(SPRINGFIELD) With the tax filing deadline of April 15th now less than a month away, officials with the Illinois Department of Revenue are reminding statewide residents that if they are mailing in their tax returns and payments, they may want to do so earlier than normal due to the latest news from the U.S. Postal Service. The USPS says that while postmarks will still show the date of the first automated processing operation, the postmark may no longer reflect the date when the piece of mail was actually dropped off at the post office.
(SPRINGFIELD) Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker has signed an executive order to create a working group with the task of evaluating the state’s workforce and training needs. According to a statement from the Governor’s office, the Illinois State Attainment Working Group will work with and collaborate with an external partner to conduct an economic and labor market analysis, projecting workforce needs through 2040 and informing the state’s next attainment goal.
(SPRINGFIELD) With over $1 billion in federal broadband grants on the line, an Illinois Senate Committee heard testimony yesterday on a bill that would advance broadband infrastructure, sparking objections from critics who argue the move ignores property rights. Illinois Senate Bill 3838, called the Broadband Deployment Act, would streamline how internet service providers secure access to land along roadways, a change that supporters say is needed to meet federal deadlines and avoid losing the funding. Opponents warn the shift would weaken longstanding protections for property owners with the only requirement that landowners are notified at least fourteen (14) days in advance, before the work is to be done on the private property.