People seeking medical licenses in Illinois are still facing delays, despite the passage of a law to modernize the system.
Illinois still uses a paper system, with people mailing in their applications. OSF Healthcare Chief Human Resource Officer Shelley Parn said this system causes an average delay of 30 days for new hires, which can cause problems when they need to fill a position.
Join Fred Martino for CapitolView Thursdays at 7:00pm. It’s the only weekly prime time broadcast television program devoted to the Illinois General Assembly. This week: A look at security measures being planned for the Democratic National Convention in Chicago and various bills in the Assembly, including a proposal to provide more information about lobbyist spending in Illinois.
(WAND) – Plaintiffs in a federal challenge of the Illinois Public Transit carry ban have filed a brief in support of an earlier motion for summary judgment in the case.
The case is financially supported by the Second Amendment Foundation.
The case is known as Schoenthal v. Raoul and is currently in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, Western Division.
Illinois tollway employees packed the boardroom Thursday, some of them in tears, as they implored agency leaders to keep their jobs intact.
Tollway employees stand as a co-worker talks about layoff concerns at a board meeting Thursday.
Marni Pyke/mpyke@dailyherald.com
SEIU Local 73 members, who include former toll collectors now working as customer call takers, said they feared layoffs affecting over 100 people.
The Illinois Senate passed a bill Thursday that would ban four food additives that are found in common products including candy, soda and baked goods.
Senate Bill 2637, known as the Illinois Food Safety Act, passed on a 37-15 bipartisan vote and will head to the House for consideration. The banned chemicals would include brominated vegetable oil, red dye No.
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WAND) — The Illinois House unanimously passed a plan Thursday to prohibit the use of artificial intelligence to create child pornography that involves real children or obscene imagery.
The proposal also prohibits non-consensual dissemination of certain AI generated sexual images. Rep. Jennifer Gong-Gershowitz (D-Glenview) explained Thursday that bad actors could use AI technology to make images of Illinois children and cause significant harm to their reputation, emotional health and privacy.
The Illinois House passed a law Thursday that would ban the ownership of specific “dangerous animals” in the state, including servals and kangaroos.
Under the provisions of HB 4446, ownership of those types of animals, as well as caracals and wallabies, would be prohibited in most cases.
The measure now moves on to the state’s Senate, according to the bill’s proponents.
(The Center Square) – Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s plan to address Illinois’ pension woes was the subject of a House hearing Thursday.
Pritzker is proposing the state increase its statutory funding ratio goal for its pension funds to 100% by fiscal year 2048. The current goal was established by former Gov. Jim Edgar and the Illinois General Assembly in 1994, which created a 50-year plan to get the state to a 90% funding ratio by 2045.
(The Center Square) – Illinois gun owners rallied at the state capitol to show their displeasure with the state’s gun laws, and express hopes for success in the courts.
In January 2023, Gov. J.B. Pritzker enacted a ban on more than 170 semi-automatic firearms. The measure faces federal lawsuits. Thursday in Springfield, the Illinois State Rifle Association hosted Illinois Gun Owner Lobby Day where Second Amendment Foundation’s Alan Gottlieb was the keynote speaker.
(The Center Square) – Illinois Senate Republicans are urging for a subject matter hearing on Illinois’ ambitious plan for higher education funding, a plan that was revealed in March.
The complex formula is supposed to mirror the K-12 evidence-based funding that currently exists in Illinois. State Sen. Terri Bryant, R-Murphysboro, said it’s not the same as K-12 and the formula actually punishes public universities for receiving endowments.
DECATUR, Ill. — Putting him at odds with Mayor Brandon Johnson’s school board, Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Thursday expressed his support for extending a moratorium on closing any public schools in Chicago by two years to coincide with a fully elected school board that’s set to be in place in early 2027.
The moratorium extension is included in a bill filed by state Rep.
Despite widespread understanding of the health and environmental damages caused by forever chemicals, manufacturers continue to win federal approval to synthesize new versions of the toxic compounds with little, if any, government oversight.
U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin wants to begin shutting off the tap by outlawing per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, commonly known as PFAS, unless they are used in medical devices or other essential products.
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — After protesters blocked a major traffic artery into O’Hare International Airport this week, an Illinois State Representative has proposed legislation that would make similar demonstrations a felony.
The demonstration Monday by Pro-Palestinian protesters blocked the I-190 ramp toward O’Hare’s domestic terminals, causing major traffic delays in the area and frustrating travelers.
On Wednesday, Rep.
Illinoisans were supposed to be spending April closely watching the public corruption trial of a once powerful politician.
But In January, U.S. District Judge Robert Blakey agreed to reschedule the trial of former House Speaker Michael Madigan from April 1 to Oct. 8, adding six months to the quest to determine whether Madigan is guilty of the federal government’s bribery and racketeering allegations.
“I had a conversation with Gov. Pritzker, who I really think is on our side. He’s a good guy,” Belushi said. “I said, ‘Last year, you guys collected $417 million in cannabis taxes, and you collected $207 million in liquor taxes. There’s a lot more liquor stores and bars than there are dispensaries.’ ”
Illinois has some of the highest pot prices in the nation because it has kept a tight lid on the number of retail licenses compared to states such as Michigan.
A new Commonwealth Fund report shows health outcomes vary drastically in Illinois depending on a resident’s race.
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (NEXSTAR) — The leaders of each branch of the University of Illinois System came to the Capitol to give their requests for this year’s budget.
President of the University of Illinois System Timothy Killeen called for a 12 percent increase in the funding provided from the state. The Board of Trustees approved this ask back in the Fall, but since then, the Governor proposed his own version of the budget, which only included a 2 percent increase to the higher education funding.
On one side, Gov. JB Pritzker is trying to more than double taxes on winning bets. On the other, the betting companies are now asking their customers to get involved to stop it. CBS 2’s Charlie De Mar reports.
