Deputy Gov. Andy Manar speaks in the Senate Executive Committee Sunday. [Ben Szalinski/The Daily Line]   

The Illinois Senate approved legislation increasing spending in Fiscal Year 2023 as the state enjoys an additional year of better-than-expected revenue.  

The proposal includes funding for several requests including additional funding to care for immigrants sent to Illinois, a fund to help governors close deals to attract businesses to Illinois, as well as controversial salary increases for state lawmakers, statewide elected officials and state agency directors.  

Sen. Robert Peters (D-Chicago), left, and Sen. Cristina Pacione-Zayas (D-Chicago), right, speak on the Senate floor Friday. [Blue Room Stream] 

Lawmakers sent Gov. JB Pritzker a bill Friday that would allow principals in the Chicago Public Schools system to form a union, but not go on strike.    

House Speaker Chris Welch (D-Hillside) presents a bill to ban “assault weapons” in Illinois with Gov. JB Pritzker seated next to him on the House floor. [Blue Room Stream]   

The Illinois House took a historic step Friday morning passing a bill that would make Illinois the ninth state to ban “assault weapons.” The bill’s passage came nearly six months to the day since a gunman killed seven people at Highland Park’s Independence Day parade and injured dozens of others with a Smith & Wesson M&P15 semi-automatic rifle and 30-round clips.  

Rep. Kelly Cassidy (D-Chicago) speaks at a news conference Thursday night. [Ben Szalinski/The Daily Line]   

The House passed a bill late Thursday night making several changes to Illinois’ abortion law as a response to last year’s end of Roe v. Wade, but it’s not clear where the Senate stands on the proposed legislation.  

A bill that would allow principals in the Chicago Public Schools system to unionize is one step closer to reality. And Chicago lawmakers are pushing for legislation that would set the groundwork for an offshore wind farm in Lake Michigan.  

Sen. Jacqui Collins (D-Chicago) speaks at a news conference in Springfield Wednesday. [Ben Szalinski/The Daily Line]   

Lawmakers are considering taking aim at pawnbrokers in the final days of the 102nd General Assembly as a way to shore up the Legislative Black Caucus’ 2021 economic access pillar.  

Illinois State Capitol 

Lawmakers are set to return to Springfield Wednesday for five scheduled days of session to conclude the 102nd General Assembly with a proposal to ban semi-automatic weapons and impose new restrictions on gun ownership topping Democrats’ agenda for the week.  

Gov. JB Pritzker, top left, former House Speaker Mike Madigan (D-Chicago), top right, Sen. Darren Bailey (R-Xenia), bottom right, and debate over the SAFE-T Act, bottom left, highlighted 2022.   

With a hotly contested governor’s race, conservative billionaires attempting to leave their mark on Illinois politics and key pieces of legislation including a rehashing of 2021’s SAFE-T Act debate along with the indictment of former House Speaker Mike Madigan (D-Chicago), Illinois politics grab headlines throughout 2022.  

Here are the top 10 stories of 2022 in no order: 

House Majority Leader Greg Harris (D-Chicago) speaks at a news conference in April at the Capitol. [Ben Szalinski/The Daily Line]  

House Majority Leader Greg Harris (D-Chicago) will wrap up his career as a state lawmaker next month as he prepares to retire from the Illinois House after 16 years representing Chicago’s North Side. 

House Speaker Chris Welch (D-Hillside) speaks at the City Club of Chicago in September. [City Club of Chicago]   

House Speaker Chris Welch’s (D-Hillside) rise to speaker was historic from the beginning after his colleagues selected him to be the newest Democratic speaker of the House in nearly 40 years. 

Welch will close the book next month on his first two years as speaker “proud” of the new culture he says he introduced in the House and ready to build on his accomplishments with the largest caucus of House Democrats ever.