Posted inState News

Gov. Pritzker issues disaster proclamation following winter storm, artic temperatures in Illinois

Gov. J.B. Pritzker has issued a disaster proclamation for all Illinois counties after a winter storm blanketed the state, urging all residents to conserve energy and avoid unnecessary travel. “The extreme arctic temperatures affecting more than ten states add additional stress on utility providers across the nation,” the governor’s office said in a statement Tuesday […]

Posted inState News

Illinois expands vaccine eligibility in current Phase 1B to include everyone with underlying conditions, comorbidities

Gov. J.B. Pritzker has announced that Illinois is expanding the current Phase 1B vaccinations at the end of the month to include all residents with underlying conditions and comorbidities. The expansion, which will go into effect beginning on February 25, is because of a steadily increasing federal vaccine supply, according to a statement from the […]

Posted inState News

Amid calls to veto sweeping police regulations, Gov. Pritzker says he’ll review measure

(The Center Square) – Members of the Illinois law enforcement community and House Republicans are urging the governor to veto a sweeping bill reforming the state’s system of justice. Gov. J.B. Pritzker said he plans a thorough review. The 700-page bill passed the legislature in the final hours of the previous General Assembly. It was […]

Posted inState News

General Assembly approves controversial justice reform bill that ends cash bail in Illinois

(The Center Square) – Illinois lawmakers passed a controversial and sweeping criminal justice reform bill Wednesday morning that will end cash bail and allow anonymous complaints against officers. House Bill 3653 — formerly House Bill 163 — passed by a 60-50 vote early Wednesday morning. The Senate passed the bill by a 32-23 vote. It […]

Posted inState News

Gov. Pritzker says widespread availability of COVID-19 vaccine, treatments needed before state can lift restrictions

(The Center Square) – Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s plan to reopen Illinois with no restrictions, or Phase 5, is having a vaccine or therapeutic for COVID-19 “widely available,” the governor said Monday. He did not give a timeline for when that would be. A 12-member state legislative panel Tuesday could take up a new emergency […]

Posted inState News

Illinois lawmakers propose sweeping justice reform bill to end cash bail, allow anonymous complaints against officers

(The Center Square) – Illinois lawmakers have introduced a major criminal justice reform bill that includes ending cash bail and qualified immunity for police officers and allows anonymous complaints against officers. State lawmakers could consider a variety of issues when the Illinois Legislature convenes for the final days of the 101st General Assembly. One of […]

Posted inState News

Gov. Pritzker to consider loosening COVID-19 restrictions after holidays

(The Center Square) – Gov. J.B. Pritzker is expected to loosen virus mitigations sometime after the holidays after moving the state to tier 3 mitigations in November, which closed indoor service at restaurants and bars. Most areas of the state apparently avoided a post-Thanksgiving surge that Pritzker warned about, and a couple of regions have […]

Posted inState News

Gov. Pritzker says no region will see reduced virus restrictions for a few weeks due to Thanksgiving travel

Gov. J.B. Pritzker said that all regions in Illinois will continue to have strict restrictions — despite some nearing the threshold for reduced restrictions — due to Thanksgiving travel and gatherings. “The number of patients fighting COVID-19 in our hospital systems statewide still eclipses our spring peak by 23%. We had hoped to see more […]