Rep. Robyn Gabel (D-Evanston) [left] and electric vehicle advocate Neda Deylami speak during a meeting of the House Energy & Environment Committee on Tuesday.

House Democrats on Tuesday advanced a bill designed to speed Illinois’ transition to electric cars by cranking up electric charging requirements for new buildings, steamrolling Republicans who worried about the measure’s potential cost for homeowners and builders.

Senate lawmakers advanced a bill designed to help the spouses of people living in assisted living facilities. And Gov. JB Pritzker announced the rollout of a new ad campaign designed to push up the state’s vaccination rate.

Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed a trio of bills into law just before the close of business on Friday that garnered heated discussion in the General Assembly on its first working day of 2022.

The new laws adjust judicial maps, fine-tune last year’s landmark SAFE-T Act and make adjustments to the state’s election calendar to match the pushed-back date of the June 2022 primary.

A year-end report from a state working group on education is calling for increased infrastructure to address student mental health needs and for districts to consider changing their school year schedules as a response to the disruptions incurred by COVID-19. 

Left: Sen. Jil Tracy (R-Quincy) speaks during a virtual news conference on Thursday. Right: former Legislative Inspector General Carol Pope speaks during a virtual meeting in April 2021.

Illinois lawmakers dispensed with a deluge of legislation during their single-day floor session on Wednesday, but they left at least one time-sensitive task unfinished: picking a new Legislative Inspector General to succeed outgoing watchdog Carol Pope.

Rep. Justin Slaughter (D-Chicago) speaks during a House floor session on Wednesday night.

Illinois legislators began the second year of the 102nd General Assembly mired in three of the same topics that dominated the 2021 legislative session: the COVID-19 pandemic, the direction of criminal justice and redistricting in the state. 

Rep. Lisa Hernandez (D-Cicero) and Rep. Tim Butler (R-Springfield) during a virtual meeting of the House Redistricting Committee on Wednesday

Republican House members on Wednesday walloped an amended new proposal (SB 928) that would create judicial subcircuits in Sangamon County, Madison County and Winnebago counties as the bill marched to a party-line vote through the General Assembly.

Gov. JB Pritzker is isolating after exposure to a case of COVID-19 as the legislature’s work gets underway. The first day of session saw a House Republican press conference on last year’s SAFE-T act, which will eliminate cash bill and set in motion other reforms related to public safety. And Comptroller Suzana Mendoza announced her office has paid a $20 billion loan back to the federal government two years ahead of schedule. (Caroline Kubzansky)

John Schnobrich on Unsplash

Illinois residents still face barriers to high-speed internet depending on their location and income, the state’s Broadband Advisory Council acknowledged in its year-end report.

Senate President Don Harmon (D-Oak Park) laid out his predictions and priorities for the upcoming legislative session in an interview with The Daily Line on Monday.

Illinois lawmakers are poised to plunge into their annual spring legislative session this week, braving a surge of COVID-19 cases so that legislators can wrap up all the state’s business — including the passage of an annual budget — nearly two months ahead of schedule.