Secretary of State Jesse White made his much-anticipated endorsement in the Democratic primary to fill his seat Thursday by endorsing City Clerk of Chicago Anna Valencia. And lawmakers passed a controversial bill aimed at curbing sexual acts inmates display toward females correctional employees. 

Highland Park Mayor Nancy Rotering (left) and Palos Park Mayor John Mahoney (right) speak during a news conference Wednesday.

Suburban mayors say it’s becoming even more important state lawmakers increase funding for the Local Government Distributive Fund (LGDF) as residents demand a high quality of service from their local governments, but the cost of providing those services is increasing. They face a deadline for the House the advance a bill out of committee on Friday. 

Rep. Tony McCombie (R-Savanna), right, and Julia Strehlow from the Chicago Children’s Advocacy Center speak during the House Elementary & Secondary Education: School Curriculum and Policies Committee Wednesday.

A bill that would require parents to opt their children in to participate in sexual education classes in school narrowly failed to pass in the House Elementary & Secondary Education: School Curriculum and Policies Committee Wednesday.

Senate President Don Harmon (D-Oak Park) speaks to the nomination of former U.S. District Judge Michael McCuskey as the state’s new legislative inspector general.

The Senate took a party-line vote Wednesday afternoon to nominate former U.S. District Judge Michael McCuskey as the new legislative inspector general after President Don Harmon (D-Oak Park) forced a vote on his nomination.

Lawmakers advanced legislation Wednesday to compel the Department of Public Health to establish a licensing process for private COVID-19 testing facilities and laboratories. A House committee also advanced legislation to work toward creating common reading standards for Illinois students.

Sen. Steve McClure (R-Springfield), center, speaks during a news conference Tuesday with Rep. Sandy Hamilton (R-Springfield), right, and Sen. Sally Turner (R-Beason), left.

Lawmakers in Springfield took several more steps Tuesday to address issues at the Department of Children and Family Services, (DCFS,) as state leaders clamor for tighter employee safety rules after a case worker was murdered on the job last month.  

The House moved a bill out of committee that makes additions to the Foster Children’s Bill of Rights, and Republicans introduced new legislation to give DCFS employees protection in the field.

Lawmakers advanced a bill to create a grant for communities to provide filters to residents with lead water pipes. And Rep. Jehan Gordon-Booth (D-Peoria) plans to present a bill Wednesday to make changes to how schools create contracts for school lunch providers.

Rep. Katie Stuart (D-Edwardsville), center, speaks with Jim Bell from the National Storm Shelter Association, left, and Illinois AFL-CIO President Tim Drea, right, during a House hearing Monday.

About two months after an EF-3 tornado killed six people at an Amazon warehouse in Edwardsville, lawmakers held a hearing Monday to learn about severe weather safety in the workplace and probe experts and labor leaders about what can be done to keep employees at similar warehouses safe during a tornado warning. Some encouraged the General Assembly to toughen the state’s legal standards for tornado preparedness, opening up the possibility of changes coming to state law.

Aurora Mayor Richard Irvin is a Republican candidate for Illinois governor. [YouTube/Richard Irvin]

With Chicago billionaire and Citadel CEO Ken Griffin’s money officially in the Illinois race for governor, the financial status of the field varies widely even as no clear frontrunner has emerged for the Republican nomination.

The Cook County Jail is pictured in 2021.

In the wake of recent deaths of first responders in the line of duty, Illinois Republicans are pushing to reinstate the death penalty as a way to toughen punishment for people who intentionally kill police officers, firefighters or other public workers.