The Illinois Department of Labor (IDOL) strongly condemns actions by the Trump administration to roll back federal minimum wage and overtime protections for millions of home health care workers. “These reckless rollbacks undermine the economic security of working families across the country,” said IDOL Director Jane Flanagan. “While Illinois has robust minimum wage and overtime protections for home health care workers, if the proposed rule is adopted, it will create inconsistency and confusion across the country. As the federal government weakens worker protections, IDOL is committed to protecting and promoting the wages of all workers in Illinois.”

The Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR) announced today a new program that will grant funds to clean up cemeteries that have been abandoned, neglected, or are otherwise in need of additional care. Units of local government and not-for-profit organizations (including, but not limited to, not-for-profit cemetery authorities) are eligible to apply for ten Cemetery Relief Fund Grants that will be issued yearly. Each grant, valued up to $20,000, is supported by funding allocated in the FY26 state budget signed into law by Governor JB Pritzker. Applicants may apply by completing and submitting the application found online here. The deadline to apply is October 24, 2025.

In order to verify damage from the storms and flooding that occurred August 16-19, preliminary damage assessment (PDA) teams will go door-to-door on Wednesday, Sept. 3 through Sunday, Sept. 7. These teams will include representatives from the Illinois Emergency Management Agency (IEMA), Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), along with local emergency management personnel.

Illinois State Fire Marshal Michele Pankow visited the Shawneetown Fire Department on Friday, August 22, to present checks totaling $350,000 each to Shawneetown and Carrier Mills Fire Departments and $300,000 to the Equality Fire Department through OSFM’s Fire Station Construction and Rehabilitation Grant Program. Shawneetown Fire Chief Terry Golden Video: https://youtu.be/OkgN4MlvKcg Carrier Mills Mayor Tracy Felty Video: https://youtu.be/u1qxKSyRHbI Equality Fire Chief Cole Baker Video: https://youtu.be/NXTshFnZLzw The OSFM awarded $5 million dollars to 17 grantees across the state. This funding will allow fire departments or fire protection districts to repair, upgrade, or construct new fire houses.

Governor JB Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity’s (DCEO) Office of Tourism announced that Illinois welcomed 113 million domestic and international visitors who spent a record $48.5 billion in 2024 – an increase of 500,000 visitors and $1.3 billion in spending from 2023, according to data provided by Tourism Economics. This tourism surge also led to a new all-time high in hotel tax revenue figures in FY25, totaling $367 million – a 14% increase over the previous record set in FY24.