Sound of the State

In this week's edition of The Majority Report, Illinois Senate Democrats continue to take action to address the state's teacher shortage, local right-to-work zones are now illegal after SB1474 has been signed by Governor JB Pritzker, Senator Melinda Bush (D-Grayslake) and others continue to advocate for changes to sexual harassment laws in Illinois, and the state moves a step closer toward placing...

Stay in the know with everything happening in the Illinois Senate with this week in review for the week ending Friday, April 12th, 2019.

State Senator Ram Villivalam's (D-Chicago) bill to protect workers from local right-to-work zones was signed by Governor JB Pritzker on April 12, 2019. These are Senator Villivalam's remarks from the signing ceremony.

Chicago Mayor-elect Lori Lightfoot addresses the Illinois Senate on April 11, 2019.

State Senator Andy Manar (D-Bunker Hill) discusses his SB1952, which addresses further efforts to fix the teacher shortage in Illinois.

In this week's Majority Report, members of the Illinois Senate Democratic Caucus address the 2020 Federal Census and the need for all Illinois residents to be counted; State Senator Steve Stadelman (D-Rockford) bill to further clarify the state's distracted driving law advances out of the Senate; State Senator Napoleon Harris (D-Harvey) leads the charge to increase the amount of state contracts aw...

State Senator Kimberly Lightford delivered remarks regarding the upcoming 2020 Census and steps that Illinois can take to ensure that all residents are properly counted.

Senator Dave Koehler (D-Peoria) discusses electric cooperatives with Hillary Cherry, a representative of the Corn Belt Electric Cooperative, at the Illinois Capitol on Electric Cooperative Legislative Day in Springfield on April 3, 2019.

State Senator Dave Koehler (D-Peoria) recognizes the Easter Seals organization for its 100th anniversary in the Illinois Senate on Wednesday, April 3, 2019.

State Senator Toi Hutchinson (D-Olympia Fields) speaks in the Illinois Senate to recognize this year's Pay Equity Day, the day to which women must work in order to match the pay earned by their male counterparts for the previous year.

State Senator Christopher Belt (D-Cahokia) welcomes the 2018-2019 IHSA Class 4A basketball state champion Belleville West Maroons to the Illinois Senate.

State Senator Christopher Belt (D-Cahokia) welcomes the 2018-2019 IHSA Class 3A basketball state champion East St. Louis Flyers to the Illinois Senate.

In this week's edition of The Majority Report from the Illinois Senate Democratic Caucus, Senators Hutchinson and Harmon lay out options for Illinois taxpayers as the General Assembly considers legislation that would put the Fair Tax on next year's ballot, Senator Van Pelt continues to seek answers to the state crime lab's DNA backlog, and Senator Bennett advances an agriculture teacher training p...

State Senator Ann Gillespie (D-Arlington Heights) reflects on the role of Illinois in the women's suffrage movement and passes a resolution designating June 10, 2019 as 19th Amendment Ratification Day in the state of Illinois to commemorate one hundred years since women won the right to vote in the United States.

State Senator Rachelle Crowe (D-Wood River) introduces SR84, calling for the increased use of Illinois steel, in the Senate on March 28, 2019. The resolution passed without opposition.

State Senator Rachelle Crowe (D-Wood River) welcomes three leaders in the 56th District steelworker industry to the Illinois Senate on March 28, 2019.

State Senator Andy Manar (D-Bunker Hill) applauds Governor JB Pritzker's "Fair Tax" proposal, while calling on opponents to bring their own ideas to the table, if they aren't able to get behind the Fair Tax.

State Senator Don Harmon (D-Oak Park) talks about the public support being shown for Governor JB Pritzker's proposed "Fair Tax" plan and points out that the plan's opponents haven't been willing, so far, to publicly support any of the available alternatives.

State Senator Toi Hutchinson (D-Olympia Fields) talks about the potential impact of rejecting Governor JB Pritzker's proposed "Fair Tax" plan at a Springfield news conference.

State Senators Toi Hutchinson, Andy Manar and Don Harmon join Democratic members of the Illinois House to discuss Governor JB Pritzker's Fair Tax proposal in a Springfield press conference.

In this week's edition of The Majority Report, we cover legislation that would combat the shortage of teachers in Illinois, a proposal to expand a scholarship opportunity available to dependents of police officers killed in the line of duty, and a a bill that would ban cosmetics testing on animals. Senators Harmon and Morrison's remarks to a recent gathering of Moms Demand Action are also featured...

State Senator Don Harmon (D-Oak Park) spoke at a Springfield rally organized by Moms Demand Action and thanked the group for their work in helping to pass several pieces of gun legislation.

State Senator Steve Staldelman (D-Rockford) welcomed the 2019 Illinois State County Fair Queen, Alexi Bladel, to the Illinois Senate on March 19, 2019.

In this week's edition of The Majority Report, get up to date on the latest in an effort to raise the age for the purchase of tobacco products in Illinois to 21, learn about proposed measures to combat maternal mortality and get in the know about technical education efforts in Illinois.