Quick hits: Illinois news in brief for Thursday, Feb. 11, 2021
38,000 people in Illinois file for unemployment benefits
About 38,000 people filed for initial unemployment claims last week in Illinois, according to the U.S. Department of Labor.
That’s about 32,000 of traditional filings and around 6,000 of the pandemic unemployment assistance filers made up of independent contractors.
The Illinois Department of Employment Security said its offices remains closed to the public because of COVID-19 concerns and threats of violence.
Illinois could get $13.2 billion from federal government, $7.5 billion for state, $5.7 billion for locals
Illinois state and local government could get more than $13 billion in financial support from federal taxpayers under President Joe Biden’s COVID-19 aid package.
Schaumburg Democratic U.S. Rep. Raja Krishnamoorti’s office shared a spreadsheet with estimates showing $7.5 billion would go directly to the state’s budget with $5.7 billion going to local governments.
Illinois Senate schedules hearings
Despite passing rules Wednesday allowing remote committees, the Illinois House has yet to schedule any.
The Illinois Senate, which approved remote activities last year, held a hearing Wednesday on the problems plaguing the state’s unemployment system.
The Senate will hold two remote hearings today, one this morning focused on business interruption grants.
Another this afternoon focuses on COVID-19 vaccines.
Illinois House approves rules
The Illinois House now has rules in place, but they were approved along party lines.
The Democratic supermajority said the rules reflect recommendations from working groups.
Republicans said despite the remote committee allowance and leader term limits, the rules are functionally identical to the rules crafted over nearly four decades by Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan.
ACLU says DCFS failing to meet needs for LGBTQ children
The Illinois Department of Children and Family Services isn’t meeting the needs of LGBTQ youth in the department’s care.
That’s the takeaway the ACLU of Illinois had of an Auditor General report of the agency’s program.
Among a slew of findings, the audit found a lack of reliable and consistent information regarding such youth in the state’s care.
Illinois Product Expo goes online
The annual Illinois Product Expo will be online only this year.
Before COVID-19, the expo featuring products grown and made in Illinois was held at the Illinois State Fairgrounds.
On Wednesday, the Illinois Department of Agriculture announced an online marketplace at IllinoisProductsOnline.com where 500 products from 55 vendors will be available to purchase between now and March 3.
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