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Capitol News Illinois: Judge declines to dismiss lawsuit over indoor dining ban
A Kane County restaurant’s legal challenge to Gov. JB Pritzker’s ban on indoor dining can continue, a Sangamon County judge ruled this week.
Attorneys for Pritzker tried to have the lawsuit dismissed but Sangamon County Judge Raylene Grischow on Wednesday declined to do so. While Grischow decided not to dismiss the case, she did not reach a decision on the merits of their argument.
Chicago Tribune: Judge rules Illinois must pay two former Democratic lawmakers who sued to collect raises they voted to reject while in office
The state of Illinois must pay two former Democratic state senators salary hikes they voted to reject while in office, a Cook County judge ruled late Thursday.
The ruling stems from a lawsuit Michael Noland of Elgin and James Clayborne of Belleville brought against Democratic state Comptroller Susana Mendoza’s office. The senators argued that laws freezing legislative salaries from 2009 to 2016 violated the Illinois Constitution, which prohibits lawmakers from changing their pay during their current term.
State Journal-Register: Illinois House will hold public redistricting hearing Monday at Capitol
The Illinois House Redistricting committee will hold a public hearing Monday afternoon at the state Capitol.
The hearing is scheduled to take place at 2 p.m. in Room 114. Any Illinois resident is allowed to testify about the redistricting process, what lawmakers should consider when drawing the maps, and even submit their own maps for the public record.
Capitol News Illinois: Tourism and hospitality leaders call for state support, guidance amid COVID-19 recovery
Leaders from the state’s tourism and hospitality industry asked legislators for additional support and reopening guidance during a Thursday committee hearing as the state plans next steps for its COVID-19 economic recovery.
Michael Jacobson, President and CEO of the Illinois Hotel and Lodging Association, told the House Tourism Committee Thursday that hotels have “been among the hardest hit” segment of the economy due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and that the industry may not see a full recovery until 2024 at the earliest.
The Center Square: Illinois House bill would allow school staff to take parental leave anytime, not consecutively
With lawmakers headed back to Springfield Tuesday, one measure in the House could take up would allow a new parent employed at a school to take parental leave days anytime, not necessarily immediately after birth.
State Rep. Mary Flowers, D-Chicago, said her House Bill 75 is in response to a teacher from Illinois who last year the Illinois Supreme Court rejected a lawsuit seeking to use leave during the school year, instead of losing the opportunity for having a child just before summer break.