By Cole Lauterbach, includes “Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker was all smiles about Georgia’s U.S. Senate election results Wednesday, saying he’s optimistic that the federal government will come through with more state aid now that Republicans can’t block it. At a news conference in Chicago, Pritzker was asked about how soon he thinks the state’s multi-billion dollar budget deficit would be closed now that it’s more likely that Illinois and other states would see federal revenue passed down. ‘I’m thrilled about the fact that the Senate changed hands,’ he said.”