News

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.

The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Office of Energy is announcing a fourth Notice of Funding Opportunity available to municipalities and counties through the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant (EECBG) Program for the completion of energy efficiency building audits and/or building upgrades identified in a published energy or climate action plan. Awards for projects will range from $50,000 to $250,000 with a total award distribution over $1,000,000. Examples of eligible projects include installation of insulation, energy efficiency lighting, HVAC upgrades, weather sealing, and retrofit and/or replacement of windows and doors in publicly owned buildings.

SPRINGFIELD —Illinois Environmental Protection Agency Acting Director James Jennings today announced that the Agency's Office of Energy has awarded $285,400 in the third funding round of the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant (EECBG) Program. The Illinois EECBG Program supports municipalities and counties with the development or revision of existing strategic energy or climate action plans, as well as supplemental energy efficiency audits and publicly owned building upgrades.

Illinois high schools are invited to register for the free Illinois Invent2Prevent(I2P) school safety and prevention program, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), running from January to May 2025. The I2P program is managed by Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (SIUE) and EdVenture Partners, in partnership with the Illinois Emergency Management Agency and Office of Homeland Security (IEMA-OHS).

The Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) is reminding consumers that Illinois' winter weather rule will take effect from December 1 - March 31. The winter weather rule prohibits utilities from disconnecting eligible customers who use electric or gas as their primary source of home heating. "Frigid winters are a given in Illinois. The state's winter weather rule offers peace-of-mind for individuals and families who might otherwise be struggling to stay warm during the coldest months of the year," said ICC Chairman Doug Scott.

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WAND) — State lawmakers left Springfield last week without addressing several plans that could prevent gun violence. Democrats and gun control advocates are not giving up their fight to make communities safer. Many hoped gun control would be a major priority for lawmakers during veto session, but that period has come and gone. Now, lawmakers and advocates are determined to get guns out of the wrong hands during lame duck session in early January.

The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) is reminding Illinoisans to celebrate the 2024 Thanksgiving holiday safely by taking precautions to protect everyone from foodborne illnesses as well as uninvited guests - those seasonal viruses that may be circulating. Hosts can protect their guests by following basic food safety steps, including keeping hot foods hot, cold foods cold, and properly thawing frozen turkeys before roasting them.

The Illinois Housing Development Authority (IHDA) and Corporation for Supportive Housing (CSH) announced today that development teams can now apply to participate in its Supportive Housing Institute (SHI), a program designed to equip teams with the tools and knowledge to navigate the complex process of developing and financing affordable housing with supportive services. SHI will provide technical assistance, training, and additional resources to teams who look to access funding through federal and state initiatives like IHDA's Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH) Development Program.

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.