Illinois General Assembly

The Illinois House adopted new rules on Wednesday that Democrats say are intended to make the legislative process more transparent, but Republicans argue they don’t go far enough in reforming how the General Assembly operates.

The new rules represent one of the first attempts by newly-elected House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch to break from the practices and traditions of his predecessor, former Speaker Michael Madigan. Madigan’s opponents claimed he exercised vast authority to decide which bills would be assigned to committees, which ones would come to the floor for a vote, and which ones would not.

When Emanuel “Chris” Welch was elected House Speaker last month, he stated his intention to revise the rules that govern committees and the procedures for conducting business in the Illinois House of Representatives, including those pertaining to the introduction of new bills.

In its annual report to the General Assembly, the Illinois Supreme Court asked lawmakers to consider seven decisions it issued during 2020, including three in criminal cases.

The three criminal law cases pertain to three separate areas of the state’s criminal code: stalking, regulations for sex offenders in public spaces and obstruction of justice by providing false information.

On Thursday, Illinois House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch announced the committees and their respective chairs for the 102nd General Assembly, including the addition of six new committees.

The committee announcement comes as Welch canceled all but one of the House session days that had been set for next month.

Editor’s note: This story is part of an ongoing “Lame Duck Look Back” series in which Capitol News Illinois is following up on the major bills that passed both chambers of the General Assembly in the Jan. 8-13 lame duck session.

SPRINGFIELD — The Illinois General Assembly last week pushed through legislation to allow victims in all personal injury and wrongful death cases to collect interest on money they were awarded by a court starting from the moment the alleged injury or death took place.

A southern Illinois lawmaker is reflecting on his time in the State Senate.

Republican Paul Schimpf of Waterloo decided not to seek a second term because he was being considered for a federal judgeship.

A southeastern Illinois House Republican collapsed during a session of the General Assembly over the weekend.

Illinois lawmakers are calling for hearings on the state's response to COVID-19.

In a bipartisan virtual news conference, Senator Sue Rezin said there should be more transparency about why decisions are being made, and that legislators need to have a voice during the pandemic.

The Illinois House on Monday postponed its session in Springfield until danger from spreading COVID-19 abates. 

The Illinois House Tuesday approved 15-percent pay increases for incoming cabinet members.

The 49 positions include the director of prisons, the transportation secretary and the directors of other agencies governing human services, health care, the environment and more.

It's been two months since Patrick Windhorst won his race to represent the 118th district in the Illinois House.

Since then, the Metropolis republican says he's been busy learning the process ahead of Wednesday's swearing-in ceremony.

With time against them, Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner and top  leaders met again Tuesday morning to talk about adopting a budget before next month.

The Illinois House and Senate passed a measure Thursday that would require the governor to disclose his total office staff ... and pay them all from his own payroll.

It started as an initiative called the "Truth in Hiring Act" ... which came from Comptroller Susana Mendoza, a Democrat up for re-election.

A central Illinois lawmaker is working with Attorney General Lisa Madigan to protect student loan borrowers from losing professional licenses as they work to pay off their debt.

Illinois lawmakers are turning to marijuana to fight opioid abuse.

The Senate voted Thursday to allow doctors to prescribe medical marijuana as an alternative to opioids.

The Illinois legislature is back in town this week and Governor Bruce Rauner is outlining a to do list for lawmakers.

Items on the governor's agenda include passing term limits, pension reform and most importantly...a solid spending plan for the new fiscal year.

A bill has been proposed in the Illinois General Assembly that would put term limits on four legislative positions.

The Illinois House dealt a series of rebukes to Governor Bruce Rauner Wednesday.

Republicans joined Democrats to override nearly a dozen of the governor’s vetoes.

Another Illinois legislator will not be seeking re-election.

State Representative Sara Wojcicki Jimenez is from Leland Grove, near Springfield.

With the Illinois legislative session scheduled to end on Wednesday, lawmakers were busy trying to deal with some measures still needing action.

A union of healthcare, child care, home care and nursing home workers is endorsing democratic candidates in five southern Illinois legislative races.

Illinois lawmakers are planning to return to the State Capitol Thursday to continue working on a temporary budget deal.

Illinois Public Radio's Amanda Vinicky reports that's as big a sign as any of actual movement since the lawmakers were supposed to be in Springfield Wednesday only.

Legislators who've been privately working for the past month to craft a temporary budget have one drafted.  But that doesn't make it a done deal.

The strain of going nearly a year without a budget ... coupled with doubt a full deal can be reached in the near future ... have made a temporary budget the priority.

The Illinois House was supposed to be back in Springfield Wednesday. Not anymore.

A bill to reopen the Hardin County Work Camp is headed to the governor's desk.

The Illinois Senate Monday joined the House in passing the measure that would require the Illinois Department of Corrections to operate the facility.

Wednesday afternoon President Barack Obama returned to the Illinois State Capitol. In the place where his political career began ... he spoke to lawmakers about reaching across the bitter divide in American politics.