Get the latest news from around Illinois.
State Journal-Register: Gov. JB Pritzker will ease Illinois mask mandate following new CDC guidance, officials say
Gov. JB Pritzker plans to relax his statewide mask mandate after federal health officials said Thursday mask-wearing is not necessary in most places for people who have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19.
That announcement on Friday from the Illinois Department of Public Health didn’t say when or how the governor’s executive orders would be changed after new guidance issued Thursday by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Capitol News Illinois: State’s revenue picture improves as economy recovers
Illinois budget officials said Thursday that revenues are flowing into state coffers at a faster pace than previously estimated, meaning lawmakers will have more money to work with as they try to finalize a new budget for the fiscal year that begins July 1.
The Governor’s Office of Management and Budget officially raised its revenue estimate for the current fiscal year by more than $1.4 billion and by $842 million for the upcoming fiscal year.
The Center Square: Illinois will 'blow past' $1 billion in cannabis sales this year, Chamber of Commerce president says
Illinois’ cannabis industry is growing up fast with adult-use recreational cannabis sales expected to hit $1 billion by year-end.
In March alone, Illinoisans spent $110 million on weed for fun, Newsweek reported.
Capitol News Illinois: Former LaSalle home administrators misled Pritzker administration, officials claim
Top officials from Gov. JB Pritzker’s administration claimed Thursday that they were misled by leadership at the state Department of Veterans’ Affairs regarding a deadly COVID-19 outbreak at the state-run LaSalle Veterans’ Home.
Deputy Gov. Sol Flores and Illinois Department of Public Health Director Ngozi Ezike said, as a result of this misinformation, they were unaware of the breakdown in basic infection control protocols at LaSalle that led to a November COVID-19 outbreak that killed 36 veterans.
The Center Square: Study shows smaller housing opportunities disappearing in Illinois
The COVID-19 pandemic has taken a toll on building owners in Illinois, including those dealing with tenants who refuse to pay rent and restrictions on what they can do with their properties.
The changes to the housing landscape is detailed in a study by the Institute for Housing Studies at DePaul University. In high-cost communities, many times buildings were replaced with single-family homes, and in lower-cost neighborhoods, the structures were often torn down.