Gov. JB Pritzker delivers the 2023 State of the State address in Springfield Wednesday. [Blue Room Stream]   

With a recession in the back of his mind, Gov. JB Pritzker presented a spending plan after two years of revenue topping $50 billion that focused on making education more accessible and affordable.  

House Democrats budget leader Rep. Jehan Gordon-Booth (D-Peoria) speaks at a news conference Wednesday. [Ben Szalinski/The Daily Line]   

Gov. JB Pritzker’s Fiscal Year 2024 budget proposal was met with a positive response from members of his party, but others were more cautious about new spending plans as revenue figures and economic conditions are expected to change in the coming year.  

Gov. JB Pritzker gives the 2022 State of the State address at the Old State Capitol in Springfield. [Blue Room Steam]  

Gov. JB Pritzker intends to fulfill early campaign promises in his State of the State Address Wednesday and will announce a four-year plan to boost access to childcare and preschool in hopes of making early childhood education accessible to all children.  

Senate Republicans said they hope Gov. JB Pritzker will focus on bringing down high energy prices in his budget address Wednesday. And House Republicans are adopting a working group model to focus on five policy areas.  

The Illinois Capitol.   

A bill establishing five days of paid leave for all Illinois workers still awaits Gov. JB Pritzker’s signature, but Democrats are already pushing to take paid leave another step further in Illinois by targeting 26 weeks of paid leave.  

Rep. LaShawn Ford (D-Chicago) speaks at a news conference in Springfield Tuesday. [Ben Szalinski/The Daily Line]   

The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) is not doing enough to direct grant funding for HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment to Black organizations despite Black residents making up half of the state’s HIV/AIDS cases, advocates and lawmakers said. 

Andrew Bodewes, left, from the Teachers Retirement System and Kristen Houch, right, from the State Universities Retirement System speak during a House committee Thursday. [Blue Room Stream] 

Two of Illinois’ teacher pension systems are slowly increasing funding levels toward the 2045 90 percent funded level as the systems continue to adjust to the tiered beneficiary system.  

Rep. Will Guzzardi (D-Chicago) speaks at a news conference in Springfield Wednesday. [Ben Szalinski/The Daily Line]   

Rep. Will Guzzardi (D-Chicago) and the Public Interest Research Group (PIRG) say car insurance companies are exploiting Illinois drivers as lawmakers and advocates push legislation to give the state oversight over car insurance rates in Illinois.  

Sen. Ann Gillespie (D-Arlington Heights) speaks at a news conference in Springfield Wednesday. [Ben Szalinski/The Daily Line]   

A bill by Sen. Ann Gillespie (D-Arlington Heights) would give children in Department of Children and Family Services care the right to legal counsel amid ongoing issues at the state agency.  

State lawmakers are pushing legislation that would provide a monthly allowance to low-income families who struggle to afford diapers. And members of the right-wing Freedom Caucus blamed the state’s latest clean energy bill for rising energy prices in their districts.