Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker wanted to renege on the promised $350 million increase in education spending until state lawmakers pushed back. He still wants to cut the scholarship program low-income and minority students use when public education doesn’t fit them.
The Illinois Department of Employment Security was ill-prepared to handle record numbers of unemployed workers when the COVID-19 pandemic hit, was slow to distribute federal help, exposed Illinoisans' private information, then lefts thousands on hold awaiting answers. Here's the latest.
The Illinois Department of Employment Security had a backlog of 156K calls in February. Now, over a year into the pandemic, its offices remain closed to the public and 43K Illinoisans are still awaiting a call from IDES.
Democratic state lawmakers were given a private look at new Illinois House district maps. Partisan legislative maps and gerrymandering seem to be surviving ‘transparency.’
Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker wants to keep those masks on Illinoisans, he said in announcing a June 11 target to reopen the state. The reopening ‘bridge’ phase he added in March may begin May 14.
States that have re-opened schools have also increased labor force participation of mothers, evidence suggests.
New data showed domestic migration continued to be the only reason for Illinois’ population decline.
“We are investing in our children’s education, and that money should be allocated where we choose for them to get the education that we would like for them to receive.”
“As a parent you sacrifice to do what’s best for your child. I wanted to give my children a jump start in life. Sending them to private school was my way of setting them up for success.”
Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker said Illinois could fully reopen in July, but fully reopen with some permanent restrictions. The state has yet to enter the ‘bridge phase’ to reopening that he added in March.
"The Empower Illinois tax credit program is something that really hits home for me, personally, and for my family and my brothers and sister."
After state and Chicago public health administrators floated the idea of vaccination passports, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker said it will not happen in the state. Chicago will offer the ‘Vax Pass’ for summer events to encourage COVID-19 immunizations.
Gov. J.B. Pritzker inaccurately identified students leaving for college as the reason for Illinois’ population decline. Illinoisans between the ages of 26 and 54 made up 64.5% of the net decline in population from 2017-2018, the most recent year of available data.