ILLINOIS STATE NEWS BRIEF (11/06/2024)

(SPRINGFIELD) The Governor’s Office of Management & Budget has released its five-year projection, showing Illinois spending $63 billion by the year 2030. That’s while the current fiscal year budget has expenditures at just over $53 billion. The management and budget office’s report shows projected increases in spending on education, healthcare, human services, public safety, and government services during the five-year period in Illinois.

(SPRINGFIELD) November is Lung Cancer Awareness Month and health officials say it’s a good time to get screened. While Illinois ranks as 16th worst in the nation for new lung cancer cases, data from the State Department of Public Health shows lung cancer is the leading cause of death and is the third most common cancer in Illinois. This Saturday, November 9th, is National Lung Cancer Screening Day, when numerous screening facilities around Illinois will serve those who can’t take time off work to be screened at other times.

(SPRINGFIELD) Illinois’ corn belt ports, specifically along the Mississippi & Illinois Rivers are doing well, although when most people think of ports, they first think of those along coastal cities. Since 2022, the corn belt ports have attracted over $2 billion in multi-modal and natural infrastructure investment from various sources. Officials say the recognition of the corn belt ports has enabled downstate Illinois to be more competitive for direct and indirect investment. Earlier this year, ten states, including Illinois, signed a cooperative agreement that some believe will lead to further economic growth. The agreement unifies both the inland ports of the Mississippi River as well as its coastal ports in the South.