Illinois General Assembly
State Government: Elected Officials | State Legislative Bodies
Recent News About Illinois General Assembly
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Christian colleges don't have implicit constitutional right to award degrees free of state regulation, judge says
The First Amendment does not shield Christian colleges from state authority to regulate degree-awarding higher educational institutions, a federal judge has ruled. -
State high court says arbitrator can't order union pay raises unless lawmakers provide the money
The Illinois State Supreme Court has sided with the state in determining an arbitrator cannot order the governor to increase union pay if lawmakers have not yet authorized the spending. -
IL Supreme Court strikes down Chicago public pension reforms as unconstitutional
While saying they recognize the fiscal crisis cited by lawmakers in Illinois is real, the justices of the Illinois Supreme Court have again slapped aside an attempt by state legislators to rewrite some public employee pension funding rules, saying the attempt by the state and the city of Chicago to ease the funding burden on the city and its taxpayers violates the state constitution’s prohibition on reducing public employees’ retirement benefits in any way. -
IL appeals panel says state within its rights to make convenience stores pay more cigarette tax
The Illinois First District Appellate Court has upheld a Cook County Circuit Court ruling that an increase in the state’s cigarette tax does not violate the state constitution. Casey’s Marketing Company, which operates hundreds of Casey’s General Store convenience stores, filed the initial complaint in the wake of state legislation in 2012 to roughly double the per cigarette tax charged to those who sell them. -
Cook County: State must pay millions owed to fund child support collection program
Cook County State’s Attorney Anita Alvarez and lawyers acting on behalf of parents owed child support have asked the federal courts to step in to force the state of Illinois to pay up what it owes to cover the costs of enforcing the collection of child support, saying the state’s failure to pass a budget to fund the program has cost Cook County millions, harms the parents and their children and threatens the future viability of the program. -
Democrats fail to override Rauner MAP grants veto; Compromise effort may be next
SPRINGFIELD — Democrats on Wednesday came up two votes shy of overriding Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner’s veto of a bill to authorize $721 million to fund tuition grants and community colleges. -
State considering lump-sum pension buyouts, but lawmakers say proposals in very early stages
Illinois state lawmakers are in very early talks about giving retired government workers a choice much like lottery winners: Collect the pension benefits owed to them over several years, or cash out immediately but with a smaller lump sum. -
With so many playing fantasy sports, legalization, regulation due in IL, lawmaker says
SPRINGFIELD — A state lawmaker says his bill to formally legalize online sports fantasy contests would protect as many 2 million Illinoisans who play, as well as small businesses that offer the games or related services. -
Cities, towns seek greater power to act; Municipal League effort may face tough road
In the midst of Illinois budget crisis, Illinois’ 1,300 cities, towns and villages are seeking greater freedom to act on their own. But much of the “Moving Cities Forward” legislation being promoted by the Illinois Municipal League likely will face pushback in a General Assembly locked in a struggle over taxes, the lack of an overall state budget and Gov. Bruce Rauner’s calls for changes in the state’s financial and political conduct. -
Durkin: Workers comp compromise could be key to unlock budget impasse in Springfield
SPRINGFIELD — House Minority Leader Jim Durkin on Monday suggested the workers’ compensation system might be the point where Republicans and Democrats get together and start breaking the month-long impasse that has left Illinois without a budget. -
Rauner to lawmakers: Make a choice; Democratic leaders: Little has changed
SPRINGFIELD — Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner used his annual budget address Wednesday to put two choices before legislative Democrats who control both houses of the state legislature: The General Assembly can grant him, the state’s chief executive, the authority to make the cuts that will allow Illinois to spend what it’s bringing in, about $32.8 billion Or, Rauner said, lawmakers can agree to some of what he considers essential economic and political reforms and he’ll work with them on a combin -
Amended law, court case help companies challenging unemployment claims
CHICAGO — Employers now have a clearer path to thwart former workers’ unemployment applications thanks to amendments to the Illinois Unemployment Act that took effect last month and the outcome of a recent Illinois Supreme Court decision. -
Brawl over bargaining bill resumes in Springfield; with no AFSCME contract, stakes are high
SPRINGFIELD — The hotly disputed interest arbitration or “no strike-no lockout” bill is back in play in the state Capitol. -
George Lucas Museum foes score win in latest episode of saga over fate of lakefront site
Opponents of the George Lucas museum proposed for Chicago’s lakefront have won the latest episode in the long running legal wars over the planned attraction, after a federal judge refused to dismiss their lawsuit against the city and park district. -
Judge slaps restraining order on access to Topinka campaign money amid lawsuit by late comptroller's son
The campaign funds of the late Judy Baar Topinka are now formally frozen, thanks to an order issued Jan. 22 in Cook County Circuit Court. Cook County Judge Anna Helen Demacopolous granted a temporary restraining order to Topinka’s son, Joseph Baar Topinka, which he’d requested as part of his complaint against Nancy Kimme and Bradley A. Burnett, the chairwoman and treasurer, respectively, of Citizens For Judy Baar Topinka. -
Divided IL Supreme Court tosses rule protecting police, fire depts from lawsuits, says rule outdated, despite precedent
For decades, Illinois cities, villages, fire protection districts and others providing police, fire protection and ambulance services have enjoyed general immunity from lawsuits brought by plaintiffs who may accuse paramedics, firefighters and police officers of failing to provide the level of protection or response individuals may believe they should have. On Jan. 22, however, a majority of justices on the Illinois Supreme Court decided the time had come to undo the judicial rule. -
Illinois law granting hospitals tax exemption struck down by appellate court as unconstitutional
A state appellate panel has struck down an Illinois law providing tax exemptions to hospitals, saying lawmakers erred under the state constitution in believing hospitals should be able to avoid paying property taxes because they may provide enough benefits to their communities to offset the millions of dollars in tax revenue lost to cities, counties, school districts and other local property tax-collecting entities. -
Cook County judge ruled law limiting civil juries to six members is unconstitutional
A Cook County judge has struck down a law limiting civil juries to six members, saying the change goes against principles enshrined in Illinois' state constitution. Judge William Gomolinksi overruled the law Dec. 21, maintaining that this is a matter of defending the constitution, not a definitive determination that a 12-person jury is the most effective way to try a civil case. -
Cook County, home rule municipalities can tax slot machines, video gaming terminals, appeals panel says
In a pair of decisions, a state appeals panel again upheld the ability of Cook County and other home rule units of local government in Illinois to tax slot and video gaming machines. Both cases, docketed in court records as Case No. 13-L-050995 and Case No. 14-CH-7357, named Lemont-based Accel Entertainment among the plaintiffs, and both were decided by the same panel of three judges. -
Federal judge declares Chicago red light camera program constitutional, tosses class action vs city, vendors
A federal judge has slapped a permanent stop sign on a class action lawsuit against the city of Chicago and the vendors it uses to administer its red light camera program, as the judge said the city should be allowed under state law and Illinois’ constitution to delegate the task of reviewing potential red light citations to administrators and technicians hired by the vendors.