Gov JB Pritzker on Wednesday pushed back against recently issued guidance from the federal government outlining how states could spend money from the American Rescue Plan.

Illinois lawmakers received good and bad news this week as they continue to consider Gov. JB Pritzker’s proposed budget for the upcoming fiscal year.

On the positive side, revenue collections in Illinois in recent months have surpassed expectations, leading the Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability to significantly increase its revenue projections for the current and upcoming fiscal year. However, new preliminary guidance released this week by U.S. Treasury officials could scramble state leaders’ plans to right Illinois’ financial ship.

Beyond Legal Aid executive director Lam Ho and Era Laudermilk from the Cook County Public Defender’s office advocated for a bill Wednesday that would allow the public defender to represent non-citizens.

A Senate committee on Wednesday advanced a proposal that would formally let the Cook County Public Defender’s office represent non-citizens in immigration cases.

The bill (HB 2790) comes after the Cook County Public Defender’s office launched a new Immigration Unit late last year. Funded through a private-public partnership between Cook County and the JB and MK Pritzker Family Foundation, the unit seeks to ensure clients are fully informed of potential immigration consequences during criminal cases.

Gov. JB Pritzker announced a new $250 million round of capital funding grants for municipalities around the state.

Illinois Department of Human Services Inspector General Peter Neumer appeared before the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee on Tuesday.

Illinois Department of Human Services Inspector General Peter Neumer on Tuesday rejected the notion that state officials influenced the audit he released this month that panned the Illinois Department of Veterans’ Affairs handling of the COVID-19 outbreak at the LaSalle Veterans’ Home. 

Although the audit was ordered by Gov. JB Pritzker last fall, Neumer said the administration did not receive any advance notice of his findings or request any alterations to the audit.

Lawmakers on Friday wrapped up what was likely one of their final slow weeks before the current legislative session accelerates toward its May 31 conclusion. In total, the Senate approved 17 bills while the House voted on resolutions rather than approve any bills.

Rep. Ryan Spain (R-Peoria) said last week that Democrats’ decision to draw new redistricting maps behind closed doors was “an injustice to democracy.”

Republican lawmakers held a news conference last week in a clutter-filled hallway and pointed to a doorway, saying House Democrats were operating in secret on the other side to determine legislative boundaries for the next decade.

“This room…is the secret room behind closed doors that maps get drawn that the public is not allowed into,” said Rep. Tim Butler (R-Springfield).

Gov. JB Pritzker on Friday pointed to his energy overhaul as evidence of his effort to address ethics reform.

When Gov. JB Pritzker outlined his vision for Illinois and issues for lawmakers to address in his State of the State speech in February, he stressed the importance of taking action on ethics reform, energy legislation and addressing so-called “corporate loopholes.”

While there have been signs of movement on his proposed tax change and energy legislation — the governor introduced a 915-page energy overhaul proposal (SB 2896/HB 4074) last week that a House committee will consider on Tuesday — Pritzker has been less involved in ethics legislation. The governor demurred last week when asked if he would champion an ethics bill, pointing instead to ethics guardrails “embedded” in his energy legislation.

• MOORE ENTERS SOS RACE — Chicago Ald. David Moore (17) became the latest candidate to enter the race for Secretary of State over the weekend. Moore, who has served on the City Council since 2015, announced his candidacy late Friday. An Englewood resident, Moore joins former state Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias, Chicago Clerk Anna Valencia, Sen. Michael Hastings (D-Tinley Park) and Ald. Pat Dowell (3) in vying for the Democratic Party’s nomination to succeed retiring Secretary of State Jesse White. As he heads into the race, Moore is at a significant disadvantage in terms finances. His latest campaign finance disclosures indicate he has nearly $74,000 available to spend. Giannoulias leads the way with more than $2.1 million in his campaign coffers. (Joel Ebert)

Gov. JB Pritzker said Thurdsay the state could enter its ‘bridge’ phase to reopen as early as next week.

Gov. JB Pritzker on Thursday said efforts to limit the spread of COVID-19 in Illinois have been successful enough in recent weeks that the state can begin relaxing mitigations next week with a broader goal of fully reopening by early June.

Speaking at an in-person news conference alongside Illinois Department of Public Health director Ngozi Ezike and other doctors, the governor said the state could enter the so-called “bridge” phase starting May 14.

Representatives from the Illinois Muslim Civic Coalition, including Dilara Sayeed and Deena Habbal, have testified at several legislative redistricting hearings.

