Ben Szalinski

Bio

Ben is The Daily Line's legislative reporter covering Illinois state government. He came to The Daily Line in January 2022 from Shaw Media where he covered local government in McHenry County for the Northwest Herald. Ben is a graduate of the Public Affair
MAR 16, 2022
Denise Avant from the National Federation of the Blind for Illinois, left, and Ray Campbell from the Illinois Council of the Blind, right, speak to the House Ethics and Elections Committee Tuesday.

Illinois is not doing enough to make voting accessible to people with print visibility difficulties, advocates say, arguing an amendment to a bill expanding accessibility to voting by mail is necessary to ensure voting is also more accessible to blind people.

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Disability advocates want amendment to bill to make voting more accessible for the blind in the June primary

Denise Avant from the National Federation of the Blind for Illinois, left, and Ray Campbell from ...
MAR 16, 2022
Acting Illinois Department of Employment Security Director Kristin Richards speaks to the Senate Appropriations- Business Regulations and Labor Committee Tuesday.

After a tumultuous two years that saw people wait months for unemployment assistance and others become victims of fraud, the Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES) is seeing the state’s job market recover from the pandemic and boosting the department’s services, acting Director Kristin Richards told lawmakers Tuesday.

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Job market continues to recover from pandemic, IDES head tells lawmakers

Acting Illinois Department of Employment Security Director Kristin Richards speaks to the Senate ...
MAR 15, 2022
The Illinois State Board of Elections website shows daily totals for the number of candidates who have filed to run in the June primary. (Mauricio Peña/ Block Club Chicago)

While much of the attention will focus on statewide primary races for secretary of state and governor, 41 primaries were set in the Illinois House following the deadline for petition submissions as some candidates work to unseat incumbents from their own party while others hope to help their party flip seats in November.

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41 primary matchups set for June in Illinois House as seats become less competitive

The Illinois State Board of Elections website shows daily totals for the number of candidates who...
MAR 15, 2022
The Illinois State Board of Elections website shows daily totals for the number of candidates who have filed to run in the June primary.

Seventeen of Illinois’ 59 Senate districts will have a primary matchup when voters go to the polls in June.

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June election to host 17 Senate primary matchups across the state

The Illinois State Board of Elections website shows daily totals for the number of candidates who...
MAR 15, 2022
Rep. Carol Ammons (D-Urbana) speaks to supports of her income tax credit bill Monday.

Rep. Carol Ammons (D-Urbana) said she is hopeful her proposal to expand the state’s earned income tax credit will be included in the Fiscal Year 2023 budget as part of what she said was an important fight to reduce costs for families and fight poverty.

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Lawmakers, advocates push earned income tax credit expansion as tool to fight poverty

Rep. Carol Ammons (D-Urbana) speaks to supports of her income tax credit bill Monday. Rep. Carol ...
MAR 14, 2022
Recreational cannabis use became legal in Illinois in 2020.

Since Illinois legalized cannabis for recreational use starting in 2020, people looking to get into the business have sometimes faced more questions than answers about how to properly follow the state’s laws. Rep. Marcus Evans (D-Chicago) believes he has a solution for the people trying to work their way through the maze of Illinois government.

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Evans pushing to simplify Illinois cannabis regulation by consolidating oversight into single commission

Recreational cannabis use became legal in Illinois in 2020. Since Illinois legalized cannabis for...
MAR 11, 2022
Illinois Hotel & Lodging Association President Michael Jacobson, left, Choose Chicago CEO Jim Meyer, center, and Illinois Restaurant Association President Sam Toia, right, speak during a Senate hearing Thursday.

COVID-19 metrics are down to some of the lowest levels of the pandemic and leaders in the tourism and hospitality industry are hopeful tourism rates in Illinois and Chicago will rebound this summer. However, they also say businesses in their industry still need more help.

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Industry leaders optimistic tourists will return this summer but say hospitality businesses still need help recovering

Illinois Hotel & Lodging Association President Michael Jacobson, left, Choose Chicago CEO Jim...
MAR 11, 2022
McHenry County Board Chair Mike Buehler (R-Crystal Lake) and Rep. Suzanne Ness (R-Crystal Lake) speak in support of repealing a law unique to McHenry County Thursday.

McHenry County officials are pushing state lawmakers to repeal a 2019 law that only allow McHenry County voters to dissolve a township, saying they worry the process be difficult for the county to carry out. But some legislators have a different idea: expand the law across the whole state. 

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Unique township law filled with problems, McHenry County officials say as lawmakers express desire to make it statewide

McHenry County Board Chair Mike Buehler (R-Crystal Lake) and Rep. Suzanne Ness (R-Crystal Lake) s...
MAR 11, 2022

Illinois Department of Public Health Director Ngozi Ezike says department leaders have their eye on a post-COVD-19 future and will take lessons they learned with them. And Sen. Sue Rezin (R-Morris) is calling on Democrats to support bills she filed that aim to solve some of the deficiencies that resulted in a deadly COVID-19 outbreak at the LaSalle veterans’ home.

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News in brief: IDPH ready to look past COVID, Ezike says; Rezin wants action in response to LaSalle veterans’ home outbreak

Illinois Department of Public Health Director Ngozi Ezike says department leaders have their eye ...
MAR 10, 2022

The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) is calling on lawmakers to pass legislation to ensure workers are paid fairly. And an attorney for the Prisoner Review Board told a House committee they support some of the concepts House Republicans have proposed to reform the board.

