ILL. DOI INTEGRATED INTO NEW DEPARTMENT:

The Illinois Department of Insurance is being consolidated with three other financial and regulatory agencies. The acting director of the Illinois Department of Labor, Esther Lopez, has been promoted to Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s deputy chief of staff for labor and professional regulation. She will be responsible for oversight of the consolidation of several agencies, including the Departments of Insurance, Professional Regulation, Financial Institutions and the Office of Banks and Real Estate. The governor said that consolidating the departments would save the state about $15 million a year.