News

Illinois and 52 state financial regulatory agencies have taken coordinated action against mortgage company Bayview Asset Management LLC, and three of its affiliates, Lakeview Loan Servicing, Community Loan Servicing, and Pingora Holdings (collectively the Bayview Companies), for deficient cybersecurity practices and for not fully cooperating with state regulators following a data breach that impacted 5.8 million customers.

SPRINGFIELD - Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (Illinois EPA) Director James Jennings has announced a new partnership with Recycle Coach to provide all Illinois residents in 6,835 units of local government a holistic, locally-tailored, easy to access recycling education platform. In the coming months, Recycle Coach will be engaging counties and municipalities across the state to ensure all Illinois residents are afforded the opportunity to have their community participate in this opportunity. Use of the program will decrease inbound contamination at material recovery facilities in Illinois, increase the amount of material diverted from Illinois landfills, prevent environmental contamination, and ultimately reduce emissions that contribute to climate change.

Applications are now being accepted by the Illinois Conservation Foundation (ICF) for the 2025 Conservation Achievement Scholarship program. The ICF annually awards scholarships to outstanding high school seniors in Illinois who demonstrate effective, voluntary, long-term dedication to the preservation, protection or enhancement of Illinois’ natural resources.

Illinois and 47 state financial regulatory agencies have taken coordinated action against Block, Inc., for violations of Bank Secrecy Act (BSA) and anti-money laundering (AML) laws that safeguard the financial system from illicit use.

House Speaker Emanuel 'Chris' Welch announced the 2025 House Committee chair for 2025. In a bipartisan move, Speaker Welch appointed a Republican to lead the Veterans Affairs Committee. A press release and list of committee chairs are available by clicking on the title of this story.

The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) announced that in line with the national trend, the state’s overall respiratory illness level has ticked up from Moderate to High, driven by an expected early winter jump in hospital admissions.

On Monday, January 6, 2025, the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services (HFS) announced it has been chosen by the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to participate in the new Transforming Maternal Health (TMaH) Model, which seeks to improve maternal health outcomes by implementing a more whole-person approach to care. The federal program will provide $17 million in critical funding over 10 years to help Illinois Medicaid and other awarded state Medicaid agencies develop and pilot a more comprehensive and integrated approach to addressing physical health, mental health and social needs throughout the pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum care continuum.

The Illinois State Treasurer's Office recently notified nearly 2,000 government entities that they own unclaimed property that needs to be returned to them. Much of these government entities will not be expecting this news, that is why State Treasurer Michael Frerichs Office created the Local Government Partnership Program to help spread the message.

The Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) is currently accepting applications for the 2025 DCFS Scholarship Program. Through the program, a minimum of 53 academic scholarships will be awarded to current and former youth in care for the upcoming school year, with four awards reserved for the children of veterans and two awards presented to students pursuing degrees in social work in honor of Pamela Knight and Deidre Silas, two DCFS caseworkers who succumbed to injuries sustained in the line of duty.

The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) announced that a number of new laws and rules designed to strengthen the public health system will go into effect on New Year's Day, January 1, 2025. "The Illinois Department of Public Health is excited to see new laws and rules go into effect this New Year to improve the health of Illinois's public," said IDPH Director Dr. Sameer Vohra. "We appreciate the leadership of Governor JB Pritzker, the Illinois General Assembly and the Joint Committee on Administrative Rules (JCAR) in advancing solutions that protect our residents and make our Illinois communities healthier."

The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) announced that a number of new laws and rules designed to strengthen the public health system will go into effect on New Year’s Day, January 1, 2025.

Illinoisans seeking to file a charge of discrimination, harassment, or retaliation will soon have more time to file with the Illinois Department of Human Rights (IDHR) after the date of the incident, in most cases. Effective January 1, 2025, a new law expands the statute of limitations on non-housing cases from 300 days to 2 years.

Workers in Illinois who provide personal care to family members are protected from employment discrimination based on family responsibilities as of January 1, 2025. Illinois is now one of fewer than 10 states to provide employment protections for family caregivers.

Illinoisans seeking to file a charge of discrimination, harassment, or retaliation will soon have more time to file with the Illinois Department of Human Rights (IDHR) after the date of the incident, in most cases. Effective January 1, 2025, a new law expands the statute of limitations on non-housing cases from 300 days to 2 years.

The Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES) announced today that nonfarm payrolls were down -3,400 while the unemployment rate was unchanged at 5.3 percent in November, based on preliminary data provided by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), and released by IDES. The October monthly change in payrolls was revised from the preliminary report, from -2,400 to +8,400, while the revised unemployment rate was 5.3 percent, unchanged from the preliminary October unemployment rate. The November payroll jobs estimate and unemployment rate reflect activity for the week including the 12th.

