CHICAGO – The House Statue and Monument Review Task Force held a hearing this week on Wednesday, June 9 where members were joined by Secretary of State Jesse White and two members from the National Civil Rights Museum. The group discussed Secretary White’s initiative to erect a new Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. statue on the Capitol grounds in Springfield.
Read MoreSPRINGFIELD, Ill. – Speaker of the House Emanuel “Chris” Welch wrapped up his first session leading the Illinois House of Representatives. In addition to passing a balanced budget that puts the state on a path toward fiscal health, the legislature also fulfilled its constitutional duty by passing new legislative boundaries and passed a comprehensive ethics package to help restore trust back in Springfield.
Read MoreSPRINGFIELD, Ill. – Illinois’ retail cannabis industry will be diversified under a bill passed this week by state Rep. La Shawn K. Ford, D-Chicago, that aims to correct a flawed license lottery system that has prevented minority residents from being able to open businesses.
Read MoreSPRINGFIELD, Ill. – House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch congratulates Assistant Majority Leader Delia Ramirez (D-Chicago) in passing legislation that will ensure the state’s most vulnerable residents have a roof over their head as so many have experienced economic hardship due to the pandemic.
Read MoreSPRINGFIELD, Ill. – House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch joined Governor JB Pritzker this week to kick off the “Time for Me to Drive” campaign to promote the return of tourism and travel to Illinois. After more than a year of hardship since the onset of the coronavirus, it is now time to get out and safely enjoy what Illinois has to offer.
Read MoreSPRINGFIELD, Ill. – Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch today announced Representative Frances Ann Hurley as the new whip of the Democratic Moderate Caucus (Mod Caucus), a relatively new caucus of like-minded members who advocate for a balanced, steady approach to lawmaking.
Read MoreSPRINGFIELD, Ill. – Today marks 100 days since House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch was sworn in to serve as Illinois’ first Black Speaker of the House. In just under four months, Speaker Welch has worked tirelessly to ensure his promises to address our state’s toughest issues are being kept.
Read MoreSPRINGFIELD, Ill. – In an effort to ensure that statues and other ceremonial landmarks on state property reflect the values and morals of our state, Speaker of the House Emanuel “Chris” Welch announced the creation of a new special task force to conduct a review of monuments on state property and proposals for new monuments or statues.
Read MoreFOREST PARK – Governor JB Pritzker and Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike visited the Illinois National Guard Forest Park mass vaccination site, now providing over 3,000 vaccinations per day, to announce that an additional 150,000 new first-dose vaccine appointments will be made available at the 11 state-supported mass vaccination operations in Cook and the collar counties and area pharmacies the week of April 12, as the State opens to universal eligibility for individuals 16 and older.
Read MoreWESTCHESTER, Ill. – To help residents safely dispose of old documents, State Rep. Emanuel “Chris” Welch is hosting a free drive-up paper shredding event at the Bellwood Village Hall, located at 3200 Washington Blvd., on Saturday, April 24 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. or until the shredding truck reaches capacity.
Read MoreSPRINGFIELD, Ill. – Today, Governor Pritzker signed legislation that enables Westlake Hospital in Cook County to reopen.
Speaker Welch releases the following statement:
Read MoreCHICAGO – Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch built on his commitment to a fresh start for the Office of the Speaker by announcing Tuesday the hiring of two new members to his senior staff in Sean Anderson serving as Communications Director and Jaclyn Driscoll as Press Spokesperson.
Read MoreWESTCHESTER, Ill. – State Rep. Emanuel “Chris” Welch and Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas are teaming up to host a virtual informational seminar on the “Black Houses Matter” initiative on Monday, April 5 at 1 p.m. The event will be live streamed at www.Facebook.com/RepChrisWelch.
Read MoreSPRINGFIELD, Ill. – State Rep. Emanuel “Chris” Welch is hosting a mass vaccination event with Walgreens on Friday, April 2 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Proviso West High School to help West Suburban residents get their COVID-19 vaccinations. Residents must register for an appointment in advance; walk-ins cannot be accepted.
Read MoreSPRINGFIELD, Ill. – Yesterday, the Illinois House of Representatives passed major, time-sensitive bills to protect underserved communities struggling through the pandemic and set Illinois on a path toward improved health equity. This was a significant day-of-action on the heels of the Democratic Caucus’s promise to swiftly respond to the multiple crises facing the state during the pandemic.
Read MoreSPRINGFIELD, Ill. – The sale and reopening of Westlake Hospital will be able to move forward under legislation passed unanimously Thursday by Rep. Kathleen Willis and House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch. This will help restore critical health care access to underserved west suburban communities.
Read MoreCHICAGO, IL -- The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign’s Corporate Board Diversity, Inclusion, and Representation Report for 2020 marks the first summary of gender, racial, and ethnic makeup across companies based in Illinois. With the availability of this data, equity and diversity goals are one step closer to being realized.
Read MoreCHICAGO – Beginning Thursday, March 4 at 8:30 a.m., Illinois seniors can schedule their first COVID-19 vaccine appointment at the United Center vaccine site, which will begin to administer a limited number of vaccines on March 9, with a full opening March 10. Following this exclusive appointment period for seniors, all Illinoisans eligible under the state’s Phase 1B+ will be able to schedule appointments on Sunday, March 7 at 4 p.m.
Read MoreAs health care providers begin rolling out safe and effective vaccines for COVID-19, I wanted to update you on the vaccination plans for Illinois and our community.
Read MoreAs of last month, Michael Madigan has dedicated 50 years of service to the Illinois House of Representatives. I thank the former Speaker for his sincere and meaningful contributions to our state.
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