Category: Government

Aurora students honored for international LEGO tournament

At July 29’s Aurora City Council meeting, mayor John Laesch honored six Aurora students for finishing in second place at an international LEGO tournament in Massachusetts last month. From June 11 through June 14, Team Timeless, which is comprised of seventh-grade student Adhrit Chivali, third-grade student Siddharth Chavali, seventh-grade student

A head for an eye: The government’s war on us all

By John & Nisha Whitehead We have been ambushed. We should be talking about the dangerous, destabilizing things being done to this country. We should be talking about the data centers spreading across the landscape, draining electricity and water, straining local infrastructure and expanding the technological machinery needed to track,

Pritzker signs 78 bills: Emmett Till Day, boater’s liability insurance

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

School cellphone ban bill signed into law

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

Rep. Kifowit: Workplace protections, accountability

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

Foster bill to curb political self-branding on federal buildings

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

Rep. Lauren Underwood town hall series

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

Hanson helps secure $682K funding for 12 local libraries

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.

Reader’s Commentary: Orwell wrote about totalitarianism/communism, not the U.S.

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.

Under Trump, the buck stops nowhere, careless spending

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

Jessica Dixon Heitman appointed to ex-Rep. Benton’s seat

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

Summer sustenance solutions: Free summer meals for kids

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.