Rep. Sue Scherer (D-Decatur) speaks during a House committee meeting on Wednesday.

During a two-hour, often contentious meeting of the House Committee on Elementary & Secondary Education: Administration, Licensing & Charter Schools, representatives agreed to support a bill from Rep. Michael J. Zalewski (D-Riverside) and two from Rep. Sue Scherer (D-Decatur). But another bill, also sponsored by Scherer, failed to pass the committee. 

Attorneys Adolfo Mondargon (left) and Michael Dorf sparred before the Illinois Supreme Court over campaign finance law on Wednesday.

The Illinois Supreme Court met on Wednesday to hear an appeal from Ald. Byron Sigcho-Lopez (25) challenging the legality of the $220,000 in campaign contributions spent by his predecessor  Ald. Danny Solis on legal fees during the ongoing corruption investigation around Ald. Ed Burke (14). If the high court sides with Sigcho-Lopez, it will mark a sea change in the rules surrounding how campaign dollars are used statewide.

Rep. Will Davis (D-Homewood) [left] and lobbyist Dan Johnson speaking during a virtual House committee meeting on Tuesday

House lawmakers advanced legislation on Tuesday representing the latest step in their effort to promote diversity in the renewable energy industry — this time by requiring companies to publicly report their contracting records with women- and minority-owned firms. It was one of more than a half-dozen bills that escaped House and Senate committees on Tuesday, including bills designed to improve hospital safety and ease student debt.

Republican Senate Leader Dan McConchie rolled out a series of proposed constitutional amendments he said were designed to empower voters. And Democrats lashed a proposal from Republicans to expand the state’s automatic voter registration law.

Aurora Mayor Richard Irvin emphasized crime, corruption and the economy in his gubernatorial campaign launch video on Monday. [YouTube/Irvin & Bourne for Illinois]

Aurora Mayor Richard Irvin became the latest candidate on Monday to jump into the Republican race to unseat Gov. JB Pritzker. But even with the promise of heavy backing from billionaire mega-donor Ken Griffin, Illinois Democrats and even many Republicans are making it clear his path to the governor’s mansion will be anything but smooth.

Consumer groups and Democratic senators want state regulators to pressure car insurance companies to refund nearly $900 million in potential premium charges. [Unsplash/Nabeel Syed]

State insurance officials are distancing themselves from a plea by legislators and consumer advocates to shake concessions from insurance mega-firms they say may have overcharged Illinois drivers by hundreds of millions of dollars last year. 

Rep. Carol Ammons (D-Urbana) [left] and Margaret Croke (D-Chicago) said during a Thursday committee meeting that they want to pare back occupational licensing requirements.

On Thursday the Illinois State Senate Committee on Small Business, Tech Innovation, and Entrepreneurship held a subject matter hearing to discuss potential occupational licensing reforms the state legislature could consider in 2022.

SB2969 would require health insurance providers to cover continuous glucose monitors. [Wikimedia Commons]

The Illinois Senate Committee on Insurance met Wednesday to approve SB2969, a bill that seeks to ensure continuous glucose monitors are covered by insurance providers starting in 2023.

Rep. Robyn Gabel (D-Evanston) [left] and electric vehicle advocate Neda Deylami speak during a meeting of the House Energy & Environment Committee on Tuesday.

House Democrats on Tuesday advanced a bill designed to speed Illinois’ transition to electric cars by cranking up electric charging requirements for new buildings, steamrolling Republicans who worried about the measure’s potential cost for homeowners and builders.

Senate lawmakers advanced a bill designed to help the spouses of people living in assisted living facilities. And Gov. JB Pritzker announced the rollout of a new ad campaign designed to push up the state’s vaccination rate.