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CAPITOL RECAP: Numbers of hospitalizations, and patients in ICU or on ventilator, declining in...

UPDATED 1/21: Capitol Recap is a weekly roundup of Capitol News Illinois’ coverage of state government
Bill focuses on increasing supplier diversity in wind and solar projects

Aiming to increase diversity in wind and solar jobs, a proposed measure in the Illinois General Assembly would require more transparent reporting on the level of participation of minority-owned...
EDUCATOR SHORTAGES: Northwest Illinois school districts struggle with teacher, substitute teacher...

Schools were struggling filling teaching positions before the COVID-19 pandemic reached Illinois nearly two years ago. The challenges of educating students during a prolonged health crisis has been an...
EDUCATOR SHORTAGES: West central Illinois communities struggle with lack of teachers

Matt Plater has been in charge of school districts for more than two decades. Something is happening he’s never seen before. Jobs that used to draw hundreds of applications now get a dozen. More...

Latest COVID-19 surge has likely peaked, Pritzker says

Gov. JB Pritzker said Wednesday that he is “cautiously optimistic” that the recent surge in COVID-19 cases spurred by the omicron variant has peaked, but he cautioned that another variant...
Speaker names new House budget negotiation team

Illinois House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch announced a new House budget negotiation team Tuesday, led by House Majority Leader and chief budgeteer Greg Harris, D-Chicago.
Senate Republicans offer ‘voter empowerment’ amendments

Republicans in the Illinois Senate have again introduced a package of proposed constitutional amendments that they argue would give voters more of a direct say in the legislative process.
Republicans call for hearings into DCFS after worker and child deaths

Three Republican state House members called for hearings into the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services on Thursday out of concerns for workers’ safety, improper placements of...
Illinois DOC will pause intake of inmates due to COVID 19 surge

The Illinois Department of Corrections announced Tuesday that it would pause intake of inmates from county jails amid the COVID-19 surge.
COVID surge prompts multiple state responses

A continuing sharp spike in COVID-19 cases being driven by the omicron variant has pushed the state’s hospital capacity to its limits and is prompting the state to bring in additional health...

What We're Working On Today

Friday, Jan. 21

STORY: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Three Illinois chiefs of police testified before the House Public Safety and Violence Prevention Task Force as lawmakers continue to debate the merits of the 2021 SAFE-T Act.
Reporter: Peter Hancock
Word Count: 600-700
Photo: Yes
ETA: 4 p.m.

STORY: REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH SERVICES
The Regional Logistics Center in Fairview Heights near St. Louis will make sexual and reproductive health services, including abortion, more accessible. The RLC also intends to aid out-of-state women seeking health care services.
Reporter: Grace Kinnicutt
Word Count: 500-600
Photo: Yes
ETA: 4:30 p.m.

Listen to the latest Capitol Cast

Capitol News Illinois · Illinois' Teacher Shortage

A new survey suggests Illinois is suffering from a shortage of teachers and other educators. UIS Public Affairs Reporting program interns Andrew Adams, Taylor Vidmar and Grace Kinnicutt discuss their coverage of the issue. And look for our coverage of the IARSS annual survey on Tuesday!

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