CHICAGO, Ill. – Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch and members of his leadership team will travel to Israel and Palestine from Aug. 31 until Sept. 9. The delegation will be led by the Jewish United Fund (JUF) and make stops at some of the most impactful religious and historic sites in the region.
Read MoreWESTCHESTER, Ill. – House Speaker Emanuel ‘Chris’ Welch announced more than $1 million in state Back 2 Business grants for west suburban employers Thursday, secured through his partnership with Gov. JB Pritzker.
Read MoreCHICAGO, Ill. – The Illinois Supreme Court upheld the state’s assault weapons ban on Friday after months of legal challenges. This lifesaving law, also known as the Protect Illinois Communities Act, bans the sale of assault weapons, large capacity magazines, and rapid-fire devices.
Read MoreSPRINGFIELD, Ill. – Gov. JB Pritzker recently signed a bipartisan measure that guarantees all-day kindergarten for all Illinois children, beginning with the 2027-2028 school year. This proposal, spearheaded by Rep. Mary Beth Canty, D-Arlington Heights, also establishes the Full Day Kindergarten Task Force, which will conduct a statewide audit to inform the planning of implementation of full day kindergarten programs.
Read MoreHILLSIDE, Ill. – House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch hosted his 11th annual Back to School Health Fair on Saturday. Families from across the 7th district attended the event where they were able to receive free physicals, vaccinations, school supplies, and much more.
Read MoreWASHINGTON – On what would have been Emmett Till’s 82nd birthday, President Joe Biden signed a proclamation designating a national monument to honor him and his mother, Mamie Till-Mobley. Till was 14 years old in 1955, when he was abducted, tortured, and murdered after being accused of whistling at a white woman while visiting relatives in Mississippi. Till’s mother chose to have an open casket at her son’s funeral, forcing America to confront the violent racism of the Jim Crow south. The child’s brutal lynching became a catalyst for the Civil Rights Movement.
Read MoreSPRINGFIELD, Ill. – This week the Illinois Supreme Court upheld the state law ending cash bail, known as the SAFE-T Act. The law will take effect on Sept. 18, giving local governments two months to prepare for the changes.
Read MoreCHICAGO, Ill. – Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch will join Governor JB Pritzker along with leaders in business and education from across Illinois on a trade mission to the United Kingdom on July 16. The delegation of leaders will meet with their counterparts in London to discuss strengthening economic cooperation between Illinois and the United Kingdom. Programming throughout the mission will focus on manufacturing, clean energy and technology, quantum, higher education collaboration, and other key industries.
Read MoreHILLSIDE, Ill. – Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch is hosting his 11th annual Back to School Health Fair this month. The event will be held on Saturday, July 29 from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. at Proviso West High School in Hillside. School and sports physicals will be available and free to the public. The first 200 families will receive their own free school supply kits with essential items for the upcoming school year.
Read MoreCHICAGO, Ill. – This week, Governor JB Pritzker signed into law a new state-based marketplace for Illinois, which gives state agencies additional tools to create a more consumer-focused health insurance exchange and better identify traditionally uninsured communities. Additionally, the governor also signed legislation that will protect health care consumers from unfair rate hikes.
Read MoreCHICAGO, Ill. – Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch received the Champion Legislator for Health Equity award at Equal Hope’s Celebrating Life Gala earlier this month, crediting his commitment to health equity and eradication of structural racism across Illinois.
Read MoreSPRINGFIELD, Ill. – House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch announced Tuesday that Rep. Natalie Manley and Rep. Camille Y. Lilly will begin new roles in House leadership.
Read MoreFOREST PARK, Ill. – Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch is set to host his annual job fair on Saturday, June 10th from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The event will be held at Proviso Math and Science Academy on Roosevelt Road in Forest Park. It is free and open to the public.
Read MoreSPRINGFIELD, Ill. – Illinois lawmakers last week sent Governor JB Pritzker a balanced budget that prioritizes financial stability and makes investments in early childhood and higher education, public safety, behavioral and mental health services, and more.
Read MoreSPRINGFIELD, Ill. – House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch joined Governor JB Pritzker and Senate President Don Harmon on Wednesday to announce an agreement on the Fiscal Year 2024 Budget. The agreed budget prioritizes fiscal responsibility while making transformative investments in early childhood and higher education, public safety, workforce development, behavioral and mental health services, and more.
Read MoreSPRINGFIELD, Ill. – The Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity announced the launch of the Blue Collar Jobs Act Tax Credit (BCJA) application. BCJA is a bipartisan initiative designed to support economic development and expansion by providing tax credits to companies that make investments in Illinois.
Read MoreSPRINGFIELD, Ill. – House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch, D-Westchester, joined healthcare heroes and state leaders to recognize the end of the state and federal COVID emergency declarations, while also continuing effective reforms initiated under the pandemic orders to streamline and expand delivery of care.
Read MoreSPRINGFIELD, Ill. – Big pharmaceutical corporations jacking up the costs of generic prescription drugs could face serious financial penalties following legislation by state Rep. Nabeela Syed, D-Palatine, which just passed the State House of Representatives.
Read MoreSPRINGFIELD, Ill. – On Tuesday, a federal judge in the Northern District of Illinois denied another attempt to block the state’s assault weapons ban while the law faces legal challenges. Earlier this month, the federal appeals court in Chicago also issued the same ruling and said the law was “constitutionally sound.”
Read MoreSPRINGFIELD, Ill. – House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch, D-Hillside, and Senate President Don Harmon, D-Oak Park, welcomed Chicago Mayor-Elect Brandon Johnson to the State Capitol Wednesday, beginning a conversation on economic development, public safety, and moving Illinois and the City of Chicago forward together.
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