Get the latest news from around Illinois.
The Center Square: Illinois’ Invest In Kids scholarship program taking applications
Scholarship Granting Organizations approved by Illinois’ Invest In Kids program are gearing up to give students money to go to a recognized private school of their choice.
Members of Illinois’ congressional delegation want there to be even more school choice amid COVID-19 closures in some districts.
Associated Press: Speaker: Illinois DCFS field workers need greater protection
The speaker of the Illinois House said the state’s child-welfare caseworkers need to be treated like frontline emergency responders after a Department of Children and Family Services investigator was killed last week during a home visit, the second such tragedy in four-and-a-half years.
Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch, a Hillside Democrat, was asked about the troubled agency during an interview Monday with The Associated Press, one of several sit-downs he had with Statehouse reporters to mark his first year in office.
State Journal-Register: Emanuel 'Chris' Welch reflects on his first year as Illinois' House speaker
One year after being named speaker of the Illinois House, Rep. Emanuel “Chris” Welch says he is proud of the accomplishments he and his colleagues achieved and he looks forward to building on that record.
“I actually thought 2021 was one heck of a year,” the Hillside Democrat said during a recent interview. “You know, we passed the historic, nation-leading Climate and Equitable Jobs Act, the CEJA bill. We protected and expanded voting rights. We made Illinois the beacon of hope for protecting reproductive rights and a refuge for women all around the country. The work that we did on the budget and restoring fiscal stability and credit upgrades, paying off a $2 billion loan and saving $82 million. Where do I end? We had a really great year, and certainly looking forward to building on that.”
NBC 5 Chicago: Illinois Prisons Pause County Intakes Due to Pandemic
The Illinois Department of Corrections has temporarily paused intakes from county jails because of COVID-19 outbreaks at prisons, the agency said Tuesday.
The affected prison facilities include the Graham, Logan, Menard and Northern Reception and Classification Centers, where county jails transport new admissions, it said.
Chicago Tribune: GOP candidate for state treasurer emerges along with candidates for lieutenant governor
State Rep. Tom Demmer of Dixon announced his candidacy for the Republican nomination for state treasurer Tuesday, stressing his opposition to tax increases and a desire to bring greater transparency to state spending.
Demmer, a deputy GOP leader in the House who has served in the chamber since 2013, is the first Republican to announce for the post held by Democrat Michael Frerichs since 2015.
The Center Square: Illinois Board of Higher Education asks for 7% increase in funding
The Illinois Board of Higher Education approved a $2.1 billion budget request for fiscal year 2023, a 7% or $139 million increase in general funds.
The board’s proposal recommends a 5% increase in funding for community colleges, which it says contributes more than $3.5 billion and 43,000 jobs to the Illinois economy.
State Journal-Register: Jesse White is running for secretary of state. No, not that Jesse White
The Libertarian Party of Illinois, a party with eight elected officials across Illinois, is running a candidate for secretary of state.
His name is Jesse White.