So last week, the Illinois legislature finished up its spring session with a $50.6B budget. They were scheduled to wrap the week prior, but the legislative process can get messy. Here's what that looked like. A #twill photo🧵
From the night of adjournment: Reps. Jehan Gordon-Booth and Norine Hammond, the Dem and GOP budget negotiators. Hammond said that Republicans were all but shut out from the closed door meetings where the budget was discussed.
Coverage of the budget from
@PeterQHancock: capitolnewsillinois.com/NEWS/budget-vo…
The final hours of session highlighted the differences (and similarities) of the two parties, as captured by the two House leaders: Speaker Emanuel "Chris" Welch and Minority Leader Tony McCombie.
From earlier that day: Rep Larry Walsh, the Public Utilities Cmte chair, and Rep. Ann Williams, the Energy & Environment Cmte chair, clashed over energy policy as Walsh shepherded a bill that would give new control over transmission line to downstate utilities.
Full coverage of the energy policy landscape in the last days of session from me: capitolnewsillinois.com/NEWS/lawmakers…
Don't think I've forgotten about the Senate, they just wrapped up earlier than the House. Here's something from week one of adjournment "week." Sen. Pres Don Harmon carried a piece of gun industry regulation that he and GOP Leader John Curran clashed over.
More on this from
@PeterQHancock: capitolnewsillinois.com/NEWS/bill-to-l…
Gun legislation drew a crowd in the days before that debate. Illinois' Moms Demand Action group brought out hundreds in a very color coordinated rally earlier that week.
Harmon also sponsored a piece of legislation that would reform constitutional challenges, limiting where those lawsuits can be filed.
And the last note from the Senate: they approved a measure that would allow all-gender, multi-stall bathrooms in the state. It drew some very heated debate.
I followed environmental legislation that week, including a piece from Rep. Sonya Harper that failed in a floor vote. The measure was aimed at helping advance environmental justice.
From me and
@NikaSchoonover: capitolnewsillinois.com/NEWS/updated-e…
It's not a photo, but as
@hannahmeisel
was covering the bombshell AG report on Catholic clergy, I put together a harrowing interactive for it that I think you should check out.
Full coverage: capitolnewsillinois.com/NEWS/state-rep…
And that's a wrap! The
@CapitolNewsIL team and I are now hard at work with some follow ups and our next big ideas. Be sure to watch capitolnewsillinois.com for the latest in Illinois government news.
And if you've made it this far, you might need a palate cleanser. Here's what I was doing when I wasn't at work.
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