By ANDREW ADAMSCapitol News Illinoisaadams@capitolnewsillinois.com CHICAGO — State regulators are again considering massive electric utility spending plans that would affect the state’s climate goals – and 5.4 million electric customers’ monthly bills – after rejecting previous versions late last year. The Illinois Commerce Commission forced the state’s two major electric utilities, Commonwealth Edison and Ameren […]

By ALEX ABBEDUTO, COLE LONGCOR  and JERRY NOWICKICapitol News Illinoisnews@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – The annual process of negotiating the state budget kicked off Wednesday with Gov. J.B. Pritzker proposing a $52.7 billion spending plan that includes hundreds of millions of dollars in new spending and tax increases, particularly for businesses.  The governor’s proposal to generate more […]

By JERRY NOWICKI Capitol News Illinoisjnowicki@capitolnewsillinois.com  SPRINGFIELD – Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Wednesday proposed growing state spending by about $1.8 billion in the upcoming fiscal year while making a handful of corporate, sports wagering, and other tax changes to pay for the increase.  Pritzker’s plan, laid out to lawmakers during his annual budget address, does not […]

By JERRY NOWICKICapitol News Illinoisjnowicki@capitolnewsillinois.com Gov. J.B. Pritzker will give his sixth state budget address this week, laying out his plan for a fiscal year that government forecasters in November predicted is on pace for a near-$900 million deficit unless corrective action is taken. Those same fiscal forecasters in the Governor’s Office of Management and […]

By ANDREW ADAMS Capitol News Illinoisaadams@capitolnewsillinois.com CHICAGO – The Illinois Commerce Commission on Thursday curtailed proposed rate hikes and rejected grid plans from two major electric utilities, mirroring a series of bombshell decisions rendered last month that cut increases for Illinois’ four largest gas utilities.    The ICC rejected the pair of plans from Commonwealth Edison […]

With Illinois lawmakers scheduled to return to legislative session in less than a month, a recent government fiscal forecast provides an overview of the budgeting landscape that awaits them.  The bottom line from the five-year forecast from the Governor’s Office of Management and Budget: The current fiscal year is now projected to end with a […]

By PETER HANCOCKCapitol News Illinoisphancock@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – The U.S. Supreme Court issued two orders this week turning down requests to block enforcement of Illinois’ assault weapons ban while challenges to the law are still being heard in lower courts. On Wednesday, Justice Amy Coney Barrett turned down a request from Republican state Rep. Dan Caulkins, of Decatur, […]

By DILPREET RAJUCapitol News Illinoisdraju@capitolnewsillinois.com A new state health report pinpoints racism as a public health crisis while also noting Illinois needs to improve in the areas of maternal and infant health, mental health, and substance use disorders. The broad goals are laid out in a draft of the State Health Improvement Plan, which will […]

By ANDREW ADAMSCapitol News Illinoisaadams@capitolnewsillinois.com CHICAGO – Regulators at the Illinois Commerce Commission have unanimously approved rate hikes for four major natural gas utilities, but the little-known regulatory body’s decision was perhaps more notable for what it rejected. The five-member board Thursday flexed its regulatory muscle, slashing the utilities’ requested rate increases by as much […]