Category: Government

State Rep. Kifowit condemns Minnesota ICE shooting

State representative Stephanie Kifowit issued the following statement condemning the fatal shooting of a U.S. citizen in Minnesota by ICE officers this week, calling the incident a profound failure of accountability and a moment that demands national action. “Whether you serve in the military or in law enforcement, the training

Foster on Trump’s ‘investigation’ of Fed

Congressman Bill Foster (D-IL), ranking member of the House Financial Services Subcommittee on Financial Institutions, issued the following statement: “Without a stable, responsible, and independent monetary policy, the United States risks losing the primacy of the U.S. dollar and becoming uninvestable. (Donald) Trump’s politically-driven ‘investigation’ of the Federal Reserve is

Projection, retaliation, and the theft of our republic

By John & Nisha Whitehead Donald Trump, aptly dubbed a “master of projection,” could teach a master class in accusing others of wrongdoing of which he is guilty. Trump has repeatedly framed himself as a victim of corruption while weaponizing the machinery of government for personal, political, and financial gain.

Illinois Department of Human Services reports data breach

By Peter HancockCapitol News Illinoisphancock@capitolnewsillinois.com The Illinois Department of Human Services disclosed recently that it mistakenly uploaded private health-related information about hundreds of thousands of Illinoisans to a publicly accessible website and left it there for more than three years before it discovered the mistake. But the agency would not

Hundreds rally in St. Charles for immigrants January 3

Hundreds of people rallied for immigrants January 3 in St. Charles. Sponsored by We Can Lead Change Fox Valley, an activist organization, protesters with signs and dogs lined Main Street outside the city municipal Center in downtown St. Charles. Organizers said the event was intended to celebrate immigrants and their

Peoples Gas files $202 million rate increase request

By Maggie DoughertyCapitol News Illinoismdougherty@capitolnewsillinois.com Editor’s note: A correction was made to the current return on equity approved by the ICC in 2023 was supposed to be 9.38%, not 5.5%. Peoples Gas on Monday filed a $202.3 million rate hike request with the Illinois Commerce Commission, sparking public outcry and

The government stopped pretending it cared about freedom

By John & Nisha Whitehead Some years chip away at freedom. Others tear the mask off. In the year 2025 the government stopped pretending it was constrained by the Constitution—when executive power expanded openly and unapologetically, surveillance became ambient, dissent became dangerous, and the machinery of militarized government embedded itself

New laws: Grocery tax to end, aquifer protections, squatters

By Ben Szalinski, Brenden Moore, & Peter HancockCapitol News Illinoisnews@capitolnewsillinois.com Illinois’ statewide 1% grocery tax will go away January 1, though many people will continue to pay it at the local level. Data compiled by the Illinois Municipal League shows that 656 municipalities — a little more than half of

DOJ sues Illinois over limiting federal immigration actions

By Brenden MooreCapitol News Illinoisbmoore@capitolnewsillinois.com In an expected move, the Donald Trump administration filed a lawsuit last week seeking to nullify a new state law that allows Illinois residents to sue federal immigration agents who arrest them in or near courthouses or if they believe their constitutional rights were violated.

Supreme Court rules on National Guard deployment in Chicago

By Brenden Moore & Hannah MeiselCapitol News Illinoisbmoore@capitolnewsillinois.com The recent U.S. Supreme Court kept in place a lower court’s ruling temporarily barring president Donald Trump from deploying National Guard troops to Chicago as part of his administration’s crackdown on illegal immigration. The 6-3 ruling, which comes more than two months

Montgomery honors former Village president Michelini

Village Board members and staff gathered recently alongside Marilyn Michelini, her family, and close friends for the official naming of Marilyn Michelini Way, honoring Montgomery’s first female Village president and a trailblazing leader who served three consecutive terms from 2000 to 2012. This commemorative street naming recognizes Marilyn Michelini’s lasting

Illinois regulators warn of impending energy shortfalls

By Jerry NowickiCapitol News Illinoisjnowicki@capitolnewsillinois.com Illinois’ electric grids may soon face power shortages and further price increases as fossil fuel plants go offline and data centers fueling the rise of artificial intelligence demand ever-increasing amounts of power. That’s the conclusion of a new report by three state agencies that foreshadows

Surveillance state making a naughty list, and you’re on it

By John & Nisha Whitehead The Surveillance State is making a naughty list, and we’re all on it. Unlike Santa’s naughty list, however, the consequences of landing on the government’s “naughty list” are far more severe than a stocking full of coal. They can include heightened surveillance, loss of privacy,