Attorney General Kwame Raoul filed a motion asking the Illinois Supreme Court reinstate an Adams County sexual assault conviction a judge dropped. The House Revenue Committee could take action on a bill designed to help small businesses by creating a tax credit for those that raise the wages of their employees. And Rep. Cyril Nichols (D-Chicago) is hoping to make a change at emission testing facilities to expedite service for some drivers.  

House Minority Leader Jim Durkin (R-Western Springs) speaks to reporters over Zoom Wednesday.

After a grand jury declined to indict a man on first-degree murder charges in the shooting death of a Chicago woman, Republicans pounced to argue it was more proof the SAFE-T Act was not working to improve public safety. Defenders of the law hit back, saying Republicans are trying to “mislead the public.”

Rep. Marcus Evans (D-Chicago) speaks about his experience with cancer during the House Human Services Committee Wednesday.

After a traumatic experience battling cancer, Rep. Marcus Evans (D-Chicago) is hoping to create another resource for men to consulate for their own health needs. 

From left: Rep. Larry Walsh (D-Elwood), environmental advocate J.C. Kibbey and Peoples Gas executive Torrence Hinton speak during Wednesday’s meeting of the House Public Utilities Committee.

A two-hour subject matter hearing in front of the House Public Utilities Committee saw proponents and opponents of a bill (HB3941) designed to rein in heating costs repeatedly confront one another while committee chair Rep. Larry Walsh (D-Elwood) played referee. 

Bills to cap increasing property value assessments in Cook County, make Illinois drivers licenses valid for six years instead of four and add new judges to Illinois’ Fifth District Appellate Court

Illinois Municipal League Executive Director Brad Cole explains the League’s 2022 legislative agenda to during a news conference at the State Capitol in Springfield Tuesday.

Local government leaders are renewing their call on state lawmakers to restore funding to the Local Government Distributive Fund (LGDF) after a decade of decreases.  

Leaders with the Illinois Municipal League and 12 other local government organizations included in the Restore LGDF coalition are asking lawmakers to boost funding for the Local Government Distributive Fund back toward its original level of 10 percent of the total amount of income taxes collected by the state prior to decreases since 2011. 

Bills to create a Department of Children and Family Services security force to keep employees safe, pause license fees for short-term substitute teachers during the pandemic and begin discussions about creating a more comprehensive state reading curriculum advanced through Senate committees Tuesday. Gov. JB Pritzker also advocated for provisions in his budget proposal that would devote more resources toward higher education.

Attorney General Kwame Raoul, left, speaks during a news conference Monday about legislation he is proposing to crack down on retail theft. Illinois State Police Director Brendan Kelly, right, spoke at a separate news conference about additional action State Police would be taking to step shootings on area expressways. [State of Illinois/Gov. JB Pritzker Facebook]

State leaders are announcing new measures to crack down on Chicago-area crimes that threaten businesses and travelers in an effort they hope will keep people from engaging in expressway shootings and organized retail theft.

Cook County Assessor joined a gaggle of Democratic state lawmakers on Monday for a virtual event touting the launch of the new Affordable Housing Property Tax Relief Program.

Cook County Assessor Fritz Kaegi gathered state lawmakers on Monday to cut the ribbon on applications for a new “tiered” assessment system designed to incentivize the construction of affordable housing. 

Officials are posing the new program as a win-win for developers and housing advocates. But only time will tell whether the new system meaningfully grows the state’s stock of affordable homes, according to voices on both sides of the issue.

Gov. JB Pritzker criticized to a Sangamon County court ruling pausing his order requiring masks in schools as an “out of step” decision. Speaker of the House Chris Welch (D-Hillside) is asking House Minority Leader Jim Durkin (R-Western Springs) to help bring more civility to politics after recent attacks toward House Democrats. And Pritzker bolstered his pitch for freezing the state’s gas tax.