Rep. Chris Bos (R-Lake Zurich), left, and Libertyville resident Kellie Sheridan, right, speak to the House Human Services Committee Wednesday.

A bill that would require hospitals and nursing homes to let patients and residents receive visitors even during a pandemic was moved to the House floor Wednesday.

Gov. JB Pritzker is pictured in September 2021.

Gov. JB Pritzker is calling on the Senate to hold confirmation hearings on his nominations to the Prisoner Review Board after some nominees have waited nearly three years for a hearing.

The House Transportation: Vehicles and Safety Committee advanced a bill to the floor that aims to resolve Chicago’s lack of vehicle emissions testing sites. New Legislative Inspector General Michael McCuskey said his office is almost ready to start tackling investigations. And a bill to limit standardized testing in elementary school met more opposition.

Acting Illinois Department of Employment Security Director Kristin Richards speaks to the Senate Appropriations- Business Regulations and Labor Committee Tuesday.

After a tumultuous two years that saw people wait months for unemployment assistance and others become victims of fraud, the Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES) is seeing the state’s job market recover from the pandemic and boosting the department’s services, acting Director Kristin Richards told lawmakers Tuesday.

Denise Avant from the National Federation of the Blind for Illinois, left, and Ray Campbell from the Illinois Council of the Blind, right, speak to the House Ethics and Elections Committee Tuesday.

Illinois is not doing enough to make voting accessible to people with print visibility difficulties, advocates say, arguing an amendment to a bill expanding accessibility to voting by mail is necessary to ensure voting is also more accessible to blind people.

Rep. Carol Ammons (D-Urbana) speaks to supports of her income tax credit bill Monday.

Rep. Carol Ammons (D-Urbana) said she is hopeful her proposal to expand the state’s earned income tax credit will be included in the Fiscal Year 2023 budget as part of what she said was an important fight to reduce costs for families and fight poverty.

The Illinois State Board of Elections website shows daily totals for the number of candidates who have filed to run in the June primary. (Mauricio Peña/ Block Club Chicago)

While much of the attention will focus on statewide primary races for secretary of state and governor, 41 primaries were set in the Illinois House following the deadline for petition submissions as some candidates work to unseat incumbents from their own party while others hope to help their party flip seats in November.

The Illinois State Board of Elections website shows daily totals for the number of candidates who have filed to run in the June primary.

Seventeen of Illinois’ 59 Senate districts will have a primary matchup when voters go to the polls in June.

Recreational cannabis use became legal in Illinois in 2020.

Since Illinois legalized cannabis for recreational use starting in 2020, people looking to get into the business have sometimes faced more questions than answers about how to properly follow the state’s laws. Rep. Marcus Evans (D-Chicago) believes he has a solution for the people trying to work their way through the maze of Illinois government.

Sen. Dave Syverson (R-Rockford) speaks during a news conference on Thursday surrounded by his GOP Senate colleagues. [Blue Room Stream]

A group of Republican senators is looking to one-up Gov. JB Pritzker on his plan to stall a gas hike with an alternative pitch they say would save consumers more at the pump without risking state revenues. Meanwhile, Senate Democrats are pushing bills through the legislature designed to wean the state off gasoline in the long run and are promising to “explore” more short-term relief in the meantime.