Illinois

Central Illinois Headlines – April 15, 2024 – IPM Newsroom

Published

2 years ago

April 15, 2024

Service honors William Patterson

URBANA – A memorial service for STEM educator William Patterson had sorrowful moments, but also dancing, laughing and singing. Hundreds attended the ‘celebration of life’ at Krannert Center for the Performing Arts on Sunday. The 58-year-old passed away earlier this month. Patterson grew up in Urbana, earned a Ph-D and brought STEM activities to under-resourced neighborhoods around Central Illinois. Because Patterson was a big fan of hip-hop music, there was an after party with a DJ after the formal memorial service. – Mae Antar/IPM News

School bus renamed for William Patterson’s effort to bring STEM to under resourced communities.

Chicago shooting kills 8-year-old girl and wounds 10 people including small children, police say

CHICAGO (AP) — Eleven people were shot including an 8-year-old girl who was killed in what Chicago police believe was gang-related violence on the city’s South Side. Police updated the number of victims Sunday morning to 11 from eight the night before. The victims were standing outside at a family gathering when gunfire erupted around 9 p.m. Saturday. The 8-year-old girl was fatally shot, while a 1-year-old boy and a 8-year-old boy were each shot multiple times and listed in critical condition on Saturday night. A 9-year-old was hospitalized for a graze wound. Deputy Chief Don Jerome says the adult victims were between the ages of 19 and 40.

Lawmakers may update biometric law

SPRINGFIELD – Illinois lawmakers are moving to update the state’s biometric privacy law. Facebook was sued under the law in 2015 when it tagged people in photos without their consent. It settled for $650 million because each tag was considered a violation – more than a million Illinoisans were paid hundreds of dollars. Democratic State Senator Bill Cunningham of Chicago has a measure that would change that. Violators would be punished the first time they take a person’s data – but not every time.

“Certain businesses, I believe, have been unfairly targeted by some of the lawsuits that have been brought forth. Everyone should be held accountable for not following the law, but it’s important that the punishment fits the crime,” said Cunningham.

The measure passed the Illinois Senate and now moves to the House. The law’s main goal would stay intact – companies must get permission before using fingerprint scans or facial recognition to gather information. – WBEZ

Bill creating new early childhood agency among 244 to advance

SPRINGFIELD – Gov. JB Pritzker’s plan to create a new state agency to oversee Illinois’ various early childhood programs moved forward on Friday after the state Senate’s unanimous approval. It was one of 244 bills that cleared the Senate this week. Early childhood services – including preschool funding, early intervention and day care licensing – are currently overseen by three different state agencies: the State Board of Education, Department of Human Services and Department of Children and Family Services. If also passed in the Illinois House and sent to the governor for his signature, Senate Bill 1 would consolidate programs into a new Early Childhood department over the course of two years. – Capitol News Illinois

Social workers carry naloxone

A bill that would give social workers and their employers the legal scope to carry and administer medications like Narcan to clients in crisis moved from the Senate to the House on Friday. More than 3,000 Illinoisans died from opioid overdoses in 2022, according to the Illinois Department of Public Health. But naloxone, the generic form of Narcan, can quickly reverse an overdose and allow a patient time to seek further care.

Kyle Hillman, director of legislative affairs for the National Association of Social Workers said social workers are sometimes part of crisis response teams and “are frequently the first point of contact for individuals experiencing an overdose.”

Because of this, proponents of Senate Bill 3779 said allowing social workers to carry and administer naloxone could save lives. The measure would expand legal protections already in place for civilians and other first responders to social workers and their employers so they can administer naloxone without fear of legal retribution.

Institutions, such as schools and hospitals, can choose to equip their social workers with naloxone. They would need to train eligible employees on how to properly use the medication and develop procurement and storage policies to do so. – Capitol News Illinois

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Illinois

Illinois is newest state to allow medical assistance in dying after Pritzker signs bill

Published

1 hour ago

December 12, 2025

Press Room

Illinois is newest state to allow medical assistance in dying after Pritzker signs bill

Updated on: December 12, 2025 / 11:49 AM CST
/ CBS Chicago

Gov. JB Pritzker signed a new law Friday making Illinois the newest state allowing medically assisted dying in terminally ill residents.

Known as “Deb’s Law,” it allows eligible terminally ill adults with a prognosis to live six months or less to request a prescription from their doctor that would allow them to die on their own terms.

The legislation was narrowly approved by the Illinois Senate in October after the Illinois House passed it in May.

People on both sides of the debate over the controversial legislation lobbied the governor up until the last minute. Medical aid in dying, also called assisted suicide or dying with dignity, is already legal in 12 states. Eight more are considering similar legislation.

“I have been deeply impacted by the stories of Illinoisans or their loved ones that have suffered from a devastating terminal illness, and I have been moved by their dedication to standing up for freedom and choice at the end of life in the midst of personal heartbreak,” Pritzker said in a news release after signing the bill.

