The Illinois House voted to end its mask mandate for people in the chamber after weeks of removing Republicans not wearing masks. Republicans are renewing calls for legislators to take action to end Illinois investments in Russia and prepare for a potential influx of refugees from Ukraine. And Republican gubernatorial candidate Jesse Sullivan received an endorsement from the state’s former legislative inspector general.

Rep. Barbara Hernandez (D-Aurora) presents a bill on Tuesday, March 1, 2022 in the Illinois House.

Lawmakers are making a push to give teachers a new option to take care of their mental health as the state emerges from the pandemic. They want to pass a bill ensuring teachers can take a day off work to mentally recharge. 

Gov. JB Pritzker, right, files his petitions to run for the Democratic nomination for Illinois governor with his running mate, Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton, left, at the State Board of Elections in Springfield Monday. [Blue Room Stream]

As candidates lined up outside the State Board of Elections in Springfield Monday to officially file as candidates for office in 2022, many expressed excitement about the future of their campaigns and weighed in on how the indictment of former House Speaker Michael Madigan will affect voters’ decisions.

The Illinois House meets on Friday.

The House advanced a bill with strong bipartisan support that would reform how some local taxing bodies levy property taxes in the hope that the new system will save taxpayers money.

Ahead of Friday’s deadline to hand bills off to the Senate, the House passed legislation to combat catalytic converter theft, eliminate the requirement that schools must choose the lowest bidder on lunch contracts and remove a potential barrier high school students face for graduation.

Department of Children and Family Services Director Marc Smith, orange tie, speaks to members of the House Appropriations- Human Services Committee Thursday.

Lawmakers and advocates blasted Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) Director Marc Smith during his agency’s appropriation hearing Thursday, even after Smith said the department was making progress toward ensuring the safety of its employees and the children under its care.

Former Mike Madigan and Democratic Party of Illinois staffer Alaina Hampton speaks at a news conference in March 2018. [A.D. Quig] 

Wednesday was an emotional day but validating day for Alaina Hampton, a former staffer for the Democratic Party of Illinois who worked out of Mike Madigan’s 13th Ward office and ran Illinois House campaigns for the state party while Madigan was chair. 

The House advanced several measures Thursday ahead of Friday’s deadline to move bills on to the Senate. They included a requirement that life rings be placed on public lands along Lake Michigan, a bill to allow college students studying education to become substitute teachers and a proposal to limit standardized testing young children.

Then-House Speaker Mike Madigan during a floor session in 2020. [Justin Fowler/pool/SJ-R]

Former House Speaker Mike Madigan (D-Chicago) was indicted Wednesday on 22 counts of bribery, racketeering and wire fraud in the culmination of a multi-year federal corruption probe that has already ensnared multiple people in his inner circle.

The 106-page indictment handed down by U.S. Attorney John Lausch described details of an intricate "enterprise" through which Madigan used his powers as speaker and 13th Ward Democratic committeeperson to dole out personal favors to allies.

Eighteen House Democrats who did not support former House Speaker Mike Madigan’s bid for another term as speaker in 2021 react to news of his indictment Wednesday.

While the House debated legislation Wednesday, news of former House Speaker Mike Madigan’s (D-Chicago) indictment on 22 corruption charges rattled the chamber and brought a variety of reactions.   

Republicans slammed Madigan and members in the Democratic caucus for having worked with him, while a group of Democrats who blocked Madigan’s election to another term as speaker gave an emotional response to the news. Madigan’s successor, House Speaker Chris Welch (D-Hillside), said the House is moving forward in a new direction under his leadership.