Beginning Friday, November 20, museums and casinos in Illinois will be closed, and retail spaces will face new capacity limits under mitigation measures newly announced by Governor J.B. Pritzker. New restrictions will also impact group fitness classes and indoor sports...

Students from across the 53rd Senate District joined online for an in-depth discussion of issues and policy, as part of State Senator Jason Barickman’s (R-Bloomington) annual Youth Advisory Council program...

As state universities continue to face significant unforeseen costs due to the global COVID-19 pandemic, a new resolution, co-sponsored by State Senator Jason Barickman (R-Bloomington) and designed to give the schools flexibility with their finances, has advanced through the Legislative Audit Commission (LAC)...

“I am proud to have supported Dan as our new leader because he has the intelligence, work ethic, and curiosity needed to build and grow our Senate Republican Caucus...

With the November election just around the corner, voting by mail remains an option for voters to cast their ballot prior to Election Day...

Millions of dollars are still available through the Business Interruption Grant (BIG) Program for businesses who have been financially impacted by COVID-19 closures...

While many Illinois industries are still struggling with the COVID economy, the state’s ag sector is having a mostly positive harvest...

According to the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH), the state had recently its first West Nile death for the year. So far, 24 cases of the virus have been reported in Illinois this year...

Citing a downward trend in the COVID-19 positivity rate for the Metro East (Region 4), Governor Pritzker announced on Friday that the area would return to the same Phase 4 rules as most of the rest of Illinois. The area includes Bond, Clinton, Madison, Monroe, Randolph, St. Clair, and Washington Counties...

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As residents begin preparations for the holiday season, the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) has issued their guidance on Halloween festivities...

As Illinois enters into the peak season for deer-vehicle crashes, motorists are reminded to be on the lookout for deer on the roadways...

October is Infant Safe Sleep Awareness month, dedicated to raising awareness about safe sleeping environments for children.

Many Illinoisans will be hoping to spot deer in the coming days and weeks, as the fall archery deer season officially opened on October 1st. The season runs through January 17th, closing briefly from November 20th – 22nd, and December 3rd – 6th, for the firearm deer seasons...

With a seemingly never-ending stream of news stories involving investigations and charges against Illinois lawmakers, State Senator Jason Barickman (R-Bloomington) is co-sponsoring a package of bills aimed at stopping corruption and making it easier to investigate wrong-doing...

The second round of the Business Interruption Grant (BIG) Program is now open. These grants will be available to all small businesses statewide that experienced losses due to the COVID-19 pandemic...

The Illinois Department of Natural Resources is sharing information about the upcoming Youth Firearm Deer Season taking place in a matter of weeks...

The Illinois Fire Service Institute is offering a unique, no cost professional development program to veterans interested in serving as a member of the fire service...

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Noting his support for Illinois businesses and pro-growth economic policies, the Illinois Chamber of Commerce has named State Senator Jason Barickman (R-Bloomington) as a “Champion of Free Enterprise.”

This week, it was announced that the Illinois Housing Development Authority (IHDA) has extended the deadline for Illinois renters to apply for aid by one week to 12 p.m. on August 28 due to those impacted by last week’s the storms. Additionally, landlords will be given to August 30 to complete their portion of the applications...

Noting that ComEd’s ratepayers are the victims of any wrong-doing by the utility, State Senator Jason Barickman (R-Bloomington) is co-sponsoring legislation calling for the $200 million in fines to be returned to those customers...

On Wednesday, July 15 public health officials and Illinois Governor JB Pritzker laid out a new COVID-19 mitigation plan, metrics and revised regions for monitoring the pandemic’s impact on Illinois...

On Friday, Governor Pritzker announced that he was issuing an executive order to cancel both of the Illinois State Fairs which are held annually in Springfield and Du Quoin....

Recently, every member of the Illinois Senate Republican Caucus sent a letter to Governor JB Pritzker formally requesting that he adopt the more widely-accepted 14-day timeline rather than his current 28-day requirement for moving between phases...