Senate Week In Review

Illinois lawmakers are back at work in their districts after a rapid-fire lame-duck session wrapped up on Jan. 13, leaving Gov. J.B. Pritzker with a number of new bills that will soon be awaiting his signature.

Controversial bills were rushed through at all hours of the day and night during the last-minute legislative push, including a major criminal justice reform bill that some are calling a backdoor “defund the police” plan.

Senators also voted on major rewrites to existing laws, including the school code, labor laws, and an update to the recreational cannabis system...