By Peter HancockCapitol News Illinoisphancock@capitolnewsillinois.com More than 175 years after their reservation in Illinois was illegally sold at auction, the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation is now in line to get their land back. Governor JB Pritzker signed legislation Friday, March 21 authorizing the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to
By Peter HancockCapitol News Illinoisphancock@capitolnewsillinois.com Enrollment at Illinois community colleges grew to more than 285,000 in the spring semester this year, an 8.9% increase over a year ago and the largest spring-to-spring enrollment increase since the Illinois Community College Board began collecting systemwide data in the late 1990s. In a
By Ben Szalinski & Bridgette FoxCapitol News Illinoisnews@capitolnewsillinois.com It’s been just four months since the last election concluded, but another election is on the horizon in Illinois: the April 1 elections for school boards and municipal offices. Though municipal and school board races in Illinois are nonpartisan, voters may see
By Beth Hundsdorfer & Molly ParkerCapitol News Illinoisnews@capitolnewsillinois.com Hundreds rallied Thursday at the Capitol in Springfield to voice their opposition to a bill that would require oversight of families who homeschool their children, a response to concerns that the state offers no restrictions on homeschooling families. The bill, called the
By Molly Parker & Beth HundsdorferCapitol News Illinois Following a ProPublica and Capitol News Illinois investigation, an Illinois lawmaker has introduced legislation that would require families to tell their public school districts if they are homeschooling. A new Illinois bill aims to add some oversight of families who homeschool their
By Ben SzalinskiCapitol News Illinoisbszalinski@capitolnewsillinois.com The Donald Trump administration has stopped reimbursing Illinois for a program designed to help farmers and supply fresh food to Illinois food banks. The Illinois Department of Agriculture announced Tuesday that changes to federal funding mean Illinois is missing reimbursements for costs for the Local
By Hannah MeiselCapitol News Illinoisnews@capitolnewsillinois.com A month into president Donald Trump’s second term in the White House, governor JB Pritzker last week warned that the breakneck pace at which the Donald Trump administration has been remaking federal policy could be a harbinger of something darker. “It took the Nazis one
By Ben Szalinski, Peter Hancock, & Jerry NowickiCapitol News Illinoisnews@capitolnewsillinois.com An improved revenue forecast is helping ease pressure on state finances as governor JB Pritzker calls for tightened spending to balance the budget without tax increases on everyday Illinoisans. During his annual state of the state and budget address on
By Ben SzalinskiCapitol News Illinoisbszalinski@capitolnewsillinois.com An Illinois Senate committee advanced a bill Tuesday, Feb. 18 that would strictly limit police’s ability to search a vehicle after smelling cannabis. The Senate Criminal Law Committee voted 7-3 to advance Senate Bill 42, which would eliminate the requirement that cannabis be transported in
By Peter HancockCapitol News Illinoisphancock@capitolnewsillinois.com Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul announced this week he has joined yet another multistate lawsuit against the Donald Trump Administration, this time over its decision to slash funding for university research grants through the National Institutes of Health. It was at least the fourth such
By Hannah Meisel & Bridgette FoxCapitol News Illinoisnews@capitolnewsillinois.com President Donald Trump on Monday granted a full pardon to former Illinois governor Rod Blagojevich, who was convicted on 18 corruption counts, including for his attempt to sell president-elect Barack Obama’s U.S. Senate seat in 2008 – and who holds the distinction
By Peter HancockCapitol News Illinoisphancock@capitolnewsillinois.com Fourth and eighth grade students in Illinois generally scored as well or better than the national average in reading and math, according to results of the latest round of national test results. But their scores remain below pre-pandemic levels and, in the case of reading,
By Ben Szalinski & Peter HancockCapitol News Illinoisbszalinski@capitolnewsillinois.comphancock@capitolnewsillinois.com State agencies, nonprofit organizations and a host of other entities that rely on federal funding were thrown into chaos Tuesday following the release of a White House memo that froze – at least temporarily – the distribution of all federal grants, loans
By Ben Szalinskibszalinski@capitolnewsillinois.comCapitol News Illinois Governor JB Pritzker Tuesday, Jan. 21 signed a long-awaited bill to stop Illinois organizations from paying less than the minimum wage to workers with disabilities. The bill applies to businesses and other facilities that hold what is known as a 14(c) certificate, named after the
By Ashley Sorianofor Capitol News Illinoisand Medill Illinois News BureauAshleySoriano2025@u.northwestern.edu Older drivers in Illinois could face fewer barriers to renew their driver’s licenses next year as part of a bill that would raise the age for the state-mandated annual driver’s test from 79 to 87. Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias
By Ben SzalinskiCapitol News Illinoisbszalinski@capitolnewsillinois.com It’s been 18 months since Karina Gonzalez and her 15-year-old daughter Daniela were shot and killed on Fourth of July weekend at their Chicago home, allegedly by her husband. Gonzalez had filed for an order of protection from her husband just two weeks before her
By Atmika IyerFor Capitol News Illinoisand Medill Illinois News Bureauatmikaiyer2025@u.northwestern.edu With homelessness increasing in Illinois, a coalition of shelter providers and advocates is calling for a $100 million increase in state funding to prevent homelessness and provide shelter to people without homes. That would come on top of the $290
By Jerry NowickiCapitol News Illinoisjnowicki@capitolnewsillinois.com Illinoisans can now vote on whether they want a new state flag. The Illinois Secretary of State’s office officially opened the voting portal on Friday, and votes will be accepted through Feb. 14. Voters can choose from 10 designs for a new flag, the current
By Peter HancockCapitol News Illinoisphancock@capitolnewsillinois.com A bill that would have imposed regulations on new types of intoxicating substances derived from hemp stalled in the Illinois House Tuesday, Jan. 7, dealing a political setback to governor JB Pritzker after he strongly supported the legislation. “I was tremendously disappointed,” Pritzker said at
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