On Thursday, December 19, 2024, the Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) approved Commonwealth Edison’s refiled multi-year grid plan (2024-2027) with modifications. The Commission approved $1.5 billion in investments and system improvements needed to strengthen power grid reliability and support the ongoing electrification of the state’s power system. The decision cut the utility’s proposed $2.0 billion in spending by approximately 25 percent.

As part of continuing its mission to capture accurate and consistent court data from all 102 counties, the Illinois Supreme Court announced the creation of a Data Task Force (Task Force). Data is crucial to state courts for effective case management, court performance, allocating resources efficiently, making informed decisions, understanding the communities the courts serve, and maintaining public trust through transparency and accountability.

With 25 crashes related to violations, 12 state troopers have been injured, and Chicagoland remains a hotspot for these dangerous incidents. Scott’s Law requires drivers to slow down and change lanes when approaching any vehicle with flashing emergency lights. Violators face serious consequences, including hefty fines, license suspensions, and possible jail time for severe offenses. In the past eight weeks alone, six crashes tied to Scott’s Law violations occurred in the Chicago area, with three state troopers injured badly enough to require hospitalization. State Police say these incidents highlight the ongoing risks they face daily.

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WAND) — Minimum wage workers will see an increase on their paystubs in 2025. Minimum wage workers are not the only ones who can see an increase on their wages. “So for tipped workers you know, it goes up to $9 dollars an hour. It was set at 8 dollars and 40 cents, so it goes up to nine. And, for those child workers or those under the age of 18, it will go up to $13 dollars," explained Jason Keller, the Assistant Director for the Illinois Department of Labor. . This is the 7th and final minimum wage increase, with the first one being in January of 2020.

A monumental sports betting handle in October led to a 24.5% year-over-year increase and a new record for the amount wagered in the Land of Lincoln. The Illinois Gaming Board recently reported a monthly handle of $1.45 billion, ahead of the previous high of $1.37 billion set in November 2023. Dollars wagered in October surpassed September by over 10% and $40 billion by the state all time.

SPRINGFIELD – The minimum wage in Illinois is increasing on January 1st, 2025. Workers will see an increase of $1 per hour from $14 to $15. The minimum wage for tipped workers will rise to $9 per hour and youth workers (under 18) working fewer than 650 hours per calendar year will see their hourly wage increase to $13 per hour. "Since day one of my administration, I’ve made it my mission to build an economy that works for everyone and raising the minimum wage to $15 an hour fulfills that promise to our working families," said Governor JB Pritzker. "This increase honors the workers who power our state and ensures they can better support their families, bringing us closer to a stronger, more equitable economy for all." "For too long, Illinois' working families have contributed to our shared home without fair compensation," said Lt. Governor Juliana Stratton. "The increased minimum wage is a long-overdue recognition of those who keep us moving forward. I’m grateful to be part of an administration that keeps its word to the people we serve."

SPRINGFIELD – On Monday, December 16, 2024, Governor JB Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Natural Resources announced than more than $55.2 million in grant funding was awarded to 100 local park projects throughout Illinois to help communities acquire land and develop recreational opportunities. For the third year in a row, the governor ensured funding was set aside for economically distressed communities, resulting in 29 underserved locations receiving $17.3 million in grants from the Open Space Land Acquisition and Development, or OSLAD, program.

SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois Department of Labor (IDOL) is reminding job seekers and employers that, effective January 1, 2025, all job postings made by employers with 15 or more employees will need to include pay scale and benefit information. This amendment to the Illinois Equal Pay Act of 2003 (IL EPA) was contained in HB 3129, passed by the General Assembly and signed into law by Governor JB Pritzker in 2023. The amendment brings greater transparency to the hiring process by giving prospective employees the opportunity to learn about what compensation and benefits the employer will offer for an open job position. Employers will also be required to extend transparency in opportunities by informing current employees about all open job postings, so that they might choose to apply. Click on the title for more information.

The Illinois Gaming Board (IGB) issued a new casino owners’ license to Wind Creek IL LLC d/b/a Wind Creek Chicago Southland in Homewood and East Hazel Crest during today’s final meeting of 2024. Before the Board voted on licensure, representatives from the casino addressed the Board about their suitability for licensure providing highlights of their operations since opening and sharing their future plans.

Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Acting Director James Jennings today announced a new funding opportunity to assist communities where there are currently no wastewater collection and/or treatment facilities. Illinois EPA is making $1 million available for grants through the Unsewered Communities Planning Grant Program, which will assist small and disadvantaged communities in developing a project plan that identifies a solution to wastewater collection and treatment needs. A Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) has been posted to the Illinois EPA website.