House panel opens hearings on Pritzker’s health insurance reforms
Bill seeks to reduce denials of coverage, improve provider networks By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois phancock@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – A panel of Illinois lawmakers began hearing testimony Wednesday, March 13, on Gov. JB Pritzker’s proposals for sweeping changes in the state’s health insurance industry. The changes, which Pritzker first unveiled in his State of the State…
Read MoreCapitol Briefs: Lawmakers push bills addressing water quality, free school meals
State’s largest teachers union releases annual education report By COLE LONGCOR ALEX ABBEDUTO & ANDREW ADAMS Capitol News Illinois news@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – Lake Michigan is Illinois’ largest drinking water supply, serving almost 6.6 million people in the state. Legislators including Sen. Laura Ellman, D-Naperville, are working to increase research and monitoring of Illinois’ water resources, including…
Read MoreState Provides Hotel Shelter for High-Risk Asylum-Seeker Families in Need of Space to Quarantine After Potential Exposure to Measles
State continues to advance response for New Arrivals and meet emergent needs with limited federal resources CHICAGO—In response to recent measles cases at a City of Chicago-run shelter for Asylum Seekers in Pilsen, the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) and the Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS) began sheltering families in need of quarantine…
Read MoreAppellate Court Affirms Illinois’ Strong Coal Ash Protections, Rejecting Coal Company Attacks
Community Advocates Urge Illinois EPA to Swiftly Enforce RulesIllinois — An Illinois Appellate Court upheld the state’s coal ash rules in a Wednesday ruling, delivering a blow to coal plant owners Midwest Generation LLC, Vistra Corp., and Ameren Energy, which have repeatedly challenged the rules in an attempt to weaken environmental protections. In its comprehensive decision, the…
Read MoreFor Your Health – What to Know About Young Adult Colorectal Cancer
By Dr. Graham A. Colditz Siteman Cancer Center We’ve seen great progress in the fight against colorectal cancer. While it’s still one of the most common cancers in the U.S., annual rates of new cases have dropped by nearly half since the mid-1980s. More recently, though, there’s been a concerning increase in colorectal cancers…
Read MoreCapitol Briefs: Chicago school board, student teacher pay, local food measures all advance in Springfield
Another measure would prohibit small single-use plastic bottles at hotels By PETER HANCOCK & JERRY NOWICKI Capitol News Illinois news@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – By 2026, Chicago will have a fully elected school board for the first time in its history if Gov. JB Pritzker signs a measure that cleared both chambers of the General Assembly this…
Read MoreUnions back measure protecting employees who skip religious or political work meetings
Opponents concerned about broad definitions, potential legal issues By ALEX ABBEDUTO Capitol News Illinois abbeduto@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – Democrats in the Illinois Senate on Wednesday, March 6, advanced a measure that would prohibit Illinois companies from requiring employees to attend work-related meetings about politics or religion. Senate Bill 3649, which is backed by organized labor, passed…
Read MoreState commission says Illinois underfunds public universities by $1.4 billion
Body was formed by General Assembly in 2021 to consider new funding formula By COLE LONGCOR Capitol News Illinois Clongcor@capitolnewsillinois.com A state commission created in 2021 has issued a new report calculating that public universities in Illinois are underfunded by approximately $1.4 billion. The Commission on Equitable Public University Funding is made up of 34…
Read MoreWith feds citing ‘extensive cooperation,’ judge gives ex-Sen. Terry Link 3 years’ probation
Lake County Democrat wore wire in helping convict a former state rep. of bribery By HANNAH MEISEL & DILPREET RAJU news@capitolnewsillinois.com CHICAGO – On an August day in 2019, then-Democratic state Sen. Terry Link stood outside of a suburban Wendy’s and solicited a bribe from his colleague in the Illinois House. “What’s in it for…
Read MoreJudges, ex-lawmakers, lobbyists wrote to support convicted ex-Madigan aide
Letters published three weeks after Tim Mapes sentenced to 30 months in prison By HANNAH MEISEL Capitol News Illinois hmeisel@capitolnewsillinois.com After Tim Mapes’ August conviction on charges of perjury and attempted obstruction of justice in the federal criminal probe of his longtime boss, former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan, many of his friends still had…
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