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.

Gov. JB Pritzker speaks about his proposal to pause the grocery tax at a Jewel-Osco in Chicago on Friday. [Blue Room Stream]

On the heels of Gov. JB Pritzker’s budget address in which he touted an expected $1.7 billion surplus for the current fiscal year, the Committee on Government Forecasting and Accountability, or COGFA, released a new report Friday detailing the additional revenue that is coming into the state compared to one year ago.

New members may be added to the state’s Local Journalism Task Force. Lawmakers are interested in making a change to the state’s Property Tax Extension Limitation Law to give more options to taxing districts. And the House Mental Health and Addiction Committee advanced a bill aimed at providing more mental health services to children in care of the Department of Children and Family Services.  

Rep. Dave Vella (D-Rockford) explains House bill 4214 during a House Revenue Committee meeting Thursday.

Restaurant and bar owners could get some temporary tax relief this year under a bill that would create a tax credit for hospitality employers who provide benefits to their employees.

Senate Majority Leader Kimberly Lightford (D-Maywood) and Senate Minority Leader Dan McConchie (R-Hawthorn Woods) give their thoughts on Gov. JB Pritzker’s budget proposal Wednesday. [Blue Room Stream]

With the November election on everyone’s mind, lawmakers from both parties used Gov. JB Pritzker’s budget address Wednesday to score political points and reinforce their views on Pritzker’s administration to voters. Industry groups expressed cautious optimism at the governor’s proposals, but Republican candidates for governor were quick to criticize.

Gov. JB Pritzker gives his annual State of the State and Budget Address at Illinois’ Old State Capitol in Springfield Wednesday. The in-person address in front of the General Assembly was cancelled because of the snow storm. [Blue Room Stream]

With just over nine months until he stands for reelection, Gov. JB Pritzker touted fiscal progress his administration has made while offering a positive outlook for the state’s future and announced a series of spending increases and tax cuts in his annual State of the State and Budget Address Wednesday.  

Sen. Chapin Rose (R-Mahomet) speaks Tuesday with members of law enforcement and other Republican Senators about the Senate Republicans’ latest crime package. [Ben Szalinski]

Taking legislative action to prevent crime and give police more tools to fight it is urgent, Senate Republicans said Tuesday as they announced their latest legislative proposal to combat violent crime.

Sen. Cristina Castro (D-Elgin) speaks about Senate bill 570 during a press conference Monday. The bill would remove a surcharge gas companies put on bills.

Democratic lawmakers are angling to tighten a law they say allows gas companies to take advantage of customers by imposing surcharges on services. 

Illinois Department of Children and Family Services Director Marc Smith testifies Friday in front of the House Appropriations- Human Services committee on recent issues at the department.

After being found in contempt of court three times in the last month, Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) Director Marc Smith argued he is trying to clean up problems at the department caused by previous administrations.

Rep. Mary Flowers (D-Chicago), pictured left, speaks with retired U.S. Marshal Robert Moore, right, about the potential addition of a statue honoring Illinois’ first Black state trooper during the Statue and Monument Review Task Force meeting on Thursday.

A statue or artwork honoring two important African American figures and one the state’s most popular politicians in recent years were the latest ideas floated during the Illinois House’s Statues and Monuments Review Task Force meeting Thursday. 

Senate Republicans are making another attempt to pass ethics reforms they say would improve last year’s ethics package. House Minority Leader Jim Durkin (R-Western Springs) filed legislation to make changes at the Prisoner Review Board he says will help crack down on crime. And lawmakers debated a bill centered around solving gun crimes.

Illinois Municipal League Executive Director Brad Cole (left) and Crete Mayor Mike Einhorn speak in a House Cities and Villages Committee on Wednesday, Jan. 26, 2022 about the impact of Amazon fulfillment centers on local sales tax revenue.

Crete Mayor Mike Einhorn asked state lawmakers Wednesday to reevaluate how sales tax revenue from Amazon orders is distributed around Illinois, saying a new state law could be siphoning money from towns like his.

Einhorn appeared before the House Cities and Villages Committee to argue Amazon sales tax revenues are being unfairly distributed away from towns like his that lack distribution warehouses run by companies like Amazon. Several other leaders joined him to provide their own thoughts on whether the state’s sales tax system creates winners and losers from online orders.

The Illinois Housing Development Authority presented lawmakers with the results of the latest round of aid for tenants and landlords. Rep. Tom Demmer (R-Dixon), who is running for treasurer, filed a bill to combine the treasurer’s office with the comptroller’s office. And Gov. JB Pritzker announced state leaders have released new funding from the Rebuild Illinois capital plan for projects in the Metro East area.

Aurora Mayor Richard Irvin released his first campaign commercial of the 2022 Republican primary for governor Tuesday. He touted his efforts to stop rights in Aurora during civil unrest in 2020 as an example of how he would fight crime as governor. [Facebook/Irvin/Bourne For Illinois] 

Republican candidates for governor Richard Irvin and Jesse Sullivan released new TV advertisements Tuesday, pushing a message they will be governors who tackle the state’s crime problems.

Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, pictured in September 2021, announced he came to an agreement with union leaders Monday to give paid leave to fully vaccinated employees at public education institutions in Illinois.  

Gov. JB Pritzker vetoed a bill Monday that sought to give unlimited time off to educators who miss work for reasons related to COVID-19, but he simultaneously announced a deal to give time off to vaccinated employees.

From left: Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul, Comptroller Susana Mendoza and Treasurer Michael Frerichs maintain considerable cash advantages over their Republican challengers. [Facebook]

Democrats running for statewide office in Illinois are so far enjoying steep financial advantages over their Republican challengers. However, most candidates expected to be backed by Chicago billionaire Ken Griffin have not yet received funds for their races.