Illinois Quick Hits: Restaurant operators take issue with Chicago mayor | Illinois
(The Center Square) – Restaurant operators, business owners and tipped workers have issued a statement to condemn Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson’s veto of an ordinance freezing the city’s tip credit at 24% of its minimum wage. Illinois Restaurant Association CEO Sam Toia said the mayor’s move will eliminate jobs and reduce take-home pay for workers. […]
State Police address FOID, cyber security audit findings | Illinois
(The Center Square) – As his agency works to correct compliance findings by the state’s auditor general, Illinois State Police Director Brendan Kelly says Firearm Owner’s Identification Card backlogs have been eliminated and processing times have improved. Kelly appeared before the Legislative Audit Commission and addressed findings that his department did not comply with FOID […]
Illinois lagging the nation for entrepreneurship, economic growth | Illinois
(The Center Square) – Illinois Policy Institute’s Josh Bandoch says he could have easily predicted the state would rank as lowly as it does across the country for entrepreneurship and economic growth. A new Archbridge Institute study pegs Illinois 45th in the nation in that department stemming from criteria assessed based on its ability “to lift barriers […]
Illinois pushes rate-hike protections forward despite consumer cost fears | Illinois
(The Center Square) – Home and auto insurance providers in Illinois could face new oversight and regulation after a Senate bill recently passed the House, despite concerns from Republican lawmakers and insurance industry groups. The bill passed primarily along party lines, even though GOP representatives and insurance companies warned it could drive up premiums and […]
WATCH: Illinois House hears bill banning ‘convertible pistols’ amid ‘switch’ concerns | Illinois
(The Center Square) – Illinois legislators are contemplating a bill to prohibit the sale of certain types of pistols that can be converted from semi-automatic to full auto. So-called “switches” are already banned by the state’s law prohibiting the sale and possession of certain semi automatic rifles, shotguns and pistols. State Rep. Justin Slaughter, D-Chicago, […]
Lawmaker criticizes efforts to replace natural foods with alternative proteins | Illinois
(The Center Square) – Illinois plans to pump $5 million into alternative protein research at state universities, aiming to boost the plant-based and fermentation food-tech sector and make the state a hub for agricultural innovation. But not everyone is on board. State Rep. Chris Miller, R-Oakland, voiced skepticism about the initiative, questioning whether taxpayer money would […]
Illinois Quick Hits: Illinois lags behind nation in roads and bridges | Illinois
(The Center Square) – Illinois’ roads and bridges continue to lag behind most of the country, ranking 37th overall in the Reason Foundation’s 29th Annual Highway Report. The state dropped one spot from last year. Illinois improved its capital and bridge spending ranking from 45th to 35th and its maintenance spending from 24th to 18th, […]
Curran, GOP lawmakers seek to end home seizures over unpaid property taxes | Illinois
(The Center Square) – Illinois Republican Senate Minority Leader John Curran is at the forefront in pushing legislation crafted to bring the state in compliance with a recent Supreme Court decision protecting homeowners from losing equity in their homes for unpaid property taxes. With Illinois now the only state in the country where residents face such […]
Lawmakers push bills to close loopholes, increase penalties for child sex offenders | Illinois
(The Center Square) – A state senator and former prosecutor says it is time to change Illinois law that allows people who record or transmit video of minors without authorization to avoid registering as sex offenders. State Sen. Darby Hills, R-Barrington Hills, said Senate Bill 2381 would require people to register as sex offenders if […]
Illinois Quick Hits: Polls close today at 7 p.m. | Illinois
(The Center Square) – Primary election polls close at 7 p.m. across the state. The Illinois State Board of Elections encourages voters to report instances of misinformation about the voting process, including election-related ads about incorrect polling place hours, incorrect requirements to vote or information about casting a vote online or via text, which is […]