Illinois Quick Hits: General Assembly leaders promise budget transparency

By Jim Talamonti | The Center Square
The Center Square

(The Center Square) – Illinois House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch, D-Hillside, and Senate President Don Harmon, D-Oak Park, say more than 90 pieces of budget legislation will be consolidated and introduced as House Bill 131 and Senate Bill 2512.

Welch and Harmon issued a joint statement saying the compiled language would ensure that all interested parties have time to review and offer thoughtful feedback.

In previous years, Welch and Harmon have sponsored shell bills that were stuffed with line items and passed during the final hours of session.

UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS EXAMS POSTPONED DUE TO CYBER ATTACK

The University of Illinois has postponed all final exams and assignments through Sunday due to a global cyber attack on the school’s Canvas learning management system.

A university statement said the vendor that operates Canvas, Instructure, disclosed the incident May 1 and it remains under investigation.

IL FEDERATION OF TEACHERS MEGAPROJECTS CALCULATOR

The Illinois Federation of Teachers has released a “Mega Project, Mega Loss” calculator it says quantifies how much towns and schools stand to lose under megaprojects legislation in the General Assembly.

The teachers union said the current bill signifies the largest transfer of responsibility for revenue to fund schools and services from private developers to individual property owners in the state’s history.

AAA FUEL PRICES

Illinois fuel prices dipped slightly on Friday, according to AAA.

The average price for a gallon of regular unleaded is $4.99, down less than a penny from the day before. The average price for diesel is $5.98.

The national averages are $4.55 for unleaded and $5.67 for diesel.

POPE 1 YEAR

On the one-year anniversary of Illinois native Pope Leo XIV’s election as pope, Chicago Cardinal Blase Cupich offered thanked for the pontiff’s leadership and his call to unity and peace.

In a social media post, Cupich asked all to join him in praying for the Holy Father.