Kane County Reporter

From Rockford Sun

Syverson amends Telehealth Act to include dentists

By Angela Underwood | 6 years ago

Sen. Dave Syverson (R-Rockford) took to the Senate floor recently to introduce an amendment to the state's Telehealth Act to include dentists.

From McHenry Times

Senate backs McConnaughay bill for no-glare vehicle back-up lights

By Angela Underwood | 6 years ago

Safer roadways are important to Sen. Karen McConnaughay (R-St. Charles), who introduced SB2511 to Senate floor debate April 17.

From McHenry Times

Skillicorn says revenue estimate is past due

By Angela Underwood | 6 years ago

Rep. Allen Skillicorn (R-East Dundee) used his point of personal privilege on the House floor Wednesday to say one thing – it is time for a revenue estimate.

From Prairie State Wire

Ives foretells bleak bankruptcy future for Illinois municipalities

By Angela Underwood | 6 years ago

What is most important, your job, your home or your pension asked Rep. Jeanne Ives (R-Wheaton).

From Prairie State Wire

1115 Medicaid waiver will help launch 10 health care initiatives, Rauner says

By Angela Underwood | 6 years ago

Gov. Bruce Rauner said Illinois will be the national leader in mental health services.

From Prairie State Wire

Bill to erase marijuana possession convictions from criminal records shot down by House

By Angela Underwood | 6 years ago

A bill that would erase marijuana possession convictions from criminal records was rejected recently in the House.

From North Cook News

House bill to create female-based council raises questions from GOP lawmakers

By Angela Underwood | 6 years ago

A bill to form a female-based council to provide research support and public policy on issues affecting females had three GOP lawmakers questioning how such an assembly deals with abortion law and gender definition and equality.

From Prairie State Wire

Morrison bill would raise the age for buying tobacco products to 21

By Angela Underwood | 6 years ago

The legal age for purchasing a pack of cigarettes statewide could soon change if Senate Bill 2332 becomes law.

From DuPage Policy Journal

Dems' lowest bidder small business bill fails

By Angela Underwood | 6 years ago

A lowest-bidder for small business bill failed by four votes at the April 27 House floor debate.

From Prairie State Wire

Ford pulls 'Homeless Bill of Rights' after opponents question bill's mandates

By Angela Underwood | 6 years ago

A proposed Homeless Bill of Rights was shot down in the House because of the many mandates it would impose on local government.

From Prairie State Wire

Security issues help sink Welch bill on releasing sales tax data

By Angela Underwood | 6 years ago

A Democrat-sponsored bill that would allow the state to release a business' confidential sales tax data was rejected by the House last week.

From Peoria Standard

Hammond calls rebate-card restrictions an added burden on retailers

By Angela Underwood | 6 years ago

Proposed legislation that would make Illinois the first state to regulate retail business rebates was seen as a restraint that would drive business out of state, according to Rep. Norine Hammond (R-Macomb).

From Prairie State Wire

Senate OKs $800 million in raises for health care workers while state is billions of dollars in debt

By Angela Underwood | 6 years ago

With billions of dollars in unpaid bills, and CNN claiming Illinois could become America’s first ‘junk’ state, the Senate passed a $819 million bill to increase employee wages.

From Chicago City Wire

GOP lawmakers say Ford bill amounts to another mandate cash-strapped schools do not need

By Angela Underwood | 6 years ago

GOP lawmakers said another Democrat mandate on education could cause further financial hardship on already cash-strapped school districts during House floor debate April 20.

Legislation regarding preschool absenteeism sparks House debate

By Angela Underwood | Apr 30, 2018

Yelling echoed in the House chamber during floor debate of HB5771, which would allow for the collection and review of chronic absence data in state block grant funded preschools.

From DuPage Policy Journal

After more than four hours of debate, House passes bills covering education, water systems, voter data

By Angela Underwood | 6 years ago

Creating and altering bills on education, public and private water systems, and election data privacy drove the April 19 House floor debate into hours of discussion.

From Prairie State Wire

Wheeler says Blue Collar Jobs Act is aimed at aiding middle-class

By Angela Underwood | 6 years ago

The Blue Collar Jobs Act, HB5864, will give middle-class families a fighting chance by creating jobs, according to Rep. Keith Wheeler (R-Oswego).

From Lake County Gazette

Clock is ticking on federal funds for Quincy Veterans Home, McSweeney says

By Angela Underwood | 6 years ago

Rep. David McSweeney (R-Barrington Hills) insisted Gov. Bruce Rauner contact President Donald Trump about $265 million in funding to build new facilities and renovate older ones at the Quincy Veterans Home.

Rep. Pritchard fights for Greek housing property tax exemption

By Angela Underwood | Apr 25, 2018

Illinois is losing almost 50 percent of students to other state universities, according to Rep. Robert Pritchard (R-Sycamore).

From Prairie State Wire

GOP lawmakers love the idea of transparency, but question statewide pension hearing broadcast proposal

By Angela Underwood | 6 years ago

Broadcasting retirement system or pension fund hearings in real time and archiving the recorded video on a website for public access is a great idea, but not necessarily feasible to some GOP lawmakers.