Politics & Government

Tim Shelley speaks with the National Conference of State Legislatures' Wendy Underhill.

Dr. Kiran Velpula is the consensus choice to fill the vacant at-large seat on the Peoria City Council. Velpula was one of three finalists among two dozen applicants for the opening created by the election of Mayor Rita Ali. A vote on his appointment is planned for the next City Council meeting on June 22.

Gov. JB Pritzker has signed off on new redistricting boundaries for state legislators. Those maps mean some Bloomington-Normal and Peoria residents will see changes in who represents them in state government.

Republican leaders in the Illinois House and Senate filed a federal lawsuit Wednesday challenging the constitutionality of the new legislative district maps that Gov. JB Pritzker signed into law June 4.

A measure that would cut down the license plate fee for utility trailers from $118 to $36 passed both the Illinois House and Senate over the holiday weekend — a move spurred by a flood of complaints to lawmakers after the price increased two years ago.

The city of Peoria is off the hook for bonds it was going to issue to balance out the budget.

The Village of Dunlap is set to acquire a portion of the Rock Island Trail from the state, with plans to improve access and reroute the path.

Mayor John Kahl said East Peoria managed to weather the financial impact from COVID-19 last year by acting quickly to cut expenses and delay planned purchases.

Gov. JB Pritzker signed a pair of bills Friday that redraw state legislative and appellate court districts, despite the fact that official U.S Census data needed to ensure equal representation has not yet been delivered.

Gov. JB Pritzker wants to make it clear that he’s not a wholesale believer in the ethics reform package Democratic lawmakers pushed through the legislature this week.