Cook County circuit court clerk and former Sen. Iris Martinez (D-Chicago) encouraged lawmakers to redraw the county’s judicial boundaries to better reflect the latest population figures. 

Lawmakers on Friday formally initiated a process required by a 2019 state law that called for the redrawing of Cook County’s judicial subcircuit boundaries. 

CHANGE Illinois policy director Ryan Tolley on Thursday encouraged House lawmakers to give the public at least two weeks to consider any new congressional map proposals before the General Assembly votes on new political boundaries.  

The Illinois House kicked off the state’s congressional redistricting process Thursday, holding a short hearing that featured a brief overview of the state’s population shifts that will play a central role in creating new political boundaries as a single witness once again encouraged lawmakers to listen to the desires of community members.  

President Joe Biden praised Gov. JB Pritzker and Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot during his latest visit. The governor announced two more agreements with labor unions to vaccinate state employees. And the state’s Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity launched new tools to bolster broadband.   

Gov. JB Pritzker on Wednesday touted the state’s manufacturing industry at a news conference announcing the expansion of the Chicago Magnesium Casting Company. 

Commemorating manufacturing month in Illinois, Gov. JB Pritzker on Wednesday touted the state’s manufacturing industry, which he said has become more attractive since he took office. But federal data indicates a less than rosy picture of the state’s manufacturing sector.  

Lawmakers on Thursday will begin the congressional redistricting process. Five Republican senators introduced new public safety proposals. And state fire officials announced the recipients of 36 fire department grants for COVID-19 recovery. 

AARP Illinois advocacy and outreach director Mary Anderson on Tuesday highlighted a new report from her organization and SAGE that examined the issues facing the state’s LGBTQ residents who are 50 or older. 

State policymakers should ensure a 2019 law aimed at helping older LGBTQ Illinoisans is fully implemented, establish an LGBTQ aging commission and bolster efforts to collect data on the population, according to a new report from two nonprofit organizations.  

Gov. JB Pritzker on Tuesday touted the state’s efforts to provide affordable housing, including the state’s allocation of housing assistance funds. 

Gov. JB Pritzker said Tuesday Illinois was “so far ahead” of other states in allocating federal rental housing assistance that the state is asking the federal government to “redistribute” unused money from other states to Illinois. 

Gov. JB Pritzker on Monday signed an executive order that seeks to ensure people with disabilities are paid equal wages. 

Gov. JB Pritzker on Monday signed an executive order (EO 2021-26) designed to ensure Illinois companies doing business with the state pay people with disabilities at the same level they pay non-disabled people. 

Attorney General Kwame Raoul held a news conference Monday to announce a series of efforts aimed at protecting children from online predators.  

Attorney General Kwame Raoul on Monday announced a series of ongoing efforts by his office aimed at protecting children from online predators, including the launch of a new mobile forensic unit.  

Attorney Brian Barnes argued on behalf of his clients that the Supreme Court challenge of Deerfield’s 2018 ordinance on assault weapons ultimately was a case of the village preempting the legislature.

Judges should consider the years-old congressional effort to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act when weighing a 2018 ordinance that would have banned assault weapons in Deerfield, an attorney told members of the Illinois Supreme Court last week.

Jon Coss, the vice president of risk, fraud and compliance at Thomson Reuters, on Thursday praised Illinois’ the latest efforts to combat fraud within the state’s unemployment system. 

State officials and a cybersecurity expert on Thursday reflected on the challenges’ Illinois’ unemployment system faced during the COVID-19 pandemic while noting planned changes could put the state ahead of the curve in dealing with new fraud efforts. 

Kelly Cunningham, the Medicaid director for the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services, signaled support on Wednesday to change the way Illinois’ nursing homes receive state funding. 

Members of the House and state officials on Wednesday signaled plans to shift the way Illinois’ long-term care facilities are funded in an effort to encourage providers to improve care and address staffing needs.  

Joshua Burday, an attorney for the Mancini Law Group, urged the Illinois Supreme Court on Tuesday to uphold the high court’s previous ruling in a case that centers on Illinois’ Freedom of Information Act. 

The Illinois Supreme Court on Tuesday listened to oral arguments in a case that could affect residents’ ability to obtain information from government agencies via the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA).  

Federal officials joined Gov. JB Pritzker on Tuesday to tour a state health center while touting the COVID-19 vaccine. The latest round of Rebuild Illinois grants include a hodgepodge of municipal infrastructure around the state. And two Republicans have joined forces with the Illinois Opportunity Project in a new recall campaign effort.  

A new report from the Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability examined the state of Illinois’ various wagering industries (Credit: Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability)

The state lottery racked up $3.4 billion in sales in Fiscal Year 2021, making it the second-most lucrative year for the program on record, despite the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a new report on wagering in Illinois.  

Gov. JB Pritzker announced new funding for vulnerable residents to help keep the lights on, as well as a new union agreement for vaccinating some state employees.  

Illinois Housing Development Authority executive director Kristin Faust speaking during an event in February. The authority on Friday approved a series of resolutions that will officially trigger the start of several affordable housing-related programs in Illinois. [Facebook]

The Illinois Housing Development Authority (IHDA) on Friday approved a series of resolutions that will officially trigger the start of several affordable housing-related programs in Illinois, including a new law that will allocate $75 million to qualified developers.  

Members of the Legislative Audit Commission challenged Illinois Department of Employment Security director Kristin Richards (center) and other agency officials during a March 2021 meeting. 

The Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES) did not perform wage verifications for claimants of unemployment benefits who received a total of $155 million through June 2020, potentially resulting in “erroneous” benefit payments to some recipients, according to an audit released this month.  

The Illinois Supreme Court on Thursday listened to attorneys on both sides of a case involving an Illinois resident who had his Firearm Owner’s Identification card revoked in 2016. 

Attorneys on behalf of an Illinois resident who had his Firearm Owner’s Identification (FOID) card revoked and the state attorney general’s office pleaded their cases before the Illinois Supreme Court on Thursday, urging the justices to side with them in a case that could have implications for residents with criminal histories applying for gun licenses.  

Gov. JB Pritzker signed the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act into law on Wednesday. 

Gov. JB Pritzker on Wednesday signed the recently approved omnibus energy bill into law, declaring it one of the “most comprehensive and importance pieces of legislation” in decades, “maybe ever.”