(SPRINGFIELD) Illinois taxpayers may have to wait a little longer this year to receive their tax refunds from the state. According to the Illinois Department of Revenue, those who file paper returns will of course wait longer than those who file electronically, who’ll have their refunds deposited directly into their checking or savings accounts. Some additional delays are expected though due to extra efforts to prevent identity theft and other fraud.
(SPRINGFIELD) The first meeting of the Ranked-Choice & Voting Systems Task Force got off to a rocky start yesterday with some members calling for immediate bipartisanship. A result of last year’s new elections bill signed into law, the Task Force is expected to eveluate the state’s current election systems and discuss the process of implementing ranked choice voting for Illinois’ 2028 presidential primaries. It will also explore the fact that some 30% of statewide counties are using outdated voting machines and systems vulnerable for failure.
(SPRINGFIELD) The National Weather Service offices in Lincoln, St. Louis, and Paducah have released their schedule for this spring’s Storm Spotter Training. The classes are designed to help individuals identify features of severe storms and possible tornados, plue better understand basic radar imagery. More details are online at www.weather.gov.
(SPRINGFIELD) Illinois taxpayers will learn next week how Governor J.B. Pritzker wants to spend their tax dollars for the coming fiscal year. While Republicans are urging him to not include new programs, new taxes, or new tax increases, the Governor said yesterday he wants next week’s speech to be a big reveal. The Governor delivers his budget address to the Illinois General Assembly and the public a week from today at 12 noon in Springfield.