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.

Major criminal justice...