Andrew Johnson, executive director of the Native American Chamber of Commerce of Illinois, speaks at a news conference in Springfield Wednesday. [Blue Room Stream]

Illinois Native Americans are working to have a more noticeable presence in the state capitol and are asking lawmakers to consider legislation that improves their acceptance in the state.  

House Minority Leader Jim Durkin (R-Western Springs) speaks at the Illinois State Fair in August. [Blue Room Stream]

House Minority Leader Jim Durkin (R-Western Springs) is not holding back on criticism of his own party as he gives up his leadership role. A week after his House Republican Caucus lost at least four seats, Durkin is offering a blunt assessment of where his party went wrong.

Sen. Robert Peters (D-Chicago) speaks at a rally at the Illinois Capitol Wednesday. [Ben Szalinski/The Daily Line]

The first of two weeks of fall veto session wrapped up Wednesday without any changes to the SAFE-T Act and Democrats said little about what changes they are considering making to the law that received heavy criticism during the election season.

Sen. John Curran (R-Downers Grove). [Senate Republican Caucus]

The Senate Republican Caucus will have a new leader in January when Sen. John Curran (R-Downers Grove) takes the helm from Senate Minority Leader Dan McConchie (R-Hawthorn Woods) after the caucus unanimously voted for Curran to be their leader at a closed-door meeting Tuesday night.

Rep. Tony McCombie (R-Savanna) speaks at a news conference in Springfield Wednesday. [Ben Szalinski/The Daily Line]  

Rep. Tony McCombie (R-Savanna) often puts her thoughts bluntly when debating a bill and says she will continue to be herself as House Minority Leader but hopes she can continue forming relationships with House Democrats.

Left, Rep. Tony McCombie (R-Savanna), and right, Sen. John Curran (R-Downers Grove) will be the new Republican caucus leaders.

Both the House and Senate Republican caucuses will change their leaders when the new General Assembly is sworn in in January after members took a pair of private votes Tuesday night.

Members of the Prisoner Review Board testify in front of the Legislative Audit Commission Tuesday. [Ben Szalinski/The Daily Line]

The spring session concluded in April with ongoing controversy over appointments by Gov. JB Pritzker to the Prisoner Review Board. On Tuesday, lawmakers told board members they would like recommendations about how to improve the appointment process.

The Workers Rights Amendment was declared passed Tuesday, according to the Associated Press. And the Senate Executive Committee passed a bill banning state investments in Russian assets.

The Illinois State Capitol

Lawmakers will return to Springfield Tuesday for the first of likely five session days scheduled for the remainder of 2022 just a week after elections dealt blows to the Republican Party. Several issues could be brought up during the session, though Democrats will continue to have a super majority next year.

Illinois State Capitol

Democrats will maintain their super majorities in the General Assembly for at least another two years after stamping out any hint of a “red wave” in Illinois.