The Illinois House of Representatives formally adopted its rules for the 102^nd General Assembly Wednesday, formalizing a shift in the chamber’s operating procedures that allows business to be conducted remotely while imposing term limits on leadership.

Meeting for the first time inside the House chamber since early 2020, the usually perfunctory adoption of the chamber’s rules was especially notable due to the tweaks made in the aftermath of former House Speaker Mike Madigan’s longtime grip on the body.

State and local officials shared mixed reviews with lawmakers on Thursday about Illinois’ early COVID-19 vaccination efforts but settled on a common message: demand for vaccine far outpaces supply. 

Addressing members of the Senate Health Committee, officials from the state’s smallest counties to its most populous city stressed the need for the federal government to deliver more vaccine doses as Illinois looks to expand eligibility in the coming weeks.

Since the state began offering COVID-19 vaccines to residents in mid-December, officials in Illinois have stressed the importance of an equitable distribution. Yet for the first eight weeks of the vaccination process, little was publicly known about the results of those efforts.

That changed on Friday, when the Illinois Department of Public Health began publishing demographic data on its vaccination website that the state’s vaccinated population is disproportionately white compared to its overall population. The numbers show state leaders’ equity goals have yet to translate into equitable distribution of the vaccine.

For the third time in as many days, Senate Democrats leading the state’s redistricting process faced questions and criticism on Friday from residents and Republicans who pushed for greater transparency and public involvement, with one witness calling the latest meeting a “travesty.”

During a one-hour virtual hearing, Sen. Steve Stadelman (D-Rockford), chair of the Senate Redistricting Northern Illinois subcommittee, said the purpose of Friday afternoon’s meeting was to “gather input” from as many people and community interest groups as possible.

A new report examined the COVID-19 outbreak and vaccination efforts at Illinois’ veterans’ homes.

A new report from two state agencies and the federal Department of Veterans Affairs is recommending a host of new prevention measures for Illinois’ veterans’ homes in response to the COVID-19 outbreak that has killed 79 residents.

Last week, the Illinois Department of Veterans’ Affairs (IDVA) released a joint report between the agency, the Illinois Department of Public Health and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs that is the culmination of a months-long effort known as the Interagency Infection Prevention Project.

Republican lawmakers continued to press their Democratic colleagues for answers about the ongoing legislative redistricting process Monday, when a Senate subcommittee  held an in-person hearing in Peoria to discuss remapping in West Central Illinois.  

Like last week’s virtual meetings, which featured few witnesses, Monday’s hearing at the Peoria Civic Center saw just three people testify. And like last week, the latest witness testimony called on top legislators to ensure transparency throughout the redistricting process. 

News in brief: Illinois launches new Cook County mass vaccine site; Pritzker offers rebuke, ‘call to action’ in response to Atlanta shooting

Since the state began offering COVID-19 vaccines to residents in mid-December, officials in Illinois have stressed the importance of an equitable distribution. Yet for the first eight weeks of the vaccination process, little was publicly known about the results of those efforts.

That changed on Friday, when the Illinois Department of Public Health began publishing demographic data on its vaccination website that the state’s vaccinated population is disproportionately white compared to its overall population. The numbers show state leaders’ equity goals have yet to translate into equitable distribution of the vaccine.

News in brief: House Democrats launch new campaign committee; Pritzker contributes $35 million to own campaign committee; Pritzker expands vaccine eligibility even more

For the third time in as many days, Senate Democrats leading the state’s redistricting process faced questions and criticism on Friday from residents and Republicans who pushed for greater transparency and public involvement, with one witness calling the latest meeting a “travesty.”

During a one-hour virtual hearing, Sen. Steve Stadelman (D-Rockford), chair of the Senate Redistricting Northern Illinois subcommittee, said the purpose of Friday afternoon’s meeting was to “gather input” from as many people and community interest groups as possible.

Lawmakers will consider allowing themselves to conduct remote business and placing a 10-year term limit on serving as speaker among a list of new rules set for adoption by the Illinois House of Representatives on Wednesday.

The proposed rule changes, outlined in a resolution (HR 72) introduced on Monday by House Majority Leader Greg Harris (D-Chicago), seek to eliminate the ability for the House Speaker and Minority Leader to serve on the chamber’s Rules Committee. They also outline a process if the leaders become the subject of an internal investigation.

News in brief: Welch announces House committee appointments; federal health care marketplace to reopen; expressway license plate readers to be installed in Cook County

State and local officials shared mixed reviews with lawmakers on Thursday about Illinois’ early COVID-19 vaccination efforts but settled on a common message: demand for vaccine far outpaces supply. 

Addressing members of the Senate Health Committee, officials from the state’s smallest counties to its most populous city stressed the need for the federal government to deliver more vaccine doses as Illinois looks to expand eligibility in the coming weeks.

News in brief: Pritzker expands vaccine eligibility; Senate committee search for answers on unemployment issues

The Illinois House of Representatives formally adopted its rules for the 102^nd General Assembly Wednesday, formalizing a shift in the chamber’s operating procedures that allows business to be conducted remotely while imposing term limits on leadership.

Meeting for the first time inside the House chamber since early 2020, the usually perfunctory adoption of the chamber’s rules was especially notable due to the tweaks made in the aftermath of former House Speaker Mike Madigan’s longtime grip on the body.

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News in brief: Senate to hold hearings on vaccine rollout, unemployment insurance; Rabine to run for governor; Super Bowl bets soar

News in brief: Doris Turner picked to replace Manar; Don Tracy named IL GOP chair

nearly two-dozen bills approved during last month’s lame duck session that are now awaiting action from Gov. JB Pritzker, one measure is pitting the Illinois Trial Lawyers Association and the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce on opposite sides.

The legislation (HB 3360) would allow plaintiffs who file lawsuits related to personal injury or wrongful death to begin accruing interest earlier in the legal process.