Gov. JB Pritzker is isolating after exposure to a case of COVID-19 as the legislature’s work gets underway. The first day of session saw a House Republican press conference on last year’s SAFE-T act, which will eliminate cash bill and set in motion other reforms related to public safety. And Comptroller Suzana Mendoza announced her office has paid a $20 billion loan back to the federal government two years ahead of schedule. (Caroline Kubzansky)

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Illinois residents still face barriers to high-speed internet depending on their location and income, the state’s Broadband Advisory Council acknowledged in its year-end report.

Senate President Don Harmon (D-Oak Park) laid out his predictions and priorities for the upcoming legislative session in an interview with The Daily Line on Monday.

Illinois lawmakers are poised to plunge into their annual spring legislative session this week, braving a surge of COVID-19 cases so that legislators can wrap up all the state’s business — including the passage of an annual budget — nearly two months ahead of schedule.

Rush University System for Health

This article was first published in Block Club Chicago.

Hospitals are overwhelmed and understaffed, and health care workers are desperately burned out, state officials and hospital executives said Monday, adding unvaccinated Illinoisans are fueling the hospitalizations.

On Sunday, the state reported the highest number of hospitalizations since the pandemic began, with 6,294 people hospitalized with COVID-19 or a related illness, according to the Illinois Department of Public Health. Of those, more than 85 percent are unvaccinated, officials said.

A spate of new laws took effect in the new year to overhaul Illinois’ criminal justice codes.

Illinois legislators have taken aim at reforming the state’s criminal justice system in a spate of new laws that went into effect on Jan. 1. Such reforms include revising the state’s sentencing regulations.

With the passage of SB2129, state’s attorneys have the ability to petition the court to reduce an offender’s sentence if the state’s attorney believes the original sentence no longer advances the interests of justice. The court may also consider post-conviction factors, including an  inmate’s disciplinary record and record of rehabilitation while incarcerated, as well as whether time served, age and or any potential diminished physical condition have reduced the inmate’s risk for future violence. Courts may additionally consider evidence that reflects changed circumstances since the original sentencing. Should an inmate be resentenced, Senate Bill 02129 stipulates that the new sentence cannot be greater than the original.

Nearly 300 new laws will go into effect statewide on Jan. 1, reflecting the efforts of Illinois lawmakers to address the wide variety of substantial issues facing the state. And in a collective attempt to rectify the United States’ sordid history of systemic racism, several new laws going into effect in 2022 seek to make the state a more equitable place for all.

A CTA “holiday train” rolls into the Washington/Wabash station in the Loop. [CTA/Flickr]

The $1.5 billion infusion into Illinois’ major transit agencies from the American Rescue Plan threw a critical lifeline to the CTA, Metra and the Pace suburban bus system as all three agencies remain devastated by the COVID-19 pandemic.

This article was originally published in Illinois Health News.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention last week endorsed the test-to-stay program operating in Illinois as a tool to help students stay in the classroom during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Gov. JB Pritzker signed six bills into law last week. 

Gov. JB Pritzker signed six additional bills into law last week that will adjust the state’s rules on gambling, firefighters, hemp and Chicago’s elected school board. 

Gov. JB Pritzker signed a bill on Friday to repeal the Parental Notification Act.

Gov. JB Pritzker officially rolled back Illinois’ last remaining abortion restriction Friday when he signed a repeal of the Parental Notification of Abortion Act (HB 370).