By Maggie Dougherty & Ben SzalinskiCapitol News Illinoisnews@capitolnewsillinois.com When governor JB Pritzker signed tax incentives for data centers into law in his first year as governor in 2019, Republicans and Democrats celebrated the plan as an economic driver. “In today’s world, data centers are as critical a part of our
By Ben Szalinski & Associated PressCapitol News Illinoisbszalinski@capitolnewsillinois.com The Illinois Department of Public Health is not adopting new federal child vaccine guidelines and will continue following recommendations by a leading pediatric medical group. President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Monday that calls for giving the measles, mumps and
August 16, 2026Dear editor; The impact of George Orwell’s novel “1984” reverberates with more force today than when it was written in 1948, two years before he died of tuberculosis on a remote Scottish island. The novel draws from his experiences and reflects the tumultuous times in which he lived:
The Kane County Board has approved a balanced Fiscal Year 2027 budget totaling just under $403 million, continuing the County’s efforts to strengthen its long-term financial position while maintaining essential services. “Balancing this year’s budget required thoughtful planning, collaboration and a willingness to make difficult decisions,” said Kane County Board
The City of Aurora’s Water Production Division is leading public education efforts on the City’s Lead Action Level Exceedance Notice, which was issued July 14, along with the City’s lead service line replacement progress. The notice detailed the discovery of an elevated level of lead in drinking water in select
This past weekend, the Daily Herald released their Readers’ Choice Best of the Best Awards for 2026 and the Aurora Regional Fire Museum was voted the Best Suburban Museum. This recognition is another testament of the impact the Aurora Regional Fire Museum is having in the region. In the last
By John & Nisha Whitehead The National Guard was just the beginning. One year after president Donald Trump deployed military troops to the nation’s capital, we find ourselves navigating a posse comitatus presidency in which the visual trappings of martial law are the norm, not the exception. When Trump declared
By Peter Hancock, Brenden Moore &, Jerry NowickiCapitol News Illinoisnews@capitolnewsillinois.com Rideshare drivers can unionize in Illinois, a new law seeks to regulate and classify plastic pellets as a pollutant, and the State will exercise greater oversight of a federal prescription drug discount program. Those are a few of the 75
By Ben SzalinskiCapitol News Illinoisbszalinski@capitolnewsillinois.com Illinois farmers heard pitches from incumbent governor JB Pritzker and downstate Republican farmer Darren Bailey, Monday as each argued they’re best positioned to address agricultural issues. Bailey, a former State lawmaker who was also his party’s nominee for governor in 2022, told the crowd at
August 7, 2026Dear editor; As Kane County continues to grow, so must a transportation system that keeps pace with the needs of our residents, businesses, and economy. That is why I support the Illinois Tollway’s proposed toll increase and the long-term investments it will make in the Interstate 88 and
The City of Aurora government, in partnership with the U.S. Census Bureau, launched its 2026 Special Census initiative, targeting new construction and development within the City to establish a more complete and accurate count of total population. The effort was prompted by the City’s significant undercount in the 2020 Census,
The City of Aurora government will host a free electronics recycling drive-thru Saturday, Aug. 22 from 8 a.m to noon at the Route 59 Train Station, 1090 N. IL Route 59. The event will take place on the south side of the tracks. All items are free to recycle, but
The City of Naperville government will offer two opportunities for Naperville resident students to participate in local government. Students can apply for student representative positions on the City’s boards and commissions or serve as a chief of staff to mayor Wehrli through the KidsMatter – Mayor’s Chief of Staff internship.
By Maggie DoughertyCapitol News Illinoismdougherty@capitolnewsillinois.com After the U.S. Treasury paid out $100 billion in tariff refunds to corporations at the end of last month, Illinois governor JB Pritzker wants to know where Illinois’ cut is. In a letter sent to president Donald Trump August 6, Pritzker asked the president to
By John & Nisha Whitehead What goes around comes around. That is the terrible law of blowback. When the United States bombs another country, threatens its government, kills its people, occupies its territory, or attempts to dictate its future, the consequences do not remain safely contained thousands of miles away.
By Bela “Bill” Suhayda Charles Coddington, in a recent contribution to his communist legacy here in The Voice, wrote if our government would’ve simply nationalized/confiscated U.S. oil companies… our government could have controlled the price of gasoline so the public wouldn’t have experienced high prices on fuel during this war.
By Peter Hancock|Capitol News Illinoisphancock@capitolnewsillinois.com A federal judge ruled late Friday that Illinois is not required to hand over its complete, unredacted voter registration data, including sensitive personal information, to the Donald Trump administration. In a 14-page opinion, Judge Colleen Lawless reached the same conclusion as judges in 18 other
By Ben SzalinskiCapitol News Illinoisbszalinski@capitolnewsillinois.com Illinois governor JB Pritzker signed sweeping regulations August 1 aimed at social media companies and cracking down on “addictive algorithms” that keep kids glued to their screens. House Bill 5511, known as the Children’s Social Media Safety Act, imposes a series of requirements on social
By Brenden Moore, Ben Szalinski, & Jerry NowickiCapitol News Illinoisnews@capitolnewsillinois.com Disgraced ex-Rep. Harry Benton, D-Plainfield, violated state law by committing two acts of sexual harassment, according to a summary legislative inspector general report made public Friday afternoon. LIG Mike McCuskey said the instances were “part of a pattern and practice
By Ben SzalinskiCapitol News Illinoisbszalinski@capitolnewsillinois.com A new Illinois state program took effect Saturday to provide food benefits to people who have recently become ineligible because of federal changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. The Families Receiving Emergency Support for Hunger, or FRESH, program started August 1 after state lawmakers
