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State Senator Dave Syverson is calling for a complete audit of Governor Pritzker’s management of the state’s unemployment program following the release of a financial audit of the Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES). On July 28 the Auditor General released a financial audit of IDES that detailed the Pritzker Administration’s failures regarding the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) Program. While

After being closed for more than a decade, the Illinois Caverns will finally be reopening to visitors. The Illinois Caverns, which are located in Monroe County in southwest Illinois, were originally closed in 2010 by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources in an effort to slow the spread of white nose syndrome, a fungus that kill bats. The fungus that

Johnson & Johnson and three opioid distributors have agreed to pay billions to settle thousands of government lawsuits accusing them of helping to create the opioid public-health crisis. The deal will have McKesson Corp., Cardinal Health Inc. and AmerisourceBergen Corp. pay approximately $21 billion to settle claims that they ignored unusually large opioid shipments. Johnson & Johnson will pay $5

For months, the Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES) has declined to disclose how much it has lost to fraudulent claims. Recently, WGN 9 news discovered that IDES has reported to the United States Department of Labor that it has lost more than $14.8 million to fraudulent claims since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. After the number was made

The final decision-making authority over COVID-19 protocols in the classroom has been restored to locally-elected school boards. On July 9, 2021, the federal Centers for Disease Control (CDC) released its updated Guidance for COVID-19 Prevention in Kindergarten (K)-12 Schools. Immediately thereafter, the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) announced it was fully adopting the CDC’s updated guidance for schools. The

Preliminary hearings in the case of McConchie v. Illinois have begun. Filed by Senate Republican Leader Dan McConchie to challenge the partisan legislative maps signed into law earlier this year, the lawsuit had its first hearing on July 14. Filed against Illinois House Speaker Emanuel Chris Welch, Illinois Senate President Don Harmon, the offices of the Speaker of the House

Citing a lack of “true ethics reform,” Legislative Inspector General (LIG) Carol Pope offered her resignation to members of the Legislative Ethics Commission on July 14. Senate Republicans, who have been vocal about the ongoing issues of corruption and misconduct within state government, noted that this is just further evidence of the need to pass substantive ethics reforms in the legislature.

Senator Syverson continues his calls to have all state offices reopen, especially the Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES), which continues to remain closed despite Illinois officially moving into Phase 5 of the reopening plan. Senate Republican lawmakers argue that these state agencies provide critical services to the men and women of Illinois, and the prolonged closure of these agencies