Term limits popular with local voters, but Illinois state lawmakers try to blunt reforms

By Vincent Caruso

01/02/2019

Since 2014 alone, voters in 11 suburban Cook County communities approved term limits on elected leaders. A bill in the Illinois General Assembly seeks to curb those reforms.

TAGS: Chris Welch, harvey, Sam McCann, term limits

How a ballot selfie could put you in jail in Illinois

By Austin Berg

09/27/2018

There are clear First Amendment issues with outlawing this kind of political speech.

TAGS: Chris Welch, First Amendment, Illinois Election Code, voting

Cursive mandate greets Illinois elementary school students this fall

By Vincent Caruso

08/21/2018

Lawmakers overrode the governor’s veto of a 2017 bill mandating cursive instruction in all public elementary schools in Illinois. That measure becomes law this year.

TAGS: Bruce Rauner, Chris Welch, ISFRC: Illinois School Funding Reform Commission, unfunded mandates

New bill would allow state to place a lien on business owners’ property for unpaid wage allegations

By Joe Kaiser

02/27/2018

A bill in the Illinois House of Representatives would allow the Illinois Department of Labor to place a lien on a business owner's property should he or she fail to respond to an allegation of unpaid wages within five days.

TAGS: Chris Welch, Department of Labor, jobs, lien, small business, taxes

New bill would hike, expand obscure tax for Illinois small businesses

By Amy Korte

02/26/2018

State Rep. Emanuel "Chris" Welch has proposed a measure that would increase by 400 percent the personal property replacement tax imposed on partnerships, LLCs and other types of businesses.

TAGS: Chris Welch, small business, taxes

Illinois General Assembly passes cursive writing mandate

By Joe Kaiser

11/08/2017

Despite the potential for imposing new costs on school districts, Illinois lawmakers overrode Gov. Bruce Rauner’s veto on a bill mandating cursive writing instruction.

TAGS: Bruce Rauner, Chris Welch, education

October marks Illinois’ first-ever ‘zombie preparedness month’

By Joe Kaiser

10/31/2017

A resolution introduced by state Rep. Chris Welch, D-Westchester, and passed by the Illinois House designated October as “Zombie Preparedness Month.”

TAGS: Chris Welch

House overrides Rauner veto on cursive writing mandate

By Joe Kaiser

10/27/2017

Despite the potential for imposing new costs on school districts, the Illinois House of Representatives overrode Gov. Bruce Rauner’s veto on legislation mandating cursive writing instruction.

TAGS: Chris Welch, education

Rauner vetoes cursive writing mandate

By Joe Kaiser

09/25/2017

A bill that would have mandated cursive writing instruction in public elementary schools contained an unknown cost for school districts.

TAGS: Bruce Rauner, Chris Welch, education, veto

‘Illinois math’ in one tweet

By Michael Lucci

07/05/2017

The Land of Lincoln needs to end the phony math and restructure its debts and pensions. But legislative incompetence will keep the state in a death spiral.

TAGS: budget, Chris Welch