•February 22, 2023•

Calls for new investments in education, efforts to combat poverty
By Peter Hancock
Capitol News Illinois
phancock @ capitolnewsillinois.com

Gov. JB Pritzker on Wednesday laid out a $49.6 billion spending plan for the upcoming fiscal year that calls for significant new spending for early childhood education and efforts to combat homelessness among other areas.
He also claimed credit for putting the state back on more secure financial footing.
Speaking to a joint session of the General Assembly, Pritzker delivered a combined State of the State speech and budget address in the House chamber since his pre-pandemic address in February 2020.
Pritzker’s proposed budget appeared to signal a transition to a post-COVID kind of normalcy, with a focus on typical state issues like education, health care and social services as opposed to grappling with a public health disaster and the economic calamity that came with it.
“The last time I stood here seems like a lifetime ago,” Pritzker said. “So many fiscal challenges laid ahead. And so much progress has been made.”
Pritzker came into office in 2019, succeeding Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner, whose single term was marked by a two-year budget impasse that resulted in a nearly $17 billion backlog of past-due bills and multiple credit downgrades. But with those old bills paid and credit rating agencies now giving the state upgrades, Pritzker appeared to revel in pointing out the contrast. Read More

Pritzker signs measures ahead of second-term budget address

•February 22, 2023•
By Nika Schoonover
Capitol News Illinois
nschoonover @ capitolnewsillinois.com

Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Friday signed 15 bills into law, tackling policy areas from tourism to prison reform and making it easier for people previously convicted of felonies to legally change their name.
The laws passed the General Assembly in their recently concluded lame duck legislative session in January, and Pritzker’s signature came less than a week before his budget address, scheduled for Wednesday at the Capitol. Read More

•February 22, 2023•
In recognition of February being National Canned Food Month, HSHS Home Care Illinois is holding their annual “Cram the Car” food drive this month for the Catholic Charities food pantry to help those struggling with food insecurity. Read More

•February 22, 2023•
The Illinois Department of Revenue (IDOR) is reminding senior citizens about the availability of the Senior Citizens Real Estate Tax Deferral Program which allows qualified seniors to defer all or part of their property taxes and special assessment payments on their principal residences. Seniors needing assistance paying their property taxes have until March 1, 2023 to apply for the program.
The program, which works like a loan, allows qualified seniors to defer a maximum of $7,500 per tax year (including both first and second installment payments), increased from $5,000 last year. Deferred amounts are borrowed from the state, who pays the tax bill to the County Collector’s Office. The program was also expanded this year to increase the household income threshold qualification from $55,000 to $65,000. Read More

•February 22, 2023•
By Cheri Burcham
Family Life Educator

When someone asks you to think about health, wellness or fitness, you usually think about physical health, exercise or nutrition. As people age, they often concentrate on improving and maintaining their physical health, when they should also be working on their cognitive or brain health. Since March 13-19 is Brain Awareness Week, I would like to share a few things you can do to maintain a healthy brain. Getting enough good, quality sleep is important along with eating a heart healthy diet and exercising regularly. I have heard the phrase “what’s good for the heart is good for the brain” more than once while working with this topic. Lowering your stress levels and keeping solid social connections and support also contribute to achieving good brain health. Researchers agree that challenging your brain daily is also beneficial and necessary to maintain brain health and delay cognitive decline as we get older. Read More