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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

For many families, summer means vacations and road trips. As tourists travel across the Interstates of Illinois, they may see new signs marking options for alternative fueling. According to the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT), the agency has placed 30 signs along federally designated “Alternative Fuels Corridors,” which include Illinois Interstates 39, 55, 70, 74, 80, 90, and 94. Twenty

Sheriffs are still struggling to transfer convicted felons out of county jails and into the Illinois Department of Corrections (IDOC) prisons where the criminals are supposed to be serving their sentences. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Gov. Pritzker’s administration halted these types of transfers to help stop the spread of the disease in the prison system. In July 2020, however, the

Superintendents from across the state are asking Gov. JB Pritzker and the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) to allow districts to make their own decisions on COVID-19 protocols for the fall. Nearly 250 superintendents sent a letter to the ISBE and the Governor’s office this week, to “request local control in the implementation of COVID-19 safety measures and protocols

The Illinois Secretary of State’s office announced this week a five-month extension on expired driver’s licenses and state identification cards. The new deadline will allow expired licenses and ID cards to remain valid until Jan. 1, 2022. The extension is designed to reduce issues with long lines, which would force people to stand out in the heat due to social

As COVID-19 restrictions ease in Illinois, the doors of the Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES) offices remain closed even as fraud claims continue to spike. Most recently, CBS 2 Chicago reported Illinois ranks among the worst in the nation in reporting unemployment fraud to the federal Department of Labor and elected officials. The lack of transparency raises questions on

This week, the Pritzker Administration claimed victory after Moody’s Investor Services upgraded the state’s bond rating by one notch, putting Illinois two steps above a junk-bond rating. While this rating is largely reflective of the massive influx of federal funding, the state’s long-term fiscal outlook is still dire. As an example, Illinois is still saddled with an unsustainable pension system.