In the five weeks since state lawmakers began holding redistricting committee meetings, they’ve held 25 hearings as of Wednesday.

Anita Thompson, Lori Hendren and Heidi Dalenberg were among a host of witnesses to encourage lawmakers to change the state’s long-term care facilities which were hit hard during the COVID-19 pandemic.

State leaders should widen long-term care residents’ visitation access, protect their rights to sue and replenish staff shortages to better protect Illinois’ senior and disabled populations, advocates told lawmakers on Wednesday.

They pitched the proposals during a lengthy subject matter hearing to call for improvements to long term-care in Illinois after the COVID-19 pandemic disproportionately impacted the state’s most vulnerable residents.

Democrats encourage the public to submit remap ideas by May 10. And a new report leads to renewed calls for pension reform.

From left: Sen. Michael Hastings (D-Tinley Park), Chicago City Clerk Anna Valencia, Chicago Ald. Pat Dowell (3) and former Illinois treasurer Alexi Giannoulias

Three of the four main Democratic candidates vying to be the next Secretary of State participated in a forum Monday evening when one candidate said the race would be “an exciting ride.”

Ald. Pat Dowell (3), Sen. Michael Hastings (D-Tinley Park) and Chicago clerk Anna Valencia outlined their visions for the office in an attempt to garner support during a candidate forum hosted by the 36^th Ward Democrats and Committeeperson Gilbert Villegas.

Franklin Stacy Jr was one of the final witnesses to testify during the Senate’s final legislative redistricting hearings, which were led in party by Sen. Elgie Sims (D-Chicago).

The Senate closed the book over the weekend on its 20 public hearings on legislative redistricting , hosting four meetings that largely mimicked previous meetings from the past eight weeks.

Witnesses re-upped their advocacy for greater representation in the legislature and on the federal level while expressing concern about engagement. Some witnesses also showed support from Democrats’ plans to finalize a new legislative map before June 30, while Republicans continued to press the majority for answers about a myriad of issues, including data.

Food delivery apps like DoorDash and UberEats are the subject of one of many bills recently approved by the state Senate.

Last week, the Senate hosted more floor action on legislation than the House, approving 28 bills during a two-day period. Measures that cleared the chamber included a crackdown on third-party delivery apps, restrictions on police interrogations of minors and a bipartisan push to prevent social isolation among seniors.

The following is a roundup of some of the most notable bills the Senate approved last week, including several pandemic-related measures. All legislation must be passed by both chambers before it can be sent to Gov. JB Pritzker.

Gov. JB Pritzker on Friday addressed the findings of a new audit of the COVID-19 outbreak at the LaSalle Veterans’ Home.

An agency director who “abdicated” her duties; the lack of a comprehensive plan, poor training, education and communication; officials doing the work of multiple people and a dayslong delay in acknowledging the severity of the situation all contributed to last year’s deadly COVID-19 outbreak at the LaSalle Veterans’ Home, according to a  50-page audit published Friday that a legislative leader called “damning.”

The examination, which was performed by the Illinois Department of Human Services Inspector General Peter Neumer, shed new light on the COVID-19 outbreak that killed 36 veterans at the LaSalle facility.

A flurry of last-minute moves on Tuesday upended the race for the next speaker of the Illinois House of Representatives, less than a day before the chamber was set to begin voting.

The lengthy battle officially began on the second Wednesday of 1975. At the time, no one could have known it would take nearly two weeks and 93 ballots to select the 64^th speaker of the Illinois House of Representatives. The drawn-out process, which pitted a “wheeler-dealer” backed by then-Chicago Mayor Richard J. Daley against Democrats calling for a new era, ended with the selection of a consensus candidate that resulted in the state’s major political power brokers “taking a beating,” in the words of one reporter.

Linda Chapa LaVia resigned Monday after facing scrutiny during a legislative hearing regarding the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak at the LaSalle Veterans’ Home.

Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs (IDVA) director Linda Chapa LaVia resigned Monday, mere hours after facing intense scrutiny from members of the Illinois General Assembly over her handling of the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak at the LaSalle Veterans’ Home that has so far killed at least 36 residents.

Chapa LaVia’s resignation, which  Gov. JB Pritzker announced in a press release Monday afternoon, came less than two hours after the director signaled she had no plans to resign.

News in brief: Madigan suspends campaign for speaker; lawmakers approve first pillar of Black caucus agenda; Giannoulias launches listening tour, IL GOP outlines process to pick new chair