The 217 Today Podcast

217 Today: Illinois lawmakers send a budget and a batch of bills to the Governor

Farrah Anderson
 
The Illinois House prepares to debate the state budget on Friday evening, May 26, 2023.

The Illinois House prepares to debate the state budget on Friday evening, May 26, 2023. Alex Degman / WBEZ

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Thursday, June 1, 2023 

Today's headlines: 

  • The House of Representatives passed a bill to raise the nation’s debt ceiling, but Republicans in Illinois’ congressional delegation were against it.
  • Advocates rallied at the Joliet Diocese Wednesday after a report revealed the Catholic Church in Illinois did not disclose hundreds of clergy members credibly accused of sexual abuse.
  • Governor J.B. Pritzker visited Champaign’s International Prep Academy Wednesday to promote spending in the new state budget for pre-school education.
  • Decatur Public Schools temporarily closed its two Dennis Lab School campuses Wednesday “out of an abundance of caution” to assess structural concerns.

In today's deep dive, we’ll learn more about the passage of the annual budget and how Democrats used a supermajority to pass bills Republicans were opposing. 

Reporting today contributed by Reginald Hardwick, Camryn Cutinello, Jim Meadows and Emily Hays.