Here's a brief update on the collection of bills we've been tracking this session.

From Progress Illinois:

The state legislature's three big-ticket items are all in limbo at the moment: The Senate today postponed action on ethics reform legislation; details about state budget negotiations are few and far between; meanwhile, Gov. Quinn is refusing to sign the recently-approved capital bill until the legislature addresses the first two matters. 

That being said, the General Assembly has taken steps in the past two weeks to address some other important issues. Here's a brief update on the collection of bills we've been tracking this session:

Health & Human Services: Last Friday, we highlighted the passage of HB 2383, a bill sponsored by State Rep. Will Burns to expand the eligibility criteria for Illinois' Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program. On Tuesday, Rep. Sara Feigenholtz's No Wrong Door Bill (HB 745) unanimously passed out of the Senate as well and is now headed to the governor's desk. As Doug Schenkelberg of the Heartland Alliance explained, the law allows "initial applications for TANF, Food Stamps, and Medical to be submitted at any Department of Human Services (IDHS) office, not limited to the office that is assigned to a person based on home address." He added, "We are inserting choice into a system that too often robs those who use it of their dignity."