Pritzker’s signature makes Illinois the first state in the Midwest to allow medically assisted death.

Advocates for the law say it allows adults to die on their own terms when survival is already not an option. Opponents say the bill legalizes “state-sanctioned suicide.”

The law requires two doctors to determine a patient has a terminal disease and will die within six months. The medication provided would need to be requested both orally and in written documentation, and will have to be self-administered. The law also requires all patients opting into medical assistance in dying to have been full informed about all end-of-life care options, including comfort care, hospice, palliative care and pain control.

The law is named for Deb Robertson, a former social worker from Lombard who had an aggressive case of neuroendocrine carcinoma. She began advocating for medical aid in dying in 2022 and has been a central figure in the movement.

Please note: The above video is from a previous report

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Illinois

Advocates, opponents seek to sway Gov. JB Pritzker on medical aid in dying legislation passed by Illinois General Assembly

Published

14 hours ago

December 12, 2025

Press Room

Advocates, opponents seek to sway Gov. JB Pritzker on medical aid in dying legislation passed by Illinois General Assembly

Illinois could soon join a growing list of states where terminally ill patients would be allowed to take life-ending medication prescribed by a doctor.

The Illinois Senate narrowly approved the “medical aid in dying” legislation in October, after the Illinois House passed it in May, and the legislation is now sitting on Gov. JB Pritzker’s desk.

Pritzker has not said if he’ll sign it, and the controversial legislation has people on both sides trying to bend the governor’s ear.

Medical aid in dying, also called assisted suicide or dying with dignity, is legal in 12 states, with eight others considering similar legislation.

If Pritzker allows the “End-of-Life Options for Terminally Ill Patients Act” passed by the Illinois General Assembly to become law, Illinois could be the first state in the Midwest to allow medical aid in dying.

Suzy Flack, whose son Andrew died of cancer, is among the advocates urging the governor to sign the bill.

Diagnosed with terminal cancer in 2017 in his home state of Illinois, three years later Andrew moved to California, where medical aid in dying is legal, and chose to end his life in 2022.

“He died on his own terms, peacefully. We were all there to see it and embrace him at that moment, and it was really a beautiful thing,” Suzy said. “His last words were, ‘I’m happy. Please sign this. Allow people in Illinois this option.’”

Illinois is on the brink of joining a growing number of states that allow doctors to prescribe a mixture of lethal medication for terminally ill patients.

Outside the governor’s Chicago office on Thursday, many disability advocates, religious leaders, lawmakers, and doctors have called on Pritzker to veto the bill that would legalize what they call state-sanctioned suicide

“The question becomes where do you draw the line in the medical ethics dilemmas?” one physician who identified himself as Dr. Pete said. “We don’t need to go to this crossing of a red line of actually providing a means to directly end life.”

Republican Illinois state Sen. Chris Balkema said he “would really appreciate it if the governor would veto this bill.”

“My plea is that we veto this; come back with language that is constructive on both sides,” he said.

Pritzker has he is reviewing the legislation and is listening to advocates on both sides before deciding whether to sign it.

“It’s a hard issue, and I don’t want anybody to think making up your mind about this is very easy. It’s not. There’s a lot to consider, but most of all it’s about compassion,” he said. “There’s evidence and information on both sides that leads me to think seriously about what direction to go.”

The Illinois legislation would require two doctors to determine that a patient has a terminal disease and will die within six months. The medication provided to terminally ill patients would need to be requested both orally and in written form, and would have to be self-administered.

The bill was sent to Pritzker on Nov. 25, and he has 60 days from then to either sign it, amend it and send it back to lawmakers, veto it, or allow it to become law without his signature.

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Illinois

Two rounds of snow on the way to central Illinois – IPM Newsroom

Published

1 day ago

December 11, 2025

Press Room

Two rounds of snow on the way to central Illinois – IPM Newsroom

Snow is making a comeback in Central Illinois.

IPM meteorologist Andrew Pritchard said A Winter Weather Advisory is in effect for Champaign County and surrounding portions of east-central Illinois beginning Thursday at 3:00 p.m. to Friday at 6:00 a.m.

Snow will spread into Champaign-Urbana between 3-6 PM late this afternoon into the evening with periods of moderate to heavy snowfall continuing overnight. Snow should taper off around sunrise on Friday morning, with around 2-4″ of new snow accumulation expected across Champaign County.

Winds will blow out of the east around 5-10 mph, with minimal impacts from blowing & drifting snow. Still, snow accumulation on roadways could lead to hazardous travel conditions overnight into the Friday morning commute.

On Saturday, the National Weather Service in Central Illinois forecasted for snow to return on Saturday afternoon. The chance of precipitation is 80%. New snow accumulation of 2 to 4 inches possible. Temperatures will drop below zero across much of central Illinois both Saturday night and Sunday night with resulting wind chill values as cold as 15 to 30 below zero.

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