By Brenden Moore & Peter HancockCapitol News Illinoisnews@capitolnewsillinois.com July 25 is now officially Emmett Till Day in Illinois. Illinois governor JB Pritzker signed legislation codifying the designation ahead of what would have been Till’s 85th birthday. It was one of 78 bills the governor signed last week. Till, a 14-year-old
By Peter HancockCapitol News Illinoisphancock@capitolnewsillinois.com Students in all Illinois public schools will soon have to abide by rules barring them from using cellphones or other personal electronic communication devices during school hours unless they have been given specific permission to use them. Although many districts already have similar policies in
Aurora mayor John Laesch, left, presents Sriyan Kantamneni with a Mayor’s Award of Excellence for his entry in the Illinois PTA Reflections Program.
State representative Stephanie Kifowit (D-Oswego) released the following statement regarding workplace protections in response to the Chicago Tribune article about former representative Harry Benton and the lack of accountability in the district offices of representatives in the IL House. “The Illinois House has begun another review of policies in response
Congressman Bill Foster (D-IL) led 18 of his colleagues in introducing the Federal Naming Standards Act. This legislation would prevent federal buildings, facilities, and programs from being named after elected officials or political appointees until at least 10 years after they leave office. Even beyond that time frame, no former
U.S. representative Lauren Underwood (IL-14) will host a summer town hall series across every county in Illinois’ 14th Congressional District throughout July and August 2026. These public forums provide constituents an opportunity to ask questions, share perspectives, and hear legislative updates. The town hall series stops include the following dates
Aurora mayor John Laesch, honors Project Altogether students Zaire Robinson, Amirrah Robinson, and Faith Berry for their exceptional volunteerism and hard work in the community.
State representative, Matt Hanson, D-Montgomery, helped secure more than $682,000 in the State budget for five public libraries and seven school libraries in the 83rd district. “Libraries remain a vital pillar of our community. They are not only hubs for reading and education, but also technology and innovation,” said Hanson.
From the vault, August 20, 2011 (revised): Got gas? Would you be willing to pay $5 (or more) per gallon for a tankful? The answer to both questions is “yes” (although the answer to question number two might be hard in coming out of your mouth, dear reader). A couple
By Bela “Bill” Suhayda Wayne Johnson announced to the readers of this publication he is doing a re-read of George Orwell’s classic Novel “1984.” Johnson does to this novel what subversives do to democratic societies, they turn them upside down. Johnson tells us the book has become a difficult read.
By John & Nisha Whitehead Having burned through billions of dollars and depleted critical munitions stockpiles, the Pentagon is running out of money. Our money. According to the Washington Post, the Pentagon is facing an urgent budget shortfall caused largely by the Iran war, with some critical funding accounts expected
By Brenden MooreCapitol News Illinoisbmoore@capitolnewsillinois.com The Democratic Party chairs in Will and Kendall Counties chose Jessica Dixon Heitman Monday night to complete the term of former Rep. Harry Benton, D-Plainfield, and replace him on the November ballot. Benton resigned following an ethics investigation that found conduct described as unbecoming of
Even in a community known for opportunity, hunger affects an estimated 64,000 Kane County residents at any given time. Throughout July, Kane County Connects is spotlighting the work of the Northern Illinois Food Bank and its partners as they fight hunger and expand access to nutritious food across Kane County.
By Dr. Glenn Mollette We have been seeing and hearing news about the possibility of permanent Daylight Savings Time (DST). Will this work better for you? There is a song called “Tulsa Time”. In the song, Don Williams sings about living on Tulsa Time. When he arrived in California, nobody
By John Laesch, Aurora mayor The ethics ordinance that passed the Aurora City Council, July 14, is good news, but there is certainly room to continue working on better legislation. First the good news! The ordinance limits campaign donations to $1,500 from any corporation who does business with the City
The City of Aurora government and mayor John Laesch are set to host a new Summer Civics Series to engage the community on the City’s plans for the 2027 budget and its long-term outlook for public safety, infrastructure, and sustainability. The City of Aurora Summer Civics Series will start Saturday,
The City of Aurora’s Special Census Initiative is a count of the City’s population that is held outside of the normal census in areas of new construction between 2020 and 2026 throughout City limits. During the 2020 Census, it was reported that the City of Aurora lost approximately 17,000 people.
During the Aurora City Council meeting, July 14, mayor John Laesch welcomed members of the Aurora Advisory Commission on Disabilities, Weston Bridges, and the Fox Valley Special Recreation Association to accept an official proclamation, declaring the month of July as Disability Pride Month in Aurora.
By Ben SzalinskiCapitol News Illinoisbszalinski@capitolnewsillinois.com Governor JB Pritzker signed 31 new laws on Friday as he continues evaluating measures passed in the spring session, including bills banning certain ingredients from cosmetics and correcting the State’s property tax laws. Access to birth control Senate Bill 3341 allows minors to receive birth
By Ben SzalinskiCapitol News Illinoisbszalinski@capitolnewsillinois.com An Illinois House committee will investigate actions by Rep. Carol Ammons, D-Urbana, following her indictment on 10 federal charges this week. A group of 11 House Republicans filed a petition on Friday to create a special investigating committee, a sparingly used process laid out in
