — or face the consequences.
Lightfoot Gets Pushback on Her Plan to Go After Gangs’ Profits
Mayor Lori Lightfoot wants to employ a new tactic in the fight against crime and violence: sue gang members in civil court. But the plan is proving controversial.
Illinois House Approves Energy Bill
An ambitious – and controversial – energy package that aims to move Illinois to 100% clean energy within the next several decades is on the path to becoming law.
Energy Package Teed Up for Springfield Vote
The Illinois House is reconvening Thursday for what lawmakers hope will be the penultimate chapter of yearslong energy negotiations. And now it’s truly down to the wire for a far-reaching omnibus package.
What the Texas Abortion Law Means for Illinois
Texas has taken a controversial approach to banning abortions once cardiac activity is detected, with a law that allows private citizens to sue anyone involved with the procedure. Now, activists on both sides of the abortion debate are gearing up for a legislative battle.
Pandemic Unemployment Assistance Set to End, Organizations Work to Bridge Employment Gap
Unemployment has been a major issue throughout the pandemic. Stay-at-home orders spurred layoffs — many who lost their jobs had trouble accessing benefits — in part because there was a whole lot of fraud.
Energy Bill Flickers as Time Runs Short To Save Nuclear Plants With Subsidy
Legislators have been working toward a measure that would keep two Illinois nuclear plants open. Despite a rash of talks during Tuesday’s special session, there is still no concrete path — and less than two weeks remain until Exelon says it will close the plants.
Illinois Democrats Advance New Legislative Districts With Little Public Review
Democrats have a stranglehold on the Illinois General Assembly, and Tuesday they muscled through legislation that will help the party maintain power for the coming decade despite objections from community organizations and Republicans.
Amid Paramedic Shortage, Pritzker Likely to Veto Bill Favored by Ambulance Companies
Gov. J.B. Pritzker may soon make the rare move of vetoing a bill that passed both houses of the Democratic-controlled General Assembly — unanimously. The bill has to do with how private ambulance companies are reimbursed when they transport Medicaid patients.
Will Cameras on Chicago Expressways Help Deter Shootings?
In 2019, Tamara Clayton was driving to work along I-57 when she was shot and killed. Years later, a law passed in her honor that allows cameras to go up along certain Illinois expressways is taking effect — as expressway shootings are skyrocketing.
Illinois Republicans Gear Up to Take On Biden and Pritzker
Democrats had their day in the limelight at the Illinois State Fair on Wednesday. Next, it was Republicans’ turn to get into campaign mode, with an annual meeting of the Illinois GOP’s top leaders and a rally.
Bye, Bye Byron? Exelon Prepares to Shutter Illinois Nuclear Plants
Illinois legislators may be back in Springfield soon for a second extra session. Their sole goal: to strike a deal on a massive energy package. The result will impact everything from Illinois’ role in climate change to your energy bill. But the stakes are particularly high in one Illinois town.
Lawsuit Seeks to Strike School Mask Mandate
Masks must be worn in Illinois schools when students and staff return to the classroom in the coming weeks. But a just-filed lawsuit could void that statewide executive order. We talk with the attorney who filed it — and a local pediatrician.
Will Pot ‘Piranhas’ Take Over Illinois’ Market?
Illinois today selected another 55 winners from a pool of 589 qualifying applicants seeking to open cannabis dispensaries. It’s another step on a long-delayed process of growing Illinois’ marijuana market, with a mind toward social equity. But is it working?
Pushback on Illinois’ Latest COVID-19 Mandates
Masking will be universally required in Illinois schools, and some state employees must get vaccinated for the coronavirus, according to mandates handed down Wednesday by Gov. J.B. Pritzker — a move that immediately drew rebuke from friends and foes alike.
Unions, Environmentalists Declare Impasse on Energy Deal
With possibly just a few weeks left before Exelon shutters a nuclear reactor in Byron, feuding and politically powerful interests have failed to reach a deal that would keep the plant open and otherwise move Illinois toward its renewable energy goals.
Illinois’ Disgraced Former Governor Tries to Make a Comeback
Former Gov. Rod Blagojevich, Illinois’ only governor to be impeached and removed from office, was back at the Dirksen federal courthouse on Monday, but this time it was on his own volition — rather than as a defendant in criminal proceedings.
Has Illinois Fixed its Flawed Marijuana Industry Expansion?
Three lotteries have been set where successful applicants will win coveted licenses to collectively open another 185 cannabis dispensaries throughout Illinois.
Governor Pritzker Meets with President Biden in D.C.
Gov. J.B. Pritzker was among a handful of governors and mayors who scored an invitation Wednesday to the White House. His visit comes as the primary for the 2022 governor’s race is less than a year away.
Sheriff Faces Lawsuit for Not Protecting Female Employees from Harassment by Detainees
More than 500 current and former employees of the Cook County jail say they were subject to “vulgar” “and “offensive” misconduct by detainees, and that Sheriff Tom Dart’s office did not do enough to protect them from the constant harassment.
Efforts to Draw New Chicago Ward Map Getting Started
Members of the Chicago City Council are in the early stages of drafting new ward boundaries, but so too are community members hoping to supplant a map drawn by alderpeople. We check in on the drafting process.
