Illinois Hotel & Lodging Association President Michael Jacobson, left, Choose Chicago CEO Jim Meyer, center, and Illinois Restaurant Association President Sam Toia, right, speak during a Senate hearing Thursday.

COVID-19 metrics are down to some of the lowest levels of the pandemic and leaders in the tourism and hospitality industry are hopeful tourism rates in Illinois and Chicago will rebound this summer. However, they also say businesses in their industry still need more help.

McHenry County Board Chair Mike Buehler (R-Crystal Lake) and Rep. Suzanne Ness (R-Crystal Lake) speak in support of repealing a law unique to McHenry County Thursday.

McHenry County officials are pushing state lawmakers to repeal a 2019 law that only allow McHenry County voters to dissolve a township, saying they worry the process be difficult for the county to carry out. But some legislators have a different idea: expand the law across the whole state. 

Illinois Department of Public Health Director Ngozi Ezike says department leaders have their eye on a post-COVD-19 future and will take lessons they learned with them. And Sen. Sue Rezin (R-Morris) is calling on Democrats to support bills she filed that aim to solve some of the deficiencies that resulted in a deadly COVID-19 outbreak at the LaSalle veterans’ home.

 Illinois Education Association President Kathi Griffin speaks during a virtual news conference on Wednesday.  

A new survey shows more Illinois teachers are considering leaving the profession and feeling more burned out as Illinois grapples with a shortage of teachers.  

The survey also found most Illinois parents want teachers making decisions about their children’s education and support teaching slavery and the history of racism in school, even amid national debate over curriculum decisions in schools.  

Sen. Suzy Glowiak Hilton (D-Western Springs) speaks at a news conference on Wednesday.

Lawmakers are moving ahead on a bill to speed up the process for people to receive their professional licenses from the state and start their jobs.

The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) is calling on lawmakers to pass legislation to ensure workers are paid fairly. And an attorney for the Prisoner Review Board told a House committee they support some of the concepts House Republicans have proposed to reform the board.

Sen. Sara Feigenholtz (D-Chicago) speaks at a news conference Tuesday with Rep. Kam Buckner (D-Chicago), left, and President of the Illinois Hotel & Lodging Association President Michael Jacobson, right.

Recovery is not happening as fast as hotel industry leaders hoped, and they need a shot in the arm from the state, industry leaders said in a news conference in Springfield Tuesday.  

The Illinois House voted to end its mask mandate for people in the chamber after weeks of removing Republicans not wearing masks. Republicans are renewing calls for legislators to take action to end Illinois investments in Russia and prepare for a potential influx of refugees from Ukraine. And Republican gubernatorial candidate Jesse Sullivan received an endorsement from the state’s former legislative inspector general.

Rep. Barbara Hernandez (D-Aurora) presents a bill on Tuesday, March 1, 2022 in the Illinois House.

Lawmakers are making a push to give teachers a new option to take care of their mental health as the state emerges from the pandemic. They want to pass a bill ensuring teachers can take a day off work to mentally recharge. 

Gov. JB Pritzker, right, files his petitions to run for the Democratic nomination for Illinois governor with his running mate, Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton, left, at the State Board of Elections in Springfield Monday. [Blue Room Stream]

As candidates lined up outside the State Board of Elections in Springfield Monday to officially file as candidates for office in 2022, many expressed excitement about the future of their campaigns and weighed in on how the indictment of former House Speaker Michael Madigan will affect voters’ decisions.