By Jenna SchweikertCapitol News Illinoisjschweikert@capitolnewsillinois.com As top legislators emphasize affordability this session, several lawmakers are taking aim at regulating algorithmic pricing that uses consumers’ personal data. Algorithmic pricing is a price-setting practice where companies use everything from mouse movements to website searches and messages to set unique, individualized prices using
After being named the second-best city in America to move to by MRI Software, the City of Aurora is launching the “Choose Aurora Homebuyer Assistance Program,” aimed at helping to make the homebuying process more affordable, while attracting new residents to the City of Lights. The program, which is funded
By Ben SzalinskiCapitol News Illinoisbszalinski@capitolnewsillinois.com Governor JB Pritzker is continuing to push a plan he introduced two years ago to reform Illinois pensions. The governor announced on Monday he is reviving a plan he introduced during his 2024 budget address that calls for fully funding pensions by 2048 and changing
State representative Stephanie Kifowit, D-Oswego, applauds governor JB Pritzker’s leadership on embracing the bold ideas for pension reform and a plan to pay down the state of Illinois over $140 Billion pension debt. “Throughout my tenure as pension chair and now pension-appropriations chair, we have thoughtfully studied and evaluated the
State representative Barbara Hernandez (D-Aurora) released a statement after governor JB Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) announced that three organizations in the Aurora area would receive financial awards as part of the Illinois Works Pre-Apprenticeship Program. The three organizations in the Aurora area to
State representative Stephanie Kifowit announced that the City of Naperville has been awarded a $600,000 Open Space Land Acquisition and Development (OSLAD) grant to support major improvements at the Nike Sports Complex, a key recreational asset serving families, athletes, and residents throughout the community. The funding is part of a
State representative Matt Hanson, D-Montgomery, and State senator Linda Holmes, D-Aurora, recently visited the site of a new water tower in North Aurora, a project they worked to include within the state’s 2026 budget to ensure accessible drinking water for residents and businesses. “The weather may be dreary, but the
Our Lady of Good Council (OLGC) Knights of Columbus Council #14929 members donate to Association of Individual Development (AID) recently.
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
VNA Health Care, the largest community health center in the Chicago suburbs, today announced it has been selected as a recipient of Endeavor Health’s 2026 Community Investment Fund Capacity Builder Award in the amount of $750,000. Through this partnership, VNA Health Care will expand one of its busiest Aurora health
AARP Tax Aide offers free in-person income tax preparation service at four local senior centers this year, with thanks to trained AARP Tax Aide volunteers, beginning February 5. Last year, AARP Tax Aide Volunteers helped local seniors collect $879,000 in Federal refundsand $122,000 in State refunds, just over $1 million
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
Congressman Bill Foster (D-IL) reintroduced the Payer State Transparency Act, December 16, to help shed light on the “Payer State” problem, wherein certain states, including Illinois, pay more in federal taxes than they get back in federal spending. According to data from the Internal Revenue Service and USASpending.gov, Illinois sent
State representative Stephanie Kifowit is voicing strong support for Aurora Firefighters Local 99 and raising serious concerns about staffing reductions proposed in the 2026 Aurora city government budget. City officials have claimed that eliminating 18 firefighters, three Battalion Chiefs, one Training Officer, and two frontline fire trucks will not compromise
Representative Bill Foster (D-IL) fulfilled his pledge and donated the salary he received during the government shutdown to the Northern Illinois Food Bank, December 5. During the Republican shutdowns in 2013 and 2019, Rep. Foster also donated his pay to the food bank. “Even before the government shutdown, increasing grocery
DuPagePads to Expand Support for DuPage County Families Experiencing Homelessness with $5 Million Grant from Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez Bezos 32 organizations across the U.S. receive a total of $102.5 million from the Bezos Day 1 Families Fund to connect families with housing and hope DuPagePads, DuPage County’s largest
By Peter HancockCapitol News Illinoisphancock@capitolnewsillinois.com If advocates, stakeholders, and members of the public were granted all their requests for public school funding next year, lawmakers would have to increase the State’s K-12 education budget by nearly three-quarters of a billion dollars. That’s the approximate total of all the requests that
Below is a joint statement from Aurora mayor John Laesch, Police chief Matt Thomas, and Fire chief Dave McCabe, on Public Safety Funding in the 2026 Budget: Throughout this year’s budget process, there have been claims that the City of Aurora has chosen to enact significant cuts to public safety.
By Ben SzalinskiCapitol News Illinoisbszalinski@capitolnewsillinois.com Most state agencies were required to submit spending cut plans to Gov. JB Pritzker by Oct. 23, but the governor’s office has declined to release details about those plans. A spokesperson for Pritzker said the governor’s budget office is still reviewing the proposed cuts. “Gov.
Comcast joined Aurora Public Library District officials and community leaders to announce a $15,000 donation to the Aurora Public Library Foundation, which will expand digital skills training at Santori Library in Aurora. Comcast’s latest support of digital skills training in Aurora follows the company’s announcement in 2023 to establish a
