(Springfield-jm) – Debate over all-gender bathrooms continued in the Illinois Legislature last week. The bill under consideration lets businesses convert their public restrooms into multi-occupancy genderless facilities. It would require bathroom stalls to be fully enclosed and prohibits urinals. Senator Celina Villanueva of Chicago says this will be helpful to families…
State Senator Celina Villanueva of Chicago. All-gender bathrooms wouldn’t be mandatory. Opponents argue that women don’t want to share a restroom with a man and that this could lead to sexual assault. Senator Andrew Chesney of Freeport opposed the bill…
State Senator Andrew Chesney of Freeport. Others raised concerns about a young girl potentially being alone with a man in the bathroom. Supporters say this is just another step to make Illinois more inclusive.
Representative Kelly Cassidy of Chicago said this shouldn’t be a big deal…
State Representative Kelly Cassidy of Chicago. Representative Dan Ugaste of Geneva had this to say…
State Representative Dan Ugaste of Geneva. This is not a requirement for businesses, just an option. It still needs to be signed into law by the Governor.
(Springfield-jm) – Income migration continues to hamper high tax states like Illinois. Data from the Internal Revenue Service shows an increased number of wealthy people leaving Illinois in 2021. In a typical year, Illinois would lose between $2 billion and $6 billion or $8 billion, but this is nearly $11 billion in annual wealth that Illinois has lost, more than the 49 other states on net.
(Springfield-jm) – Advocates are celebrating passage of bills giving victims of deepfakes and doxing civil recourse. The legislation aims to keep Illinois law up to date with the latest technology. Senator Mary Edly-Allen says deepfakes are digitally altered sexual images, used to harass or threaten someone…
State Senator Mary Edly-Allen. Doxing occurs when someone publishes a person’s personal information like their address, with the goal of causing harm. Under both bills, which must be signed into law by the Governor, victims will be able to sue their cyber-attacker for damages.
(Springfield-jm) – In an effort to prevent motorists from driving around stopped school buses, Illinois lawmakers have voted to allow for the stop arms of buses to be extended. Currently, stop arms extend only slightly from the bus. Under this proposal, the arms could stretch out much further, potentially reaching into other lanes of traffic. Several years ago, a bill was passed creating a pilot program for extended stop arms, but the program was never initiated.
(Springfield-jm) – The Democrat controlled General Assembly set May 19 as the adjournment date for the spring session. But the timeline for wrapping up the session and passing a budget has come and gone. The budget bill for the state of Illinois was not voted on Friday. The past few weeks have made putting a new state budget together more complicated. Estimates predict a drop in revenue, while lawmakers are also dealing with sticker shock for certain programs. It has resulted in a delay in the approval of a new spending plan for the fiscal year that starts July 1 as House and Senate Democrats continue to argue among themselves and could not get the job done. State Representative Chris Miller of Oakland said this is not the way a government should run…
State Representative Chris Miller of Oakland.
(Urbana-jm) – An Illinois college town is getting recognition by a national restaurant chain. Champaign-Urbana has been ranked second most popular college town in the nation by Chipotle Mexican Grill restaurants. Company officials said they based their rankings on average sales data for eateries near college campuses with more than 20,000 students. There are two Chipotle locations near the University of Illinois campus. Boulder, Colorado, topped the list.
(Paxton–jc) The second year of fun-raising for the Paxton pool was a success on Sunday in the city. Lunch, pool pass discounts to a foam party were highlights of the day at Coady park yesterday. Paxton Pool Fun-Raiser Spokesperson Tessa Pilcher says a big “thank you” goes out to all who helped…
Paxton Pool FunRaiser Spokesperson Tessa Pilcher
(Springfield-jm) – Another $150 million has been transferred to the Illinois Rainy Day Fund. Illinois Comptroller Susana Mendoza said the transfer is part of $850 million supplemental appropriations that was approved earlier this year. Mendoza said the fund total is now $1.7 billion, up from just $48,000 in August 2018.
(Springfield-jm) – The Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity has announced the launch of the Blue Collar Jobs Act Tax Credit application for eligible companies. The act is a bipartisan legislative package designed to promote economic expansion and growth in Illinois by incentivizing construction projects. The legislation makes $20 million in tax credits available per year for eligible companies. Eligible companies can receive tax credits equal to 75% of the income tax attributable to construction workers on eligible projects located in underserved areas, or 50% for projects located in other areas.
(Springfield-jm) – The Democrat controlled General Assembly set May 19 as the adjournment date for the spring session. But the timeline for wrapping up the session and passing a budget has come and gone. The budget bill for the state of Illinois was not voted on Friday. The past few weeks have made putting a new state budget together more complicated. Estimates predict a drop in revenue, while lawmakers are also dealing with sticker shock for certain programs. It has resulted in a delay on approval of a new spending plan for the fiscal year that starts July 1 as House and Senate Democrats continue to argue among themselves and could not get the job done. State Representative Mike Marron of Fithian said it’s unbelievable…
State Representative Mike Marron of Fithian.
(Urbana-jm) – The University of Illinois Urbana Champaign Police Department says a student reported that someone entered her apartment in the 0-100 block of E. John St. in Champaign around 1 a.m. Friday. The student reported that the intruder used the bathroom, entered the student's bedroom, and then left the apartment when he saw her.
(Washington-jm) – 2024 could be a very interesting year for pork producers. USDA is out with its new forecast. Gary Crawford reports…
(Paxton–jc) A new Veterans Center has opened in the State Street Mall in Paxton. The non-profit group is set to serve Veterans and families says Director Rebecca Rutledge…
Ford county Veterans Center Director Rebecca Rutledge. Those with questions and concerns are asked to stop by and start a conversation.
