Rep. Dan Brady (R-Bloomington) criticized Democrats last week for failing to follow through on a promise to continue working on the House rules.

When the House of Representatives approved a series of rule changes in February allowing them to conduct remote meetings, Democrats touted their adoption as historic.

Then-newly elected House Speaker Chris Welch (D-Hillside) and House Majority Leader Greg Harris (D-Chicago) indicated the chamber’s new rules were a work in progress that could be further refined in the coming weeks.

Chicago elected school board bill clears House as negotiations continue over ‘hybrid’ alternative 

Even as lawmakers engage in ongoing discussions with Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot, the House of Representatives on Thursday voted largely along party lines to approve its version of a bill that would create an elected school board in Chicago.  

Introduced by Rep. Delia Ramirez (D-Chicago),  HB 2908 cleared the chamber in a 71-39 vote.   

Republicans criticize Democrats for inaction on ethics bills: ‘Just more of the same’  

Republican lawmakers on Thursday pumped up the pressure on their Democratic counterparts to pass ethics reform bills that legislators have proposed in the aftermath of recent federal indictments.  

Speaking at a news conference in Springfield, Rep. Mark Batinick (R-Plainfield), Rep. Amy Elik (R-Alton) and Rep. David Welter (R-Morris) pointed to a lack of substantive action on what they viewed as significant issues, ranging from property tax reform to an ethics overhaul.  

News in brief: Welch announces task force to review statues on state property; Lightford tests positive for COVID-19  

News in brief: Welch announces task force to review statues on state property; Lightford tests positive for COVID-19

A bill from Rep. Anthony DeLuca (D-Chicago Heights) was approved by a House committee Wednesday that would implement term limits on legislative leadership by law.

Minutes after House Speaker Chris Welch (D-Hillside) was sworn into his new leadership position in January, he told reporters he would like lawmakers to pass a bill that would set term limits for the speaker position.

The House moved one step closer to making that goal a reality Wednesday, when the chamber’s Executive Committee unanimously approved HB 642.

Illinios State Police director Brendan Kelly joined a bipartisan group of lawmakers on Wednesday to announce an effort to modernize the state’s Firearms Owner Identification system.

Sen. Dave Koehler (D-Peoria), Rep. Jay Hoffman (D-Collinsville) and Illinois State Police director Brendan Kelly held a news conference Wednesday to promote a bill seeking to modernize the state’s Firearms Owner Identification (FOID) system.

The legislation (SB 1165 and HB 745) would consolidate the FOID and concealed carry license into one card, allow FOID card holders to obtain an easily-renewable electronic document and eliminate a change-of-address requirement in favor of using data maintained by the Secretary of State, Kelly said.

Sen. Robert Martwick and City Hall lobbyist Derek Blaida appear before the Senate Executive Committee to discuss SB2497.

Illinois legislators advanced a bill Wednesday that would create an elected school board for Chicago, approving the measure in an 11-5 vote.

Sen. Robert Martwick (D-Chicago) sponsored SB2497, which requires elections for a 21-member Chicago Board of Education, with 20 members representing education districts in Chicago plus one citywide president of the body. Currently, the Chicago Board of Education is composed of seven members appointed by Mayor Lori Lightfoot.

News in brief: Johnson & Johnson vaccine halted; Welch, Pritzker staffers test positive; Pritzker announces postpartum Medicaid extension 

Legislative Inspector General Carol Pope testified before the House Ethics and Elections Committee on Tuesday.

Illinois’ legislative inspector general on Tuesday called for lawmakers to pass legislation that would allow her to initiate an investigation and issue subpoenas on her own.

Carol Pope, who has served as the legislative inspector general since 2018, told members of the House Ethics and Election Committee such changes were necessary because the current system “really stifles the independence of my office."