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News in brief: AFSCME pushes for higher wages for employees; Prisoner Review Board voices support for GOP proposals

The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) is calling on lawmakers...
MAR 10, 2022
 Illinois Education Association President Kathi Griffin speaks during a virtual news conference on Wednesday.  

A new survey shows more Illinois teachers are considering leaving the profession and feeling more burned out as Illinois grapples with a shortage of teachers.  

The survey also found most Illinois parents want teachers making decisions about their children’s education and support teaching slavery and the history of racism in school, even amid national debate over curriculum decisions in schools.  

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Growing number of teachers considering leaving profession, parents prefer teachers to make educational decisions, survey finds

 Illinois Education Association President Kathi Griffin speaks during a virtual news conference ...
MAR 10, 2022
Sen. Suzy Glowiak Hilton (D-Western Springs) speaks at a news conference on Wednesday.

Lawmakers are moving ahead on a bill to speed up the process for people to receive their professional licenses from the state and start their jobs.

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Lawmakers poised to approve initiative to speed up professional license approvals

Sen. Suzy Glowiak Hilton (D-Western Springs) speaks at a news conference on Wednesday. Lawmakers...
MAR 09, 2022
Sen. Sara Feigenholtz (D-Chicago) speaks at a news conference Tuesday with Rep. Kam Buckner (D-Chicago), left, and President of the Illinois Hotel & Lodging Association President Michael Jacobson, right.

Recovery is not happening as fast as hotel industry leaders hoped, and they need a shot in the arm from the state, industry leaders said in a news conference in Springfield Tuesday.  

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Hotel leaders plead to lawmakers for financial help through American Rescue Plan funds

Sen. Sara Feigenholtz (D-Chicago) speaks at a news conference Tuesday with Rep. Kam Buckner (D-Ch...
MAR 09, 2022

The Illinois House voted to end its mask mandate for people in the chamber after weeks of removing Republicans not wearing masks. Republicans are renewing calls for legislators to take action to end Illinois investments in Russia and prepare for a potential influx of refugees from Ukraine. And Republican gubernatorial candidate Jesse Sullivan received an endorsement from the state’s former legislative inspector general.

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News in brief: House ends mask mandate; Lawmakers continue push to divest Illinois from Russian assets

The Illinois House voted to end its mask mandate for people in the chamber after weeks of removin...
MAR 08, 2022
Rep. Barbara Hernandez (D-Aurora) presents a bill on Tuesday, March 1, 2022 in the Illinois House.

Lawmakers are making a push to give teachers a new option to take care of their mental health as the state emerges from the pandemic. They want to pass a bill ensuring teachers can take a day off work to mentally recharge. 

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House, Senate narrow in on path to expand teacher mental health days

Rep. Barbara Hernandez (D-Aurora) presents a bill on Tuesday, March 1, 2022 in the Illinois House...
MAR 08, 2022
Gov. JB Pritzker, right, files his petitions to run for the Democratic nomination for Illinois governor with his running mate, Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton, left, at the State Board of Elections in Springfield Monday. [Blue Room Stream]

As candidates lined up outside the State Board of Elections in Springfield Monday to officially file as candidates for office in 2022, many expressed excitement about the future of their campaigns and weighed in on how the indictment of former House Speaker Michael Madigan will affect voters’ decisions.

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Madigan indictment hangs over politicians’ shoulders as candidates officially file to run for office

Gov. JB Pritzker, right, files his petitions to run for the Democratic nomination for Illinois go...
MAR 07, 2022
The Illinois House meets on Friday.

The House advanced a bill with strong bipartisan support that would reform how some local taxing bodies levy property taxes in the hope that the new system will save taxpayers money.

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House passes property tax reform bill supporters hope will encourage taxing bodies to lower levies

The Illinois House meets on Friday. The House advanced a bill with strong bipartisan support tha...
MAR 07, 2022

Ahead of Friday’s deadline to hand bills off to the Senate, the House passed legislation to combat catalytic converter theft, eliminate the requirement that schools must choose the lowest bidder on lunch contracts and remove a potential barrier high school students face for graduation.

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News in brief: Legislation to combat catalytic converter theft, improve school lunches passes House

Ahead of Friday’s deadline to hand bills off to the Senate, the House passed legislation to comba...
MAR 06, 2022

How to fix the Department of Children and Family Services

Since the beginning of 2022, Department of Children and Family Services Director Marc Smith has ...
MAR 04, 2022
Department of Children and Family Services Director Marc Smith, orange tie, speaks to members of the House Appropriations- Human Services Committee Thursday.

Lawmakers and advocates blasted Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) Director Marc Smith during his agency’s appropriation hearing Thursday, even after Smith said the department was making progress toward ensuring the safety of its employees and the children under its care.

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DCFS director points to progress on child placements, but lawmakers and advocates don’t buy it

Department of Children and Family Services Director Marc Smith, orange tie, speaks to members of ...

Bio

Ben is The Daily Line's legislative reporter covering Illinois state government. He came to The Daily Line in January 2022 from Shaw Media where he covered local government in McHenry County for the Northwest Herald. Ben is a graduate of the Public Affair