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Capitol News Illinois: House passes bill to reclassify small-amount drug possession as misdemeanor
A bill to lessen penalties for possessing and selling small amounts of drugs, including heroin and cocaine, narrowly passed out of the state House of Representatives Wednesday after a contentious debate.
The discussion over House Bill 3447 provoked strong emotions on both sides of the aisle, passing by a 61-49 vote, or just one more than was needed to pass.
Washington Examiner: Illinois cities fare poorly in small business startup study
Illinois fares poorly in a new study ranking the best small U.S. cities to start a small business.
The personal finance website WalletHub compared more than 1,300 cities with fewer than 100,000 residents using 20 key metrics. They ranged from small business growth rates, the cost of office space and labor costs.
WJBC: Bill to outlaw the release of 50 or more balloons passed the Illinois House
Up, up, and away? Not so fast.
A bill which has passed the Illinois House would limit to 49 or fewer the number of balloons you could launch at one time.
ABC Peoria: Gov. Pritzker issues Earth Day executive orders to advance clean energy efforts in Illinois
Recognizing Earth Day, Governor JB Pritzker signed two Executive Orders Thursday.
The orders pave the way for a new Utility Disconnection Avoidance Program to provide $80 million in assistance to households to avoid disconnections, and a State Fleet Working Group that will move the state towards low-emission and zero-emission vehicles for future purchases and leases.
The Center Square: Illinois lawmakers inch closer to codifying term limits for legislative leaders
Illinois lawmakers are poised to make leadership term limits of no more than ten consecutive years state law.
Before he resigned from the House earlier this year, Michael Madigan, D-Chicago, served in the state legislature for more than 50 years. Madigan served as House Speaker for 24 consecutive years from 1997 to 2021. For two years when Republicans had the majority in the House, Madigan was the Minority Leader. Before that, he served as Speaker for 12 years from 1983 to 1995.
Chicago Tribune: Op-ed: What’s an ideal fix for Illinois gerrymandering? An algorithmic approach
Illinois’ neighboring states all have Republican-controlled Houses and Senates. This state’s Democrat-controlled General Assembly is a Midwest anomaly. Given that we are now in the midst of redistricting season, which occurs once every decade, coinciding with the census, Democratic lawmakers in Illinois are salivating at the opportunity to redistrict to their advantage, with implications for the next 10 years.
Should they be so bold to exploit their political advantage?