By Ben SzalinskiCapitol News Illinoisbszalinski@capitolnewsillinois.com The biggest item on Illinois lawmakers’ agenda this spring is still a work in progress with six weeks left in the legislative session. Democrats are entering the home stretch of budget negotiations ahead of their scheduled May 31 adjournment while monitoring better-than-expected revenue growth alongside
Aurora mayor John Laesch declared that the state of the City of Aurora is “strong and growing” at his first-ever State of the City Address April 16. He added that his administration will be prioritizing fiscal responsibility with a specific focus on sustainable growth and government efficiency. The event, which
April 18, 2026Dear editor; The federal support for public libraries is essential in maintaining an informed public in a democracy, and supportive of our Fourth Estate, the press. In fact, we need to increase money for libraries to keep up with current events and rising costs. May God bless all
Illinois lieutenant governor Juliana Stratton invites Illinois students in grades sixth through 12th to submit an essay in celebration of America’s 250th year. Please choose one of the following prompts for a submission:•The future I want to help build: Imagine the next 250 years.•My community’s story: How has your community
Chris Lauzen, Kane County treasurer, is inviting residents of Kane County to take part in a new effort, “Love Letters to America: Voices from Kane County for America’s 250th Birthday,” as the Nation approaches its 250th anniversary in 2026. America will celebrate her 250th birthday in 2026. For generations, people
Congressman Bill Foster (D-IL) introduced the Autofill Act. This legislation would create a voluntary tax filing program that allows individuals to use a secure IRS website to download a tax form automatically populated with information the IRS already collects from employers, the Social Security Administration, and financial institutions. The information
Musings: •The Sins of Donald J. Trump (chapter 19). He has: Laid the foundation of putting his name on the 250th anniversary of the United States of America, complete with imaging and a slogan; Appointed Erika Kirk, widow of Charlie Kirk, to the board of the Air Force Academy, which
By John & Nisha Whitehead One week after posting a profanity-laced Easter message threatening to wipe out the entire civilization of Iran, Donald J. Trump, the 47th president of the United States, spent the night of April 12 and into the early morning hours unleashing a barrage of AI-generated images,
The City of Aurora government’s Youth Services division is excited to announce the return of the Youth & Family Resource Fair! Taking place Thursday, April 23 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Prisco Community Center, 150 W. Illinois Avenue, the free, annual event will bring together more than
By Jenna Schweikert, Brenden Moore, Ben Szalinski, and Nikoel HytrekCapitol News Illinoisnews@capitolnewsillinois.com The Illinois House approved legislation April 8 that would prohibit the federal government from operating a new immigration detention center within 1,500 feet of any home, school, day care center, park, forest preserve, cemetery or place of worship.
By Peter HancockCapitol News Illinoisphancock@capitolnewsillinois.com State education officials presented their case this week for a $10.9 billion budget to fund preK-12 public schools for the next fiscal year, saying the Evidence-Based Funding formula that has been in place for nearly a decade is now paying dividends. “Graduation rates are at
State representative Stephanie Kifowit (D–Oswego), a U.S. Marine Corps veteran, passed two pieces of legislation in the Illinois House April 8 aimed at supporting veterans and strengthening oversight of programs that serve them. House Bill 4336 expands and clarifies the types of building-related fees that are waived for veterans with
As prices of everyday essentials continue to rise across the country, State Rep. Matt Hanson, D-Montgomery, is working to provide some immediate relief to Illinois customers by passing a new measure to ensure discounts offered by businesses are honored or easily accessible. “Right now, every penny counts,” said Hanson. “There
Open Roads ABATE president Sam Mataya, left, shakes the hand of City of Sandwich mayor Todd Latham, who signed a proclamation proclaiming May is Motorcycle Awareness Month at the April 6 Sandwich City Council Meeting.
Over the past several weeks, I’ve heard from a large number of residents regarding the proposed data centers in the Yorkville area – and the message has been clear. The majority of residents don’t want them, with quality of life a primary concern. I also took the step of running
By John & Nisha Whitehead “We’re fighting wars, we can’t take care of … daycare, Medicaid, Medicare, all these individual things… We have to take care of one thing: military protection.”—President Donald J. Trump Every bomb dropped abroad is a bill sent home. Every war waged in the name of
By Jacques Abou-Rizk and Medill Illinois News Bureau, Capitol News Illinois In downtown Chicago, people have been spotting Google’s Waymo automated vehicles testing and mapping the Windy City’s streets. For now, the autonomous vehicles must be driven by a human, as the industry seeks the endorsement of state lawmakers. For
March 31, 2026Dear editor; In his March 26 letter entitled “Trump Derangement and its Syndrome”, Mr. Hoehne stated a case opposing president Donald Trump’s bombing of Iran. Part of his justification opposing bombing was “There was no imminent danger, no national emergency,…”. This is nonsense! All it does is show
April 6, 2026Dear editor; As we cannot tolerate another rogue nation like North Korea, I agree with president Donald Trump that Iran’s nuclear arsenal needs to be destroyed. When doing so, however, he needs to review the lessons learned from other leaders who caused needless carnage and loss of lives
Congressman Bill Foster (D-IL) issued the following statement April 7: “The President of the United States openly threatening to wipe out an entire civilization is nauseating and un-American. A president’s words carry real consequences, and they should be used to de-escalate conflict, not push us closer to the brink. This
