Pritzker: All Illinois Regions Have Met Conditions To Reopen
CHICAGO — The governor of Illinois has announced the end of a 10-week stay-at-home order meant to stem the spread of the deadly coronavirus. Gov. J.B. Pritzker said on Friday, the state will move to the third phase of his five-stage recovery plan, meaning manufacturing and retail business will resume, there will be outdoor dining and small social gatherings. Chicago, the nation’s third-largest city, which has been battered by the pandemic, will move more slowly. Mayor Lori Lightfoot says restrictions will be loosened next week, with city offices, parks and libraries to reopen in coming weeks. – Associated Press
Illinois Comptroller Says Legislators Won’t Get Pay Raise
SPRINGFIELD — Illinois Comptroller Susana Mendoza says the state’s legislators will not be getting raises in the next budget year, which begins July 1. Mendoza made her decision known in a video she released Wednesday. The issue of a pay raise for legislators came up as they debated budget details in the early-morning hours Sunday. Republican legislators balked at the idea of a raise being including in the state’s approximately $40 billion spending plan. While there is no language in the budget that prohibits a pay raise, it does not provide any money to cover the cost of a pay raise. – Associated Press
Positive COVID-19 Test For Worker At House Meeting Place
SPRINGFIELD — The chief of staff for Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan says a worker at the Springfield convention center where lawmakers met in special session last week has tested positive for COVID-19. In a Wednesday email to lawmakers, Jessica Basham said early indications are the individual had no interaction with lawmakers of staff members. According to Basham, the person who tested positive worked an eight-hour shift at the Bank of Springfield Center on May 21 and was not in the space that was used for the makeshift House floor or a public viewing area. Basham is urging those who were in attendance to be tested for the virus and self-isolate from others for 14 days. – Associated Press