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SPRINGFIELD – Recently signed laws seek to expand teen voting rights, prevent deaths due to life-threatening allergic reactions, and educate new drivers on how to react to police stops. In other state news, a monument was dedicated this week to honor Purple Heart recipients, and a new tech department unveiled mobile apps to provide Illinois residents with a more convenient

SPRINGFIELD – A newly-formed bipartisan commission created by Gov. Bruce Rauner tasked with recommending a comprehensive solution to reform Illinois’ school funding formula met this week for the first time.   The Illinois School Funding Reform Commission received an informative presentation on national “best practices” regarding school funding, discussed the current system in Illinois and stressed defining “adequacy,” “equity” and “wealth”

SPRINGFIELD – A new law signed this week, “Molly’s Law,” will help the families of crime victims by extending the statute of limitations on violent crimes and strengthening Illinois’ Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) laws. Additional measures were also signed this week, which include:  expanding insurance coverage in Illinois to include cutting-edge breast cancer screenings, targeting the retail sales of

SPRINGFIELD – It’s official. All Illinois schools are receiving a major boost in funding thanks to the bipartisan education budget passed at the end of June, according to data released by the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE). Meanwhile, the Governor and Senate Republicans continue their push to make sure the recent budget actions are just the first step toward

SPRINGFIELD – A $50.6 billion stop-gap budget approved by lawmakers on June 30 makes a historic investment in K-12 education, provides money for early childhood education and higher education, funds critical government operations as well as programs and services to help the state’s most vulnerable, protects Illinois taxpayers and provides for no bailout of the Chicago Public Schools (CPS) system.  

SPRINGFIELD – Illinois schools will be opening on time and with full funding for the first time in seven years, thanks to bipartisan legislation approved by both chambers of the Illinois General Assembly. According to State Senator Dave Syverson (R-Rockford), human services and core state services will also be funded through the remainder of the current year. “Our schools will

State Senator Dave Syverson (R-Rockford) released the following statement on the ongoing process to fund schools and pass a stopgap budget: “Almost every measure has been worked out and agreed on, except for a stopgap budget; one that will keep road construction projects going, fund human services, support higher education, and keep the lights on at state facilities. The only

SPRINGFIELD – Lawmakers continue to try and negotiate a short-term, affordable budget proposal before the end of the fiscal year on June 30. This week, more than 40 Illinois mayors publicly underscored their support for the stop-gap fiscal plan offered by Republican lawmakers and the Governor. Illinois transportation officials recently announced that without a budget, the Department of Transportation (IDOT)

SPRINGFIELD – With just two weeks until Illinois’ new fiscal year starts July 1, Gov. Bruce Rauner is asking state lawmakers to immediately return to Springfield and approve a stop-gap budget that will fund K-12 schools for the next year and keep essential state services running until January, according to State Senator Dave Syverson (R-Rockford). Also during the week, two

Springfield, IL – It’s now been over a week since the General Assembly’s May 31 adjournment date and with only a few weeks left until the new fiscal year begins, Republican lawmakers and the Governor remain motivated to reach some sort of budget deal before July 1.   The need for a fiscal plan was further underscored June 9 when