By John & Nisha Whitehead We have become a nation adrift in a sea of government overreach, abuse and corruption. The following is a sobering account of the challenges we faced in 2024, which were marked by the government’s never-ending power grabs and relentless assaults on our civil liberties. The
By Ben SzalinskiCapitol News Illinoisbszalinski@capitolnewsillinois.com The minimum wage in Illinois was increased to $15 an hour January 1, to complete a six-year transition period since the increase was approved in 2019. As of New Year’s Day, Illinois workers making minimum wage wages rose by $1 and tipped workers will see
By Amalia Huot-MarchandMedill Illinois News Bureaufor Capitol News Illinoisamaliahuor-marchand2025@u.northwestern.edu Illinois lawmakers could soon make it easier for children in foster care to live with their relatives or other people close to them. Child welfare experts have long touted the benefits of foster children staying with kin. Advocates say those arrangements
By Atmika IyerMedill Illinois News Bureaufor Capitol News Illinoisatmikaiyer2025@u.northwestern.edu Illinois lawmakers in early January could consider easing requirements for residents to change their names, a move proponents say will reduce risks for victims of domestic abuse, transgender residents, and others. The measure must clear the full Senate in the first
By John & Nisha Whitehead The American police state has become America’s new crime boss. Thirty years after then-president Bill Clinton signed the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act into law, its legacy of mass incarceration, police militarization, and over-criminalization continues to haunt us. It has become the gift
By Ben SzalinskiCapitol News Illinoisbszalinski@capitolnewsillinois.com Time to study up, Illinois. When the clock hits midnight on New Year’s Day, 293 new state laws will take effect. Those include some of the defining bills of the 2024 legislative session and others that will change how people get IDs, evaluate job postings
By Ben SzalinskiCapitol News Illinoisbszalinski@capitolnewsillinois.com Changes that would make Illinois pension systems compliant with Social Security by improving benefits for government employees hired since 2011 could be on the table when lawmakers return to Springfield in January. The General Assembly passed legislation in 2010 to create a second tier of
Acting Secretary of Labor Julie Su honored president Joe Biden by announcing his induction to the U.S. Department of Labor’s Hall of Honor. During an event establishing former Secretary of Labor Frances Perkins’ homestead as a national monument, Acting Secretary Su lauded the nation’s leader for his tireless support of
State representative Jed Davis (R-Yorkville) released a 2025 Legislative Survey for constituents in the 75th Legislative District. “I encourage all constituents to complete my 2025 Legislative Survey,” said Davis. “This nine-question survey will allow constituents to make their voices heard. I am elected to represent you, the people of the
By Andrew AdamsCapitol News Illinoisaadams@capitolnewsillinois.com Illinois utilities are set to invest more than a billion dollars into upgrading the state’s electric distribution grid, resulting in higher rates for customers around the state. The Illinois Commerce Commission on Thursday approved scaled-back plans submitted by Commonwealth Edison and Ameren Illinois, the electric
Bah. Humbug. Oh, that’s right. Christmas is just barely past. But it’s déjà vu all over again. No, not the holiday season. I’m talking about the Donald Trump chaos season. He hasn’t even been sworn in yet and Congress is spinning in turmoil just like the Tasmanian Devil with more
It’s election season, and I have questions. As someone who champions small business and cultivates community connections, I have several questions for the Aurora mayoral candidates. Some of the questions below are mine, while others are from involved community members. I encourage all of the mayoral candidates, including the current
By John & Nisha Whitehead The Christmas story of a baby born in a manger is a familiar one. The Roman Empire, a police state in its own right, had ordered that a census be conducted. Joseph and his pregnant wife Mary traveled to the little town of Bethlehem so
By Peter HancockCapitol News Illinoisphancock@capitolnewsillinois.com More than five years after Illinois began issuing permits for legal production of industrial hemp, governor JB Pritzker said Friday he now favors legislation to bring the industry under tighter regulation. At a news conference in Chicago, Pritzker said in the short time since both
By Jason Crane The Aurora City Council approved a Resolution authorizing a five-year health services agreement with Marathon Health, LLC for the establishment of a near-site clinic. City government of Aurora documents show the near site clinic at the Bloomhaven campus will allow for enhanced access to medical services and
Oswego property owners will see a 5% decrease in the Village of Oswego’s property tax rate on their upcoming tax bills. November 19, the Village Board approved a tax levy (total amount of property taxes collected) of $1,842,240 or a rate of $0.13222. This represents a 5% decrease in the
By Andrew AdamsCapitol News Illinoisaadams@capitolnewsillinois.com IBM, the tech giant known for revolutionizing computing over the past 70 years, is setting up shop on Chicago’s South Side to develop what could be the field’s next big leap: Quantum technology. It’s part of a multi-year effort from governor JB Pritzker, state officials
By Peter HancockCapitol News Illinoisphancock@capitolnewsillinois.com Illinois officially awarded its 19 electoral votes Tuesday to vice president Kamala Harris and Minnesota governor Tim Walz, the unsuccessful Democratic candidates to be the next president and vice president of the United States. During a ceremony at the Statehouse that lasted only about half
By John & Nisha Whitehead You’d better watch out, you’d better not pout—you’d better not cry—‘cos I’m telling you why: This Christmas, it’s the Surveillance State that’s making a list and checking it twice, and it won’t matter whether you’ve been bad or good. You’ll be on this list whether
By Ben SzalinskiCapitol News Illinoisbszalinski@capitolnewsillinois.com State lawmakers will face a projected budget deficit and slowing revenue when they return to Springfield in January 2025, but a new report shows fiscal decisions made in recent years have put Illinois in a better position to handle a recession than any time in
