End of Session Update/Budget Summary

Rep. Greg Harris • 13th District Springfield Update • April 18, 2022 End of Session Update/Budget Summary The Spring 2022 session of the 102nd General Assembly was a very productive one, including many milestone accomplishments to balance our State’s budget, increase our fiscal stability, expand healthcare access and affordability, invest in major increases in equity, […]

Governor Pritzker’s Proposed FY23 Budget

Rep. Greg Harris • 13th District Springfield Update • February 2, 2022 Governor Pritzker’s Proposed FY23 Budget The Governor’s proposed fiscal year 2023 general funds budget of $45.4 billion continues on the path of responsible management. It provides the services people need, cares for the most vulnerable Illinoisans and reinvigorates Illinois’ economy to create jobs […]

Veto Session Wrap-Up

Rep. Greg Harris • 13th District Springfield Update • November 3, 2021 Veto Session Wrap-Up For the last two weeks, the Illinois General Assembly met in our annual Veto Session and passed several important pieces of legislation. Here are some of the key bills we passed during this productive session that I would like to […]

Legislative Accomplishments This Spring Session

Rep. Greg Harris • 13th District Springfield Update • June 8, 2021 Legislative Accomplishments This Spring Session The backlog legislation delayed by COVID and the continuing need to address disparities exposed by the pandemic guaranteed a busy and productive session down in Springfield this year. In addition to passing a balanced, responsible budget, the Illinois […]

Lame Duck Session Update

Rep. Greg Harris • 13th District Springfield Update • January 14, 2021 Lame Duck Session Update By law, the newly elected General Assembly began at noon January 13. However in the week leading up to the new 102nd General Assembly, the 101st General Assembly met to implement further response to COVID, including vital laws on […]

Illinois Democrats want answers on Medicaid contracts

By Doug Finke GateHouse Media Illinois Posted Nov 29, 2017 at 7:04 PM Updated Nov 29, 2017 at 7:54 PM SPRINGFIELD — Illinois Democrats want answers from Gov. Bruce Rauner’s administration about why the four-year cost of managed care contracts for the Medicaid program jumped by more than $20 billion from earlier estimates. However, the Department of Healthcare and Family Services defended the contracts, saying […]

Illinois Moving To Kill Credit Freeze Fees

llinois lawmakers are working to end the $10 fee for freezing consumer credit data. It comes months after Equifax, Inc. exposed the sensitive personal information of tens of millions of Americans.  The cost to freeze credit is $10. Add another $10 to unfreeze it, like if you want to apply for a car loan. And […]

Lincoln Square Rallies to Support Gay Couples Affected by Hate Graffiti

by Liz Baudler 2017-10-01 About 150 community members, many families with young children gathered Oct. 1 to protest against hate graffiti spray painted in the Lincoln Square area of Chicago’s Northwest Side.Community members met at Waters Elementary School, 4540 N. Campbell Ave., in front of a map of the Lincoln Square area. They were there […]

Bills on birth certificates and LGBT “panic” defense signed in Illinois

From Equality Illinois and ACLU: CHICAGO — Legislative sponsors, Equality Illinois and ACLU of Illinois celebrated the signing of House Bill 1785 today, modernizing the Illinois Vital Records Act and allowing transgender and intersex individuals to change the gender marker on their birth certificates without undergoing gender reassignment surgery. Illinois now joins 14 additional states, […]

Illinois House Passes Bill to Modernize State’s Birth Certificate Law

SPRINGFIELD — A measure to modernize Illinois law allowing people to change the gender marker on their birth certificate, House Bill 1785, passed the House by a vote of 63 to 43 on Thursday and was sent to the Senate. If the bill is signed into law, Illinois would join fourteen other states and the […]