By Jerry Nowicki One of the most transformative six-day periods in the history of Illinois government came to an end Wednesday with the election of representative Emanuel “Chris” Welch, D-Hillside, as the State’s House speaker, the first Black man to hold the title. Equally groundbreaking was the fact that Welch
By Jerry Nowicki One day after State House speaker Michael Madigan, D-Chicago, announced a suspension, but not a withdrawal, of his campaign for another term as speaker, a State representative who has been accused of being a staunch Madigan protector has launched a bid for the post. Rep. Emanuel “Chris”
By Jerry Nowicki Another 125 individuals who tested positive for COVID-19 were reported to have died in the previous 24 hours Tuesday, according to the Illinois Department of Public Health, to bring the death toll to 12,403 since the pandemic began. That came as the State reported another 12,542 new
By Jerry Nowicki With no signs of slowing, key metrics measuring the spread of COVID-19, including hospitalizations, continue to push numbers not seen since April and May. The 4,742 individuals hospitalized in Illinois due to COVID-19 as of Monday night marked the highest number since May 8, which was right
By Jerry Nowicki Although nearly 3.6 Million Illinoisans had already voted by Monday morning, according to the Illinois State Board of Elections, nearly 2.3 Million ballots were still to be cast if the State is to match the 70.56% turnout of 2016. As of Monday, there were 586,709 mail-in ballots
By Jerry Nowicki Two more of the 11 regions of the State’s COVID-19 mitigation plan have reached a threshold necessitating increased restrictions, joining two other regions which remain above the key metric. Will and Kankakee Counties in Region 7 and DuPage and Kane Counties in Region 8 will be closed
By Jerry Nowicki The longest-serving State legislative speaker in U.S. history will have a challenger from his own party in January. The Thursday announcement that representative Stephanie Kifowit, D-Oswego, would challenge Chicago Democrat Michael Madigan as Illinois house speaker came just an hour before Republicans called a news conference to
By Jerry Nowicki COVID-19 cases are on the rise throughout the State and governor JB Pritzker is hoping a new $5 Million State advertising campaign will help slow the spread of the novel coronavirus by encouraging use of face coverings. Pritzker announced the campaign, which has the tagline “It only
By Jerry Nowicki The State Wednesday, July 29 released new guidelines for youth and recreational sports that will drastically limit allowable activities based on the risk of spreading the novel coronavirus. Governor JB Pritzker announced the new guidelines at a COVID-19-related news conference in Chicago Wednesday, calling it a “situation
By Jerry Nowick The Illinois Department of Public Health announced another 1,076 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Illinois Tuesday as the rolling, seven-day test positivity rate remained at 3.8%. IDPH reported that the rolling positivity rate in Region 4 of the state’s COVID-19 mitigation plan, which includes the Metro East
By Jerry Nowicki Governor JB Pritzker encouraged Illinoisans to complete the 2020 U.S. Census and touted a State investment in youth employment programs Thursday during two public appearances in Rockford. The state has a 66.9% census self-response rate currently. That’s nearly five percentage points better than the 62.1% national rate,
By Jerry Nowicki Hours after filing a court document implicating, but not charging, Illinois’ house speaker Michael Madigan in a years long bribery scheme, federal officials took to the courtyard of the Dirksen Federal Building in Chicago on Friday to deliver a message to those engaging in public corruption: “We
By Jerry Nowicki The State’s COVID-19 test positivity rate remained at three percent Monday when the Illinois Department of Public Health reported 883 new confirmed cases of the virus. The 30,012 test results reported Monday followed more than 70,000 total reported the previous two days, driving Illinois to more than
By Jerry Nowicki The U.S. Department of Labor released statistics Thursday showing 705,878 Illinoisans received unemployment insurance for the week ending June 20. While that was a decrease of 4,401 continued unemployment claims overall from the previous week, according to the data, the State still saw 46,005 new initial claims
By Jerry Nowicki Restaurants across the State are set to open for indoor dining Friday, June 26 among other additions to allowable activities under the State’s Restore Illinois plan. The State released new guidance for reopening businesses Monday. Restaurants must arrange their seating facilities so that tables are six feet
By Jerry Nowicki Attorney general Kwame Raoul has tested positive for COVID-19, his office announced in a news release Tuesday. “After experiencing minor symptoms over the weekend, I consulted with my health care provider using telehealth services. Upon the advice of my doctor, I was tested yesterday and informed today
By Jerry Nowicki Anyone who cast a ballot in the last three years or who registered to vote or changed addresses after the March primary will be sent an application to vote by mail after Gov. JB Pritzker signed a bill expanding the program Tuesday. In a news release, Pritzker’s
By Jerry Nowicki As the state saw its largest single-day death total yet from COVID-19 Tuesday, governor JB Pritzker said his stay-at-home order stands despite a judge’s Monday ruling granting a limited temporary restraining order against it. “Let me remind everyone again —the stay-at-home order in Illinois is still very
By Jerry Nowicki Governor JB Pritzker said Tuesday the State’s COVID-19 peak could come in mid-May and he is examining the current stay-at-home order for potential changes. The governor made the comments during a Washington Post Live interview with reporter Robert Costa. Pritzker said individuals “have really been abiding by”
By Jerry Nowicki The percentage of intensive care beds and ventilators in use in Illinois remained relatively flat since last week and State officials Tuesday announced another encouraging sign that Illinois is “flattening the curve” in dealing with the novel coronavirus disease, or COVID-19. However, that and the fact the
