Illinois General Assembly
State Government: Elected Officials | State Legislative Bodies
Recent News About Illinois General Assembly
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State only paying out Lottery prizes of less than $25,000
SPRINGFIELD — Win the Lottery? You might want to hold off on that new bass boat, dream house or even paying off any big debts. -
Meridian Ob/Gyn denies liability in suit alleging infant suffered brain injury from lack of oxygen
An Ob/Gyn office denies liability in a mother’s lawsuit claiming her son suffered from a brain injury after he was allegedly deprived of adequate amounts of oxygen. -
Illinois Senate's support of AFSCME arbitration bill cost unions $5.8 million
It’s no secret that government-worker unions are among the heavy-hitters in Illinois politics. -
CUB critics say the utility rate watchdog is more focused on politics than advocating for consumers
CHICAGO - While the Illinois Citizens Utility Board caught some development and policy experts off guard with its support of the potentially pricey Clean Jobs Bill earlier this year, Dan Proft of the Illinois Opportunity Project contends that he wasn’t surprised. “Sometimes they’ll tilt at windmills, figuratively and literally, if it means sticking it to ComEd,” he said. -
New IRS data: Illinois lost migration battle with every state in the country
A new data release from the Internal Revenue Service can only be described as a complete embarrassment for the Prairie State. -
Why won't Illinois lawmakers reform their own pensions?
The pension fund for Illinois lawmakers is the state’s most insolvent system. Taxpayers bail it out every year. If they didn’t, the General Assembly Retirement System, or GARS, would only have enough assets to pay retired politicians for another 2.5 years. -
State employees get another win in pay dispute; Fifth District upholds LeChien
SPRINGFIELD — State employees can keep getting their regular paychecks for the near future, another state court has ruled. In a ruling entered Friday, the Fifth District Appellate Court refused to overturn a circuit court’s order that state employees continue to be paid — despite the lack of a state budget — while those employees pursue a lawsuit. -
Illinois' regional pain points revealed in county data on food-stamp dependency
Areas of Illinois that are driven by backbone industries such as manufacturing are being hollowed out. That reality is showing up in the form of government dependence. -
Growth through tax hikes? Illinois has tried it - and failed
If you didn’t know any better, you’d think the recent opinion piece in the Chicago Tribune, “Tax me please, so Illinois can compete,” was a satirical article straight from The Onion. -
AG Madigan seeks direct appeal of state payroll decisions at Illinois Supreme Court
SPRINGFIELD – Attorney General Lisa Madigan is asking the Illinois Supreme Court to put her in charge of the comptroller. Madigan continues to represent comptroller Leslie Munger without Munger’s consent, seeking orders Munger would rather not follow. On Monday, Madigan filed a motion for direct appeals of court orders on payment of state employees. “As the officer tasked by the Illinois Constitution with processing payments of public funds, the comptroller needs this court’s guidance,” deput -
St. Clair County judge orders Comptroller to pay state employees July 15
St. Clair County Circuit Judge Robert LeChien ordered Illinois Comptroller Leslie Munger to pay 43,000 state employees on July 15, despite the lack of a state appropriation. At a hearing on July 9, LeChien said he would adopt findings of fact and conclusion of law that public employee union counsel Stephen Yokich of Chicago proposed. -
Rauner challenges Democrats; He says go ahead and pass a tax increase
SPRINGFIELD — Gov. Bruce Rauner on Wednesday essentially told legislative Democrats to just do it. If they won’t approve his ideas for “structural reforms,” the governor said, Democrats ought to pass tax increases to pay for the $36 billion budget spending plan they sent him. Rauner and fellow Republicans say the Democratic spending plan — which did not come with a matching plan for revenue — is $4 billion in the red. Rauner, echoing recent remarks by House Minority Leader Jim Durkin of Weste -
It's time for a true balanced budget requirement for Illinois
Despite a constitutional requirement to do so, Illinois politicians have not passed a balanced budget since 2001. -
There's still no state budget; Senate stopgap passes, but House version fails
Illinois still has no budget. The state Senate on Thursday passed a measure to provide about $2.2 billion for "essential services" for the month of July, but that bill apparently will not see action in the House until next week at the earliest. -
Bradley, Rauner continue scrap over staff pay; Democrat says governor’s office disrespecting House
SPRINGFIELD — A Southern Illinois Democrat and the governor’s office are exchanging words over the administration’s refusal to discuss staff salaries in front of an Illinois House committee. Rep. John Bradley, D-Marion, on Tuesday morning ripped Gov. Bruce Rauner’s office for twice refusing to send anyone to testify before the House Revenue and Finance Committee, which Bradley chairs. For its part, the Republican governor’s office says the hearing is a partisan scam and seeks information alrea -
Illinois fails to measure nonprofit spending, policy expert says
While the Illinois state government gives billions of dollars to nonprofit organizations over the course of an ordinary budget year, there is little oversight of how the organizations spend those dollars, says Kristina Rasmussen, executive vice president of the Illinois Policy Institute. “They give that money with the best intentions, hoping it will help carry out some of the priorities they have deemed to be important,” Rasmussen said. -
Illinois CUB fails to provide accurate info on Clean Jobs Bill, economic development consultant says
SPRINGFIELD - In recent months, the Illinois Citizens Utility Board (CUB) surprised economic development and policy experts like Mark Glennon by staunchly supporting the Illinois Clean Jobs Bill. Illinois Sen. Don Harmon (D-Oak Park) and Rep. Elaine Nekritz (D-Northbrook) introduced the bill in February, with the intent to increase energy efficiency and use of renewable resources, reduce carbon pollution and create jobs. The Clean Jobs Bill has stalled for now, but proponents have signaled it -
‘Clean Jobs Bill’ would pass increases on to customers; Critic says new standards ‘outrageous’
Everyone with electric power would pay more for wind turbines and other renewable energy sources under proposed legislation at the Illinois General Assembly.