Illinois General Assembly
State Government: Elected Officials | State Legislative Bodies
Recent News About Illinois General Assembly
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Industry groups: Statewide ban on ethylene oxide a 'sledgehammer,' would hurt IL economy, health care
Industry groups say they would oppose statewide ban on use of ethylene oxide, as proposed in new legislation from a suburban state senator, describing a ban as a "sledgehammer approach" that would harm the state economy and the U.S. health care system. -
Affordable housing boost, at everyone else's expense
Illinois lawmakers are contemplating special tax breaks for developers to encourage affordable housing. But it may just end up raising your tax bill. -
Willowbrook, other communities can weigh in on deal to possibily let Sterigenics reopen; permit talks continue
A DuPage County judge has decided to allow a group of suburban communities the opportunity to weigh in on an agreement between Illinois state officials and Sterigenics, keeping in place at least until September a state order that has shuttered its Willowbrook plant for five months. However, the company and the state’s environmental agency also continue to discuss the permits Sterigenics would need to reopen the plant. -
'Legal work ... can be done in Naperville': City services tax idea has professionals, associations on guard
Chicago's mayor has floated the idea of taxing 'high-end' legal and accounting services to help the city close a pension-induced budget gap. People associated with those professions and others worry such a tax would only raise the cost of doing business, harming regular people, while leading to relocations that will harm the city's business district. -
Appeals court won't turn off ICC approval of Peoples Gas plan that is jacking up monthly bills
A state appeals panel has refused to shut off an order by the Illinois Commerce Commission that allows Peoples Gas to implement a modernization program that is driving up natural gas costs for most of Chicago. -
Doubling Illinois' gas tax, other tax hikes will go to fund more than $1.4 billion of waste and pork
Lawmakers sold 21 new taxes and fees as necessary to rebuild crumbling roads and bridges and balance the budget. Instead, taxpayers will be funding dog parks, swimming pools, snowmobile paths, a vacant theater and pickleball courts. -
Judge finds IL lawmakers can't vote to decrease their own pay, could order back pay for legislators
A Cook County Circuit Judge has ruled the Illinois state constitution doesn’t allow state lawmakers’ pay to ever be withheld or furloughed, siding with two Democratic ex-state legislators who are demanding the state pay legislators for everything furloughed during the Great Recession, with cost-of-living increases. -
Madigan, IL Dems hold cards on gerrymandering after SCOTUS ruling; Reformers vow to keep fighting
A recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling has set the stage for a political battle over political gerrymandering and control of the redistricting process. But the decision has left Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan and his fellow Democrats holding the cards. -
Court battle could decide how Illinois governments can spend gas tax money
Drivers in Illinois are paying sharply higher taxes on gas, after the state doubled the tax to pay for transportation-related projects across Illinois. But what qualifies as "transportation-related" spending? A lawsuit vs Cook County now on appeal could answer that question -
IL Supreme Court: Court-appointed guardians ad litem shielded from lawsuits
SPRINGFIELD -- The Illinois Supreme Court ruled a woman cannot sue the court-appointed guardian ad litem she alleges did not protect her assets when she was a minor. In its opinion, the court included a plea to the General Assembly to clarify the meaning of guardian ad litem and ensure it is used consistently across statutes. -
Attorney: Illinois employers should evaluate heightened litigation risk after state heightens prevailing wage law rules
Employers in Illinois won't notice an immediate litigation risk increase in the changes to the state prevailing wage law that took affect earlier this month but they will eventually, a Chicago labor attorney said during a recent interview. -
Illinois Supreme Court says state board can decide not to monitor groundwater for contamination from 'clean fill'
A divided Illinois Supreme Court sided with the Pollution Control Board in a dispute over the board’s rules for disposing of “clean fill,” despite arguments from the state and Will County that the rules do not do enough to protect groundwater. -
New IL ethylene oxide law could keep Sterigenics closed, keep new sterilization plans out of state
A new Illinois state law, which contains ethylene oxide regulations without peer anywhere else in the country, could make it all but impossible for a now-shuttered sterilization facility to reopen or for medical device sterilizers to open new plants in the state. And, despite the strict new law, Illinois’ chief legal officer has pledged to continue the state’s legal action to punish Sterigenics, which operated a sterilization plant in Willowbrook. -
Sheriff's deputies disciplined over misconduct charges given new chance to argue Sheriff's discipline board illegal
An Illinois appeals court has determined a group of Cook County Sheriff’s deputies can resume their lawsuit over claims their professional discipline was improper because the Sheriff’s Merit Board was illegally constituted. -
Attorneys: IL legislation banning salary history, other inquiries, could heighten employer liability
Legislation recently passed in the Illinois General Assembly that would bar employers from asking job applicants for salary history and other information likely will trigger more Equal Pay Act claims, according to two labor and employment attorneys. -
Illinois "deep pockets" law leaves taxpayers on hook for big settlements, despite minimal fault
Illinois lawmakers' refusal to reform the law has socked taxpayers with a "lawsuit tax," leaving Chicago and other governments as the "deep pockets" defendants needing to foot the bill for huge settlements, when they aren't even at fault. -
New law to make prime contractors liable for unpaid wages of subs' workers stalls in state Senate
Legislation that would have made prime, or direct, contractors liable for the unpaid wages of workers employed by sub-contractors has stalled in the Illinois General Assembly. -
Different IL A/G 'opinion' could backfire casinos' effort to block fantasy sports sites from IL sports betting market
A provision intended to use an "advisory opinion" from former Illinois Atty. Gen. Lisa Madign to keep online daily fantasy sports sites from grabbing a piece of a new legal Illinois sports betting market for three years could also penalize the casino and race track operators supporting the penalty, as they also could run afoul of a different advisory opinion, authored in 2001 by former Ill. Atty. Gen. Jim Ryan. -
'Strong' court challenges likely if IL blocks FanDuel, DraftKings from legal sports betting market: Report
The state of Illinois could face a swift constitutional legal challenge should it enact legislation to legalize sports betting that includes a provision designed to block online fantasy sports giants FanDuel and Draft Kings from the market, to benefit the state’s existing casinos, according to attorneys hired by one of the fantasy sports companies. -
Labor, employment attorney offers tips for Illinois businesses to reduce risk of BIPA class actions
Illinois employers who collect biometric information on their employees may have good reason to be on edge following a state appellate court's decision last month to side with employees in a class action against an upscale Chicago hotel.