News

Illinois Senate Republicans returned to the Capitol this week where the focus remained on the need for the General Assembly to pass a balanced budget that doesn’t put any additional tax burden on Illinois residents. Also this week...

Senate lawmakers return to Springfield April 10, and will continue their efforts to finalize a state budget and finish legislative business for the spring session by a scheduled adjournment date of May 31. This week, the Senate Gaming Committee met to discuss legalization of sports wagering in Illinois, while the Senate Appropriations II Committee met on budget requests for a number of state agencies. In other legislative news...

The Joint Senate/House Task Force on Sexual Discrimination and Harassment is continuing to meet as part of a comprehensive review of the legal and social consequences of sexual discrimination and harassment in the public and private sectors. In other news...

State Sen. Dave Syverson (R-Rockford) is pushing legislation to battle the seemingly non-stop barrage of robo-calls and scam calls that keep cell phones ringing around the clock. "These calls aren’t part of any upstanding sales methods, they are a form of harassment," said Syverson. "We need to empower state government to effectively combat this growing problem...

Gov. Bruce Rauner laid out his Fiscal Year 2019 budget plan this week to the General Assembly during his annual budget address. Most notably, the plan, presented in a joint session on Feb. 14, was balanced and included several cost-saving reforms. Also during the week...

"Governor Rauner delivered exactly what he promised, a proposal for a truly balanced budget. The current spending plan, passed by the Democrats last year, left us more than a billion and a half dollars in the hole. I applaud the Governor for his work to reduce that deficit. Some tough choices will have to be made, but that is the reality of the budget process in a state that has been spending beyond its means for years...

Lawmakers returning to Springfield for the second week of the Legislative Session heard testimony in the Veterans Affairs Committee about the previous Legionella outbreaks at the Quincy Veterans’ Home and began advancing legislation through Senate Committees...

Gov. Bruce Rauner delivered his fourth State of the State Address Jan. 31, highlighting several accomplishments over the past few years and laying out a roadmap of what he’d like to see Illinois achieve in 2018. Also during the week...

"Governor Rauner did a good job of laying out some of the recent successes we’ve had in state government. We’ve been able to work together to pass a complete rewrite of how we fund schools, passed significant criminal justice reform, and we’ve also had some success in reducing unnecessary regulations and red tape while reducing the size of government. We’ve recently seen some growth in manufacturing and a few other small signs that we are about to turn a corner...

The Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) informed Senate Republicans this week that implementation of the state’s new school funding law will occur; a new measure would bring high-speed Internet access to rural school districts; a new proposal would give Illinois motorists the option to register their vehicles for more than one year; and Chicago makes Amazon’s top 20 list as they look to build a second headquarters. ..

Illinois residents can expect to see improved safety measures for children and Internet users in 2018 with new laws that help protect children in the foster care system, at day care and at school; as well as shield children and adults online. On Jan. 1, more than 200 bills covering a wide variety of issues became law. In addition to child-protection and on-line protections, 2017 was an active year for passing proactive measures pertaining to physical and mental health, and laws that focus on

As Illinois residents get ready to ring in a new year, they can also expect to see more than 200 new laws going into effect on Jan. 1. Here are all the new laws taking effect at the beginning of the new year.

As 2017 winds to a close, legislative action for the year may have wrapped up, but Illinois citizens will begin 2018 with more than 200 new laws taking effect. From bills to help veterans and reduce government waste, to a controversial law expanding taxpayer funding for abortions, legislation covering a wide variety of issues will become law at the turn of the year. Another measure that will take effect on Jan. 1 was signed by the Governor on Dec. 13 to combat fraudulent opioid prescriptions

Legislation addressing sexual harassment complaints and providing tax credits for flood victims was signed into law by the Governor during the week. In other action, Senate Republican Leader Bill Brady (R-Bloomington) announced appointments for the newly created Senate Task Force on Sexual Discrimination and Harassment Awareness and Prevention. Also during the week..

SPRINGFIELD, IL – On November 4, the Legislative Ethics Commission appointed a new Inspector General, and both chambers took up legislation during the week seeking to improve Statehouse sexual harassment policies. Also, female senators announced the creation of a bipartisan Women’s Caucus...

State lawmakers return to Springfield Nov. 7 for the final days of fall veto session. Lawmakers are expected to take up several pieces of new legislation and possibly vote on other legislation vetoed by the Governor. Also this week, the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) will begin to pour through thousands of surveys from across the state, advising them on how they can improve rest areas; the Illinois State Police is asking people to take part in a new logo contest; and new informati

Lawmakers returned to the Capitol this week for the Fall Veto Session with some controversial matters to consider. In addition to consideration of gubernatorial vetoes, lawmakers in both chambers introduced new gun control legislation and the Legislative Audit Commission released its second audit of the troubled Neighborhood Recovery Initiative (NRI). The Senate also honored a Navy Seal and two policemen tragically killed in the line of duty...

SPRINGFIELD, IL –Lawmakers are preparing to return the Capitol next week for the beginning of the annual fall veto session, which could result in action on a number of bills vetoed by the Governor as well as legislation covering new issues...

This week, legislation was introduced in the Senate and the House banning the use of taxpayer dollars to finance elective abortions. The legislation reverses key portions of a new, controversial law that expanded taxpayer funding to pay for voluntary abortion procedures...

This week, Illinois prepared to help with recovery efforts in Puerto Rico; a $1.4 million investment in Southern Illinois will help boost the state’s economy; the start of breast cancer awareness month highlights the need for preventive screenings; and Illinois residents were encouraged to honor their loved ones who served in the Armed Forces...

To help remember veterans, tell their incredible stories, and honor their legacy and sacrifice this upcoming Veterans Day, State Sen. Dave Syverson (R-Rockford) is encouraging constituents to submit a tribute and photo of their loved one who served our country to be displayed in the rotunda of the Illinois Capitol Nov. 1-Nov. 13.

New laws were signed this week to spur economic development, and protect property owners while targeting criminal activity, said State Senator Dave Syverson (R-Rockford). In other news, the Illinois Department of Transportation is working to keep young passengers safe with a statewide “National Seat Check Saturday” initiative on Sept. 23 that boasts nearly 100 free car-seat safety checks throughout Illinois...

SPRINGFIELD, IL – Consumer reporting agency Equifax announced last week that there has been a large data breach, causing millions of Americans’ sensitive information to be compromised. The security leak included Social Security numbers, driver’s license numbers, names and dates of birth, credit card numbers and address—all of which puts Americans at risk of identity theft. At this time, state officials urge residents to be proactive and take necessary precautions to prevent identity fraud or fur

SPRINGFIELD, IL – As part of an effort to pay down Illinois’ $15.4 billion bill backlog, Gov. Bruce Rauner announced a refinancing plan this week that would allow the state to pay down overdue obligations to the state’s vendors and other providers...