Illinois in Focus

By The Center SquareNews

Illinois in Focus episodes

September 10, 2021 Episode 155: Lawmaker asks Pritzker for clear goalposts on mask mandate
A state lawmaker says residents are demanding clear goalposts to aim for to relax COVID-19 mitigations such as mask mandates.
Nearing 20 months into the COVID-19 pandemic, executive orders from Gov. J.B. Pritzker on a variety of things – ranging from economic restrictions to masks in schools – have gone unchecked by the Democrat-controlled General Assembly.
Republican state Rep. Mark Batinick, R-Plainfield, said that has to change.
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47 min
September 03, 2021 Episode 154: Republicans ask Pritzker to veto legislative maps
Illinois Republicans want Gov. J.B. Pritzker to veto the legislative maps Democrats passed this week. Maps drafted in May were passed by majority Democrats at the statehouse.
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37 min
August 27, 2021 Episode 153: Pritzker mandates vaccines and masks indoors
Pritzker mandates vaccines and masks indoors, state lawmakers prepare to revise maps and more
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53 min
August 20, 2021 Episode 152: School board member's medical license threatened over mask stance
A school board member's medical license threatened over mask stance with sustained objections to the state's mask mandate in schools. There are also challenges to the state and federal eviction moratorium. And, the Illinois State Fair is ongoing.
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54 min
August 13, 2021 Episode 151: Private school punished for mask-optional policy
A private K-12 school that announced a mask-optional policy for a return to class had been sanctioned by the Illinois State Board of Education. ISBE says schools must require, not recommend, masks in schools.
Amid concerns of COVID-19, Timothy Christian Schools in Elmhurst made the mask-optional announcement this week through a video from Superintendent Matthew Davidson.
“It’s just worth noting that the issue of masks in schools is still categorically a recommendation, not a requirement from the [U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention],” Davidson said.

ISBE sent a letter to the district rescinding its nonpublic school recognition. That means high school diplomas won’t be recognized, children can't compete in organized sports and the school can’t receive Invest In Kids scholarship funds.
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51 min
August 06, 2021 Episode 150: Pritzker mandates masks in schools
Weeks after some school districts decided to make masks optional to start the year, the CDC changed its guidance on mask use.
Now Illinois’ governor is mandating masks for schools and daycares, and threatening action for those that don’t comply. Some state lawmakers say a year and a half in, they should be involved, but aren’t.
Last month, Gov. J.B. Pritzker said masking requirements were up to schools. The Illinois State Board of Education said schools must be back to in-person learning after the COVID-19 remote learning and hybrid schooling through the last school year led to learning loss among many students.

On Wednesday, Pritzker said schools must require masks.
While there won’t be social distancing requirements, masks are mandated, even those playing sports, despite vaccination status, the governor announced Wednesday during a news conference in Chicago.
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50 min
July 30, 2021 Episode 149: Pritzker, Lightfoot suggest COVID mitigations could return soon
Gov. J.B. Pritzker is evaluating whether to require state employees under his control to be vaccinated against COVID-19, but mandatory vaccinations are not politically popular.
Since the state has been tracking the Delta variant in February, 716 cases have been reported. Pritzker said Wednesday he’s considering more COVID-19 mitigations.
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37 min
July 23, 2021 Episode 148: Pritzker to seek second term as Governor
Gov J.B. Pritzker announced Monday that he will be running for re-election in 2022.

Pritzker, 56, has been in office since January 2019. Pritzker defeated former Gov. Bruce Rauner, a wealthy Republican, to become Illinois' 43rd governor.

So far, three Republicans have announced they are running for their party’s nomination to challenge Pritzker. Downstate state Sen. Darren Bailey, suburban Chicago businessman Gary Rabine, and former state Sen. Paul Schimpf have all announced plans to run for governor.

The gubernatorial election will be held on Nov. 8, 2022.
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44 min
July 16, 2021 Episode 147: School determining mask rules as parents prepare for checks
Illinois in Focus Ep 147: School determining mask rules as parents prepare for checks
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43 min
July 09, 2021 Episode 146: Biden calls for taxpayer funded community college for all during Illinois visit
President Joe Biden called for investment in both people and infrastructure during a speech Wednesday at McHenry County College, his first visit to the state since taking office.
He also called for higher taxes on the wealthy and corporations to fund two years of community college for all students. He said additional education was needed for the U.S. to compete with the rest of the world.

Unveiled before an April 28 joint session of Congress, the $1.8 trillion American Families Plan sets forth $1 billion for child care, universal pre-K for all 3-4 year-olds, free community college, and paid family/medical leave initiatives and offers $800 million in tax cuts for families with children, including a “historic expansion” of the child tax credit which would be allocated monthly.
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47 min

About Illinois in Focus

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The podcast bringing you the most important stories out of Illinois from TheCenterSquare.com. Join us as we dive into the top headlines and provide insightful commentary and analysis.