News

With nearly half a million dollars of state funding, a new electric vehicle charging station opened in Joliet on Monday. It is the first of hundreds of charging stations set to be installed over the next 18 months as part of a state-funded grant program. That growth in chargers is important as Illinois aims to rapidly transition toward having more electric vehicle drivers. As of last week, there were about 120,000 EVs on Illinois roads, while the state’s goal is to have 1 million on the road by 2030.

A plan moving in Springfield could require the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services to prioritize placing youth with their relatives. More than 10,000 youth in care currently live with relatives. Yet, over 60% of those caregivers are denied foster care benefits necessary to care for young people. House Bill 4781 requires DCFS to pursue federal funding to establish a kinship navigator program to help relatives who have youth in care.

The new protocols have been implemented to curb threats to the Capitol, the Secretary of State’s Office announced in a memo sent out Monday. The new rules all took effect Tuesday, Nov. 19. Some threats from earlier this year include a bomb threat in March and a threatening 911 call in April. In early January, the FBI was investigating several state capitols that received bomb threats on the same day, including the Illinois State Capitol.

Lawmakers and special interest groups want the state to enforce existing law that requires nursing home operators to meet staffing requirements. At a news conference Tuesday in Springfield, Illinois AARP Senior Director of Advocacy and Outreach Ryan Gruenenfelder said that in 2010, staffing standards were imposed to ensure patients' needs were met.

The Illinois Department of Natural Resources Coastal Management Program has awarded $1,075,395 in grants to Illinois organizations for coastal education, recreation, water quality protection, planning, and design and engineering projects along the Lake Michigan shoreline. Through a federal-state partnership with the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration, or NOAA, Illinois will pass through these federal funds to support local efforts that protect and restore the Illinois coast, reflecting both a national and local interest in Great Lakes restoration.

On Tuesday, November 19, 2024, Governor JB Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) announced $857,000 in grant funding was awarded to 11 certified local tourism and convention bureaus across the state. This funding was awarded through the International Tourism Grant Program as part of efforts to grow Illinois' tourism industry.

More than 350 students in grades fourth through eighth will visit Illinois state historic sites this school year thanks to grant funding through the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) State Historic Sites Field Trip Grant program.

The Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES) announced on Friday, November 15, 2024, that nonfarm payrolls were down -2,400 while the unemployment rate was unchanged at 5.3 percent in September, based on preliminary data provided by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), and released by IDES. The September monthly change in payrolls was revised from the preliminary report, from +7,100 to -15,800, while the revised unemployment rate was 5.3 percent, unchanged from the preliminary September unemployment rate. The October payroll jobs estimate and unemployment rate reflect activity for the week including the 12th.

ISACo has prepared a summary of the 2024 election results for Illinois. Incumbents prevailed in Congressional races, Democrats retained their supermajorities in the General Assembly, voters approved three advisory ballot referenda and several counties cast symbolic votes to secede from the State. More information is available by clicking on the title of this story.

Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (Illinois EPA) Acting Director James Jennings today announced an additional $400,000 in funding available to units of local government to conduct collection and disposal of household sharps for their residents. With this funding, Illinois EPA has made $1 million available to units of local government for this program in calendar year 2024. Sharps, including needles, syringes, and lancets, collected from private citizens are a household waste. Through the grant program, Illinois EPA provides funding for grantees to operate a sharps collection station, as defined in Section 3.458 of the Illinois Environmental Protection Act, and disposal of the collected sharps as Potentially Infectious Medical Waste (PIMW) rather than comingled with other household items.

The Illinois Attorney General has got extra staff working on Election Day to keep the election as free from interference as possible. More than 200 investigators and assistant attorney generals will be working on the day to monitor the election and polling places for illegal activities and to ensure all polling places remain accessible.

The Government Alliance for Safe Communities (GASC) today announced a commitment to invest $100 million across City, County, and State government partners to sustain and scale critical community violence intervention (CVI) programming across the region. Comprised of leadership and key representatives from funding agencies at the State, County and City, GASC was formed in 2021 to strengthen the community safety ecosystem in the greater Chicago region.

The Kane County Board has approved a comprehensive Economic Development Strategic Plan aimed at addressing the county's changing economic landscape and emerging challenges. The plan outlines the framework for the County's first Economic Development Corporation, a nonprofit entity created as a public-private partnership to coordinate economic efforts countywide. The organization is now operational, with its initial board of directors including local business representatives Steve Pitstick, Sean McCarthy, and Austin Dempsey, along with two additional representatives from county government and more members to be appointed later as outlined in upcoming bylaws. While the county provides initial funding and board positions, the corporation is expected to be primarily led by private industry.

