By BEN ORNER Capitol News Illinois borner@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – Gov. JB Pritzker hinted during his Monday briefing that he and his team are mulling a gradual return to normalcy, saying that “it’s likely that there will be adjustments to the orders that we’ve put in place.” “We want to lift these orders […]
State of Illinois
Illinois daylight savings discussion stalled at House
BY DANI TIETZ dani@sjodaily.com Groggy workers and students on Monday in Illinois are left wondering if Senate Bill 533, the bill that would end the state’s biannual change of the clock known as daylight savings time, will ever pass and become law. As of Nov. 19, 2019, the measure had […]
75-mph speed limit up for consideration in Illinois
Senate Bill 2565 and Senate Bill 2564, filed by State Sen. Jim Oberweis (Republican-25th District), seeks to increase speed limits across rural Illinois. The bills have been assigned to the Senate Subcommittee on Special Issues, which currently has no members. Should the bills pass, Senate Bill 2564 would […]
Local governments call for increase in state revenue sharing
By JERRY NOWICKI Capitol News Illinois jnowicki@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – A local government advocacy group laid out its legislative agenda Monday and called on lawmakers to fully fund a program that shares state income tax revenue with local municipalities. The Illinois Municipal League’s “Moving Cities Forward” agenda also includes efforts to: […]
Illinois 130 bridge replacement begins in March
The Illinois Department of Transportation will replace the bridge that carries Sycamore Street (Illinois 130) over the Embarras River in Villa Grove beginning the week of March 9. The removal of the current bridge will be done in stages to maintain two-way traffic, which will be controlled by temporary signals. […]
Proposed bill would mandate K-12 sex education
BY DANI TIETZ dani@mahometnews.com Senate Bill 2762 could mandate “inclusive, medically accurate, and culturally appropriate comprehensive sex education” for students in grades kindergarten through 12th grade if it becomes law. Presented by sponsors Senator Ram Villivalam (Democrat District 8) and Representative Kathleen Willis (Democrat District 77), the bill would require […]
First month’s legal marijuana sales generate $7.3 million in tax revenue
photo by Jerry Nowicki – Capitol News Illinois By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois phancock@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois Department of Revenue reported Monday that the first month of legalized adult-use cannabis sales in the state generated $7.3 million in cannabis tax revenue for the state, plus another $3.1 million […]
Proposed bills add sexting and e-cigs to school curriculum
By JERRY NOWICKI and PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois Two bills that would add the risks of e-cigarette use and sexting to public school curriculum will head to the full Illinois House of Representatives after unanimously passing a committee Wednesday, Feb. 19 The House education curriculum committee heard testimony about […]
Pritzker paints two budget pictures: One with graduated tax, one without
By JERRY NOWICKI and PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois news@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – Gov. JB Pritzker has tied his second-year state budget proposal to the unfinished marquee policy initiative of his first year – a constitutional amendment that allows the state to impose higher income tax rates on higher income earners. […]
Municipal Gas Tax Bill proposed
Illinois Sen. Bill Cunningham (D-18th District) has proposed a new gas tax bill. Senate Bill 2978 seeks to amend the Illinois Municipal Code to provide that municipalities may impose a motor fuel tax on top of the 38-cent state tax (19-cents previously) that was imposed in July 2019. Cunningham’s proposal […]