Fitch Ratings - New York - 05 May 2022: Fitch Ratings has assigned a 'BBB+' rating to State of Illinois' GO bonds.
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CHICAGO (WGEM) - Gov. J.B. Pritzker, and other Democratic leaders, celebrated Thursday the announcement of another improved bond rating for Illinois.
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SPRINGFIELD (WGEM) - Gov. J.B. Pritzker joined House and Senate Democratic leaders in Chicago Wednesday to celebrate budget investments in youth. They believe the $46.5 billion plan will have an enormous positive impact on the well-being of young people throughout Illinois.
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The Illinois General Assembly passed a new budget while most residents were asleep or just waking up Saturday morning.
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When the Illinois Governor and legislative leaders announce they’ve reached a $45 billion deal, the smart money is that it’s a go. And in this instance that means that Illinois residents should expect to be refunded some of the money they’ve paid in government taxes.
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SPRINGFIELD — The day before the General Assembly is set to adjourn, Democratic leaders on Thursday announced they had reached an agreement on the state budget, touting more than $1.8 billion in tax relief for inflation-strapped residents.
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SPRINGFIELD — As news broke Wednesday afternoon that former House Speaker Michael Madigan was indicted on federal racketeering charges, lawmakers in the chamber he once led initially continued on with their business as if it were a normal legislative day.
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Former Illinois House Speaker and ex-Democratic Party boss Michael Madigan was indicted Wednesday in federal court with racketeering and taking bribes, according to the unsealed indictment.
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This week marks one year since Emanuel “Chris” Welch replaced Michael Madigan as Illinois’ House speaker.
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Dave Dahl interviews Chris Welch – Speaker of the Illinois House of Representatives
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Illinois’ top House Democrat Tuesday predicted passage of an anti-crime package aimed at confronting alarming rises in carjackings and organized retail thefts and possibly disarming Republicans of a potent election-year talking point.
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SPRINGFIELD – One year after being named speaker of the Illinois House, Rep. Emanuel “Chris” Welch says he is proud of the accomplishments he and his colleagues achieved and he looks forward to building on that record.
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SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WGEM) - Illinois House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch will celebrate one year as the chamber’s leader on Thursday. He hopes people look back at 2021 as a historic year for Illinois lawmakers, not just because he became the first Black Speaker in the state’s history, but due to the policies made into law.
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Illiniois State Representative Emanuel Welch addresses communities about the importance of getting vaccinated against COVID-19. Vaccines are available across the country, and communities are working hard to ensure that everyone has accurate information about the vaccines so that anyone who wants to be vaccinated has the opportunity to do so. In the meantime, it is important that we continue to follow health and safety guidelines.
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In the first full year of the Covid pandemic — as George Floyd’s murder in 2020 solidified into a nationwide reckoning with racial equity, as increasingly erratic weather events reinforced the brutal reality of climate change and as global threats to democratic governance trickled down to local municipalities — people everywhere were forced to confront new normals.
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SPRINGFIELD — The year 2021 was a time of change in Illinois politics and government, whether it was the ushering in of new leadership under the Capitol dome or the passage of consequential legislation that will fundamentally change how the state generates its electricity.
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The Low-Income Household Water Assistance Program is the latest state effort to help residents pay their utility bills. It joins a $327 million program announced in September to help residents with bills for their energy services.
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Applications for the latest round of funding are due by early January, with the state expecting to disburse the money beginning in February.
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A new generation of Illinois Democrats says it wants to break up the state’s infamous political hierarchy — but the old system was good at winning.
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It is easy to lose sight of all we have to be thankful for. After all, a deadly pandemic still rages on and searing political divisions remain — all threatening the ties that bind us together as Americans.
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