Illinois — The Villagers Voice

White County State’s Attorney Aud Files Lawsuit, Declares SAFE-T Act is Unconstitutional

September 23, 2022 by Villagers Voice

White County State's Attorney Lawsuit to Declare SAFE-T Act Unconstitutional

After multiple discussions with fellow prosecutors from around the State of Illinois, my office has joined those of my colleagues (both Republican and Democrat) who have filed a lawsuit in our respective counties seeking a declaratory judgment that the SAFE-T Act (lllinois Public Act 1 01 -652) be declared unconstitutional , both in substance and in the procedure in which it was passed by the Illinois General Assembly and signed into law by Governor J.B. Pritzker. Attorney General Kwame Raoul, Govemor Pritzker, Speaker of the House Emanuel Chris Welch, and Senate President Donald Hannon have been named as the respondents to the lawsuit in their respective official capacities. I expect and hope that more state's attorneys across the state will file lawsuits with essentially the same arguments in short order. [Read more...]

Governor Pritzker Adjusts COVID-19 Requirements to Address Current Needs

September 21, 2022 by Villagers Voice

Testing Requirements Eased for Certain School and Childcare Staff with New Executive Order

As part of his continuing plan to carefully unwind the state’s COVID-19 executive orders, Governor Pritzker last week updated testing requirements for school and childcare personnel, rescinding the requirement that unvaccinated employees in these sectors test twice weekly. This change goes into effect Friday and is made on the advice of medical experts, based on their careful consideration of the current conditions of the COVID-19 pandemic and is in line with Centers for Disease Control (CDC) guidance.

“Vaccination continues to be the most effective tool we have against COVID-19, and I’m proud that millions of Illinoisans have taken advantage of these life-saving vaccines – they have given us the ability to adjust these requirements,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “I continue to urge everyone in the state to stay up to date on vaccines and boosters, including getting the recently released bivalent booster shot. Although the current state of the pandemic is very different than it was two years ago, we still need to protect the most vulnerable members of our community as we continue to be responsive to the changing challenges and evolutions of this virus.” [Read more...]

Gov. Pritzker Issues Disaster Proclamation to Unlock Resources to Assist Asylum Seekers

September 14, 2022 by Villagers Voice

At request of local partners, Gov. activates 75 members of the Illinois National Guard to provide logistics support

Governor JB Pritzker today issued an emergency disaster proclamation and activated approximately 75 members of the Illinois National Guard to ensure all state resources are available to support asylum seekers arriving nearly daily to Chicago from the State of Texas. The proclamation enables the Illinois Emergency Management Agency (IEMA) and other state agencies, in close coordination with the City of Chicago, Cook County, and other local governments, to ensure the individuals and families receive the assistance they need. This includes transport, emergency shelter and housing, food, health screenings, medical assessments, treatments, and other necessary care and services. [Read more...]

Rep. Niemerg Returns More Than $22,000 Back to the Illinois General Fund

September 7, 2022 by Villagers Voice

State Representative Adam Niemerg (R-Dieterich) announced today that he is returning $22,084.28 of taxpayers’ money back to the taxpayers for Fiscal Year (FY) 2022 that ended June 30th. During his first term in the General Assembly, Rep. Niemerg has to date returned $33,706.73 of taxpayer dollars back to the General Fund. [Read more...]

Rep. Niemerg Receives “Champion of Small and Mid-Size Manufacturers Award”

September 2, 2022 by Villagers Voice

State Representative Adam Niemerg (R-Dieterich) was informed this week that he is the recipient of the “Champion of Small and Mid-Size Manufacturers Award” for the 102nd General Assembly from the Technology and Manufacturing Association (TMA). Founded nearly one hundred years ago in 1925, the TMA has nearly 1,000 member manufacturers representing over 35,000 employees in Illinois. [Read more...]

State of Illinois Adopts New CDC COVID-19 Guidelines For K-12 Schools and Early Education

August 14, 2022 by Villagers Voice

Covid-19 Coronavirus Vaccine vials in a row macro close up

With Widespread Vaccine Availability and Effective Treatments, New Guidance Eases Requirements For Exposure Quarantines in Low and Moderate Risk Setting

CDC Also Stresses Importance of Staying Up to Date on Vaccinations and Boosters [Read more...]

Governor Pritzker Issues Monkeypox Virus Public Health Emergency Declaration to Coordinate Statewide Response

August 4, 2022 by Kathy Sands

Governor Pritzker issued a proclamation this week declaring the monkeypox virus a public health emergency and declaring the state of Illinois a disaster area regarding the disease. The declaration, which applies to the entire state, will allow the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) to utilize resources for coordinating logistics across state agencies, quickly and efficiently aid in the distribution of vaccines and in the prevention and treatment of the disease. The proclamation will also assist state agencies in coordinating response with the federal government. [Read more...]

Guest Column: Independent Oil Producers Eager to Ease Energy Crisis

July 26, 2022 by Villagers Voice

Much of the blame for record pump prices has been directed at so-called “Big Oil” companies and their renouncement of the “drill, baby, drill” philosophy in exchange for a focus on investor returns.

Though simple supply-demand dynamics, refining constraints and a general hostility toward oil and gas development are the primary reasons for skyrocketing energy prices, it is true that publicly traded U.S. oil production companies are being more conservative with their drilling plans after years of operating in the red. [Read more...]