The State Capitol Building in Springfield. 

The 103rd Illinois General Assembly came to a close last week, but not before lawmakers sent a series of bills to the governor’s desk. 

Rep. Patrick Windhorst (R-Harrisburg) speaks on the House floor Thursday. 

The House Republican Caucus is asking for a change to House rules for debates, audio recordings and the time given to review budget bills. 

Gov. JB Pritzker speaks at a press conference Wednesday afternoon. 

Gov. JB Pritzker says he’s confident Illinois lawmakers will achieve a balanced budget but says there could be some complications from Washington. 

Gov. JB Pritzker presides over the inauguration of the Illinois State Senate in the Senate Chambers at the Illinois State Capitol Building. 

Speaker of the House Emanuel “Chris” Welch (D-Chicago) and Senate President Don Harmon (D-Oak Park) were each re-elected to their posts on the first day of the 104th General Assembly Wednesday. 

Rep. Maura Hirschauer (D-West Chicago) speaks at a press conference with advocates for Karina's Bill in January. 

A bill creating a uniform procedure for police to take guns after orders of protection is headed to the governor. 

Gov. JB Pritzker speaks at a press conference Tuesday morning in Normal 

The 2025 lame-duck session ended Tuesday night without passage of a hemp regulation bill supported by Gov. JB Pritzker. 

Reps. Dan Ugaste (R-St. Charles) and David Friess (R-Red Bud) speak at a press conference Monday morning at the Illinois Statehouse. 

Republican lawmakers are making a push to pass a statewide recall amendment.  

Rep. Dan Ugaste (R-St. Charles) has filed two pieces of legislation that aim to give voters the ability to recall local and state elected officials.  

House Bill 5924 would allow for any local government official elected during a general or consolidated election to be recalled. That would include local mayors, city council members, county commissioners and state’s attorneys, for instance.  

Sen. Ram Villivalam (D-Chicago) speaks at the Senate Executive Committee Sunday. 

A bill removing a requirement that anyone legally changing their name post a notice is going back to the House.  

HB5164 passed the Senate Executive Committee during the November veto session, but was amended at the request of the State’s Attorneys Association. The amendment says that if someone with a criminal background legally changes their name, Illinois State Police must update criminal records to reflect both names. 

At a press conference, Governor JB Pritzker is comparing real nerds, with those containing THC (provided via X)

Illinois lawmakers are expected to return to Springfield this weekend for the January lame-duck session. Here’s some things we’ll be watching for as they convene.   

Gov. JB Pritzker announced in December his support for House Bill 4293, a measure to regulate hemp derived THC in a way similar to cannabis.   

Gov. JB Pritzker and Rep. Anna Moeller (D-Elgin) speak at a news conference in April following the passage of the Healthcare Protection Act. The measure went into effect Jan. 1. [Ben Szalinski/The Daily Line] 

It’s a new year, which means new laws are going into effect. Nearly 300 new laws are now in effect in Illinois. Here are some of the highlights: 

Minimum wage increase: The state minimum wage for workers 18 and older increases from $14 to $15 per hour. The tipped minimum wage is now $9 and the wage for workers under 18 is $13. This is the final yearly increase spelled out in the 2019 minimum wage law.  

Salary transparency: Employers with more than 15 employees are now required to include the pay scale and benefit information in job postings. When making an external job posting, employers must also inform current employees of all options of promotion within 14 days of the posting.  

The law applies to all job postings in Illinois, whether they're external or internal. It applies for any job performed in Illinois or remote roles which report to a supervisor in the state. These rules also apply to jobs with a collective bargaining agreement, even if the salary and benefits are determined by the agreement.  

A person may file a complaint against a company for violating these rules within one year of the violation.