Today, November 1, 2024, is the kickoff for Open Enrollment on the Get Covered Illinois Health Insurance Marketplace, with 11 health insurance companies offering plans. Illinoisans can enroll through January 15th. "The Get Covered Illinois Marketplace has a total of 347 health plans offered throughout the state this year,” said IDOI Director Ann Gillespie. “So, we want every Illinoisan in need of health insurance coverage to know that quality, affordable, coverage is available. Our Get Covered Illinois Navigators are certified and trained to help you choose the right plan for your needs, walk you through the enrollment process, and find out if you qualify for financial assistance. Just visit GetCoveredIllinois.gov." The Illinois Department of Insurance also released health insurance rates for the 2025 Plan Year. Plan availability and rates will vary based on where a consumer lives. In some areas of the state, consumers will see a decrease in health insurance premiums, and other areas will see increases, with the majority of counties having rate changes between -6% and 10% (in the second-lowest cost Silver plan). The average rate change across all rating areas for the second lowest cost Silver plans is a 0% increase. *

The Illinois Department of Central Management Services (CMS) received the 2024 Aetna Workplace Well-being Platinum Award this week, marking the third year in a row CMS achieved Aetna’s highest recognition at the Platinum level. This award is designed to recognize employers that create and support a healthier workplace with impactful programming, tools, and resources to help employees navigate their well-being journey.

Governor JB Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) today announced open applications for State-Designated Cultural Districts in Illinois. State-Designated Cultural Districts are communities, towns, or specific geographic areas that have a distinct shared historical and cultural identity that binds the community together. Once selected, the State plans to make $3 million available to State-Designated Cultural Districts, and through the designations, aims to uplift the unique contributions of historic cultural districts with the goal of increasing economic development opportunities.

The Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR) announced on Wednesday, October 30, 2024, the launch of the Comprehensive Online Regulatory Environment (CORE), its new online licensing system, for the first set of IDFPR-licensed professionals. The new online process eliminates the need for paper applications, gives applicants more control over their application materials, and helps prevent deficient applications from being submitted. In addition to creating a streamlined online application process, CORE features a simplified review process for all license applications received by IDFPR.

Illinois State Treasurer Michael Frerichs announced today that Illinois' Bright Start 529 College Savings Plan has again earned top rankings from Morningstar, keeping the plan among the best in the nation. "Being recognized as a strong advocate for Illinois families is an honor," said Treasurer Frerichs, who serves as the Trustee and Administrator of Bright Start 529 College Savings. "Every day we work diligently to keep fees low, provide a high-quality range of investment options, and ensure a family's hard-earned savings goes toward the cost of college or vocational school."

The Illinois Emergency Management Agency and Office of Homeland Security (IEMA-OHS) was notified by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) on October 28, 2024, of two grant opportunities for non-profit organizations across Illinois. Available funding for these two grant opportunities for the Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 Nonprofit Security Grant Program National Security Supplemental (NSGP-NSS) is $210 million nationally. The FY 2024 Urban Area Nonprofit Security Grant Program National Security Supplemental (NSGP-NSS-UASI) will provide a total of $105 million nationally to eligible 501(c) (3) organizations who are deemed at high-risk of a potential terrorist attack and are located in one of the FY 2024 UASI-eligible urban areas. The designated urban area for Illinois is Cook County.

The State Treasurer’s Office made more than $130 million in investment earnings from the state investment portfolio in September, Illinois Treasurer Michael Frerichs announced on Monday, October 28, 2024. Treasurer Frerichs is the state’s Chief Investment and Banking Officer. He is responsible for investing revenue in the state investment portfolio. During 2024, Frerichs’ Office has earned nearly $1.19 billion for the state portfolio.

Paid voting leave laws require employers to pay their employees for time off to cast their ballots if their schedule interferes with active working hours. Kentucky, Illinois, Missouri, and Tennessee have laws mandating paid voters leave:

The Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) is encouraging eligible natural gas customers to enroll in the state’s new Low-Income Discount Rates. Beginning October 2024, these rates will offer a 5-83 percent monthly bill credit for qualifying customers based on a five-tier system. Discount tiers are based on income, household size, and the cost of utility service offered in the area.

The Illinois State Association of Counties' Environment, Energy, and Land Use Committee held its monthly meeting on Thursday, October 24. The Committee heard from two guest speakers on recycling matters. ISACo's Environment, Energy, and Land Use Committee discusses and formulates ISACo policies about air, water, energy, and land use. In addition, the Committee serves as a forum for counties to share information and best practices about their activities. Click on the title for more information about the committee meeting.

Over-the-year, total nonfarm jobs increased in nine metropolitan areas and decreased in five for the year ending September 2024, according to data released today by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) and the Illinois Department of Employment Security (DES). Over-the-year, the unemployment rate decreased in eight areas, increased in five, and was unchanged in one.

The Illinois Housing Development Authority (IHDA) and the Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) announced today that affordable housing developers can now apply to participate in the latest round of the Next Gen Capacity Building Initiative (Next Gen), a program designed to expand the talent pipeline and increase diversity within the housing development field and related industries. Next Gen provides capital, training, and technical assistance to reduce barriers to accessing funding resources administered by the state, with a focus on the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) program. “Here in Illinois, we are building a future where everyone has access to affordable, quality housing – and that starts with empowering diverse affordable housing developers,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “By equipping BIPOC developers with the training and resources they need, the Next Gen Capacity Building Initiative is boosting the supply of affordable homes and paving the way for a more inclusive housing industry. I highly encourage all eligible developers to apply for this program as we work to break down barriers and ensure our housing industry reflects the full diversity of Illinois.”