A new report estimates an additional 111-thousand voter registration applications have been processed at Illinois Secretary of State facilities annually, thanks to a 2018 automatic voter registration law. But advocates say Illinois can — and should — do better.
Stories by amanda vinicky
Illinois Considers Rolling Out the Red Carpet for New Recycling Effort
Illinois state legislators are considering a proposal that would help facilitate carpet recycling, but the effort has what one might call wall-to-wall complications.
Ending Forced Arbitration for Workplace Sexual Harassment
Five years since the #MeToo movement took off, comes a change that will give women more protections in the workplace, and – a rarity for Washington – the measure has bipartisan backing.
Who Will Replace Ald. Patrick Daley Thompson in 11th Ward?
The nephew of former Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley and the grandson of Mayor Richard J. Daley, Ald. Patrick Daley Thompson will have to resign his City Council seat given his convictions Monday for lying to the IRS and filing false tax returns.
Gov. J.B. Pritzker Details Temporary Tax Relief Plan in Budget Address Kicking Off Reelection Year
Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s Wednesday afternoon address from the Old State Capitol was delivered to a mostly virtual audience after a snowstorm thwarted plans for an in-person session of the General Assembly.
Republicans React to Governor’s Expected Budget Plan
Gov. J. B. Pritzker will present the new state budget Wednesday. Details will include Illinois' pandemic response, funding for schools, and for violence prevention, and potential tax relief. Among the expected proposals are holding the line on a gasoline tax, and temporarily lifting a 1% tax on food.
Gov. J.B. Pritzker Plans Reelection Year Tax Relief; Snow Cancels Legislative Session
As Gov. J.B. Pritzker heads into a reelection year that could prove trying, on Wednesday he is set to present a budget proposal with nearly $1 billion in one-time tax relief.
Chicago Teachers Union Leadership Faces Competition
Wednesday marks two weeks since Chicago Public Schools students returned to class — after a standoff between the teachers’ union and the district over COVID-19 protocols resulted in canceled classes. Union leadership already has another fight on its hands.
Illinois Law Allows Pharmacists to Dispense Contraception
It’ll be easier to access birth control in Illinois, courtesy of a new law that allows pharmacists to dispense hormonal contraception without a doctor’s prescription.
Aurora Mayor Richard Irvin Jumps into GOP Governor’s Race as Expensive Campaign Season Looms
It’s been nearly a year since candidates began announcing their intent to run for Illinois governor, but Monday brought a new entrant to shake up the race. Aurora Mayor Richard Irvin declared he’s running as a Republican in an online video.
COVID-19, Political Standoff Disrupt School
Knowing that most teachers wouldn’t show, even with the warning that they would therefore not be paid, CPS canceled class for Wednesday, and now Thursday too.
CPS CEO Commits to School Specific COVID-19 Closing Metrics
In the face of a potential walkout by Chicago Teachers Union members, Chicago Public Schools CEO Pedro Martinez said he is committed to putting in place COVID-19 cases metrics for closing schools and classrooms.
Almost 300 New Statutes Take Effect Saturday
Some 300 new laws will take effect in Illinois in the new year. They range from changing how gun licenses are processed — to regulating pet sales.
New Healthcare Laws Expand Infertility Treatment Coverage, Create Unused Medicine Repository
A series of new laws could make it easier for consumers to comparison shop for prescriptions, make sure unused medicine doesn’t go to waste, and expand coverage of fertility treatment.
State Legislature Suspends Session Due to COVID
The General Assembly canceled its Jan. 4 and 6 session dates, and will likely call the session off the following week as well “amid the ongoing global pandemic.”
A Crash Course in Illinois’ New Education Laws
Because of the pandemic, in 2020 the legislature was thrown a bit off course, so there weren't a ton of laws that took effect at the start of 2021. Not so for 2022. Dozens of measures will kick in starting Saturday.
Chicago to Require Proof of Vaccination in Bars, Restaurants and Gyms
Chicago Department of Public Health Commissioner Allison Arwady instituted the requirement Tuesday, as increases in COVID-19 cases have seen the positivity rate rise to 7.3% – past the point of rapid spread.
Lightfoot Outlines Crime-Fighting Strategy, Calls for Federal Help
“As the mayor of this city, I want to assure you that from day one in my time as mayor public safety has been, is, and will continue to be my highest priority,” Mayor Lori Lightfoot said Monday in a special speech to show she’s taking crime seriously.
Illinois Again Extends Deadline to Renew Expired Licenses
But Secretary of State Promises This Is It
“This extension is necessary as my office continues to address the heavy customer volume caused by the COVID-19 pandemic through expanded online services and the introduction of appointments at select Driver Services facilities,” Secretary of State Jesse White said in a statement Friday.
Pritzker Repeals Illinois Law Requiring Minors Notify Parents Before Having an Abortion
Repeal of the Parental Notification Act erases what has been described as Illinois’ last law restricting the procedure.
Chicago Casino Developers Show Their Cards
At an hourslong hearing Thursday, the public got a look at what a Chicago casino might look like and where it would go.
Illinois Establishing Midwife License
Decades ago, the state of Illinois outlawed midwifery. Now the state’s in the process of changing course with a new law signed Tuesday by Gov. J.B. Pritzker.
Federal Hearing on Gun Violence Held in Chicago Amid Crime Surge
In 2014, Chicago saw homicides hit a historic low at 426. The city has exceeded that number every year since and is on pace to again this calendar year by more than 80%, according to U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois John Lausch.
White House COVID Advisor Says Community, At-Home Tests, Vaccinations Key
COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations are surging. Doctors believe that’s still due to the delta variant though it’s expected Illinois will soon see more cases of the omicron variant as well. A key White House advisor tells us how the nation’s ready to tackle it with an eye toward equity.
Illinois Gambling Revenue Tops $1 Billion
All bets are in. The state’s gaming commission chose which developers will be allowed to build new suburban casinos — and where. This comes nearly two-and-a-half years after the state’s gambling expansion law passed.
Competing COVID-19 Vaccine Bills Proposed in Illinois
One bill would require all unvaccinated individuals who are hospitalized or need other medical treatment because of COVID-19 to pay any related costs out of pocket. The other would forbid discrimination against anyone who chooses not to be vaccinated out of religious or personal beliefs.
