Consumer groups and Democratic senators want state regulators to pressure car insurance companies to refund nearly $900 million in potential premium charges. [Unsplash/Nabeel Syed]

State insurance officials are distancing themselves from a plea by legislators and consumer advocates to shake concessions from insurance mega-firms they say may have overcharged Illinois drivers by hundreds of millions of dollars last year. 

Rep. Carol Ammons (D-Urbana) [left] and Margaret Croke (D-Chicago) said during a Thursday committee meeting that they want to pare back occupational licensing requirements.

On Thursday the Illinois State Senate Committee on Small Business, Tech Innovation, and Entrepreneurship held a subject matter hearing to discuss potential occupational licensing reforms the state legislature could consider in 2022.

SB2969 would require health insurance providers to cover continuous glucose monitors. [Wikimedia Commons]

The Illinois Senate Committee on Insurance met Wednesday to approve SB2969, a bill that seeks to ensure continuous glucose monitors are covered by insurance providers starting in 2023.

Rep. Robyn Gabel (D-Evanston) [left] and electric vehicle advocate Neda Deylami speak during a meeting of the House Energy & Environment Committee on Tuesday.

House Democrats on Tuesday advanced a bill designed to speed Illinois’ transition to electric cars by cranking up electric charging requirements for new buildings, steamrolling Republicans who worried about the measure’s potential cost for homeowners and builders.

Senate lawmakers advanced a bill designed to help the spouses of people living in assisted living facilities. And Gov. JB Pritzker announced the rollout of a new ad campaign designed to push up the state’s vaccination rate.

Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed a trio of bills into law just before the close of business on Friday that garnered heated discussion in the General Assembly on its first working day of 2022.

The new laws adjust judicial maps, fine-tune last year’s landmark SAFE-T Act and make adjustments to the state’s election calendar to match the pushed-back date of the June 2022 primary.

A year-end report from a state working group on education is calling for increased infrastructure to address student mental health needs and for districts to consider changing their school year schedules as a response to the disruptions incurred by COVID-19. 

Left: Sen. Jil Tracy (R-Quincy) speaks during a virtual news conference on Thursday. Right: former Legislative Inspector General Carol Pope speaks during a virtual meeting in April 2021.

Illinois lawmakers dispensed with a deluge of legislation during their single-day floor session on Wednesday, but they left at least one time-sensitive task unfinished: picking a new Legislative Inspector General to succeed outgoing watchdog Carol Pope.

Rep. Justin Slaughter (D-Chicago) speaks during a House floor session on Wednesday night.

Illinois legislators began the second year of the 102nd General Assembly mired in three of the same topics that dominated the 2021 legislative session: the COVID-19 pandemic, the direction of criminal justice and redistricting in the state. 

Rep. Lisa Hernandez (D-Cicero) and Rep. Tim Butler (R-Springfield) during a virtual meeting of the House Redistricting Committee on Wednesday

Republican House members on Wednesday walloped an amended new proposal (SB 928) that would create judicial subcircuits in Sangamon County, Madison County and Winnebago counties as the bill marched to a party-line vote through the General Assembly.