By Hannah MeiselCapitol News Illinoishmeisel@capitolnewsillinois.com Nearly 200 years after Native Americans were forced out of Illinois, the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation has become the first federally recognized tribal nation in the State of Illinois after a decision from the recent U.S. Department of the Interior. The move represents the first...
By Alex Abbeduto, Hannah Meisel, and Cole Longcor Governor JB Pritzker’s plan to create a new State agency to oversee Illinois’ various early childhood programs moved forward Friday, April 12 after the State Senate’s unanimous approval. It was one of 244 bills that cleared the Senate last week. Early childhood...
By Alex Abbeduto & Cole Longcor Grocery startups can now apply for funding allocated in last year’s $20 million Illinois Grocery Initiative aimed at preventing and eliminating food deserts in Illinois. The Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, which is administering the grants, is accepting applications in the second round...
Last week my son walked away from his teaching career to manage valet parking services at a hospital, so the headline: “Illinois still suffers shortage of teachers,” on the front page of the March 28 issue of The Voice, caught my eye. With many friends and family members who are...
By Peter HancockCapitol News Illinoisphancock@capitolnewsillinois.com Illinois continues to suffer from a shortage of teachers and other education professionals, although recent efforts by the State to ease the strain have made an impact. That’s according to the latest annual survey of school officials from the Illinois Association of Regional Superintendents of...
Tue, Feb. 13vs. Michigan, W 97-68Sat, Feb. 17at Maryland, W 85-80Wed, Feb. 21at Penn State, L 90-89Sat, Feb. 24vs. Iowa, W 95-85Wed, Feb. 28vs. Minnesota, W 105-97Sat, March 2at Wisconsin, W 91-83Tue, March 5vs. Purdue, L 77-71Sun, March 10at Iowa, W 73-61Big Ten TournamentFri, March 15vs. Ohio State, W 77-74Sat,...
By Andrew Adams State regulators are once again considering massive electric utility spending plans that would affect the state’s climate goals – and 5.4 million electric customers’ monthly bills – after rejecting previous versions late last year. The Illinois Commerce Commission forced the State’s two major electric utilities, Commonwealth Edison...
By Jerry Nowicki Illinois’ two main fiscal forecasting agencies agree: Illinois’ finances will see a strong close in the final 3½ months of the fiscal year before things tighten a bit next year. It’s a picture laid out in governor JB Pritzker’s budget proposal last month, and it got a...
By Dilpreet Raju Illinois State and community leaders Monday, Feb. 26 celebrated the planned opening of a new freestanding birth center on Chicago’s South Side while emphasizing proposed maternal health spending increases in governor JB Pritzker’s budget. The nonprofit Chicago South Side Birth Center will mark the City’s second active...
Thu, Jan. 18at Michigan, W 88-73Sun, Jan. 21vs. Rutgers, W 86-63Wed, Jan. 24at Northwestern, L 96-91, otSat, Jan. 27vs. Indiana, W 70-62Tue, Jan. 30at Ohio State, W 87-75Sun, Feb. 4vs. Nebraska, W 87-84, otSat, Feb. 10at Michigan State, L 88-80Tue, Feb. 13vs. Michigan, W 97-68Sat, Feb. 17at Maryland, W 85-80Wed,...
Insurance coverage for fertility treatments, child internet regulations also introduced By Andrew Adams Cole Longcor& Alex AbbedutoCapitol News Illinoisnews@capitolnewsillinois.com After failing to pass a child tax credit last year, advocates returned to Springfield Wednesday to propose a scaled back version of the policy which they say would still reduce child poverty...
Sam McCann, charged with misusing campaign funds, set for trial next week By Hannah MeiselCapitol News Illinoishmeisel@capitolnewsillinois.com Springfield – On what was supposed to be the third morning of a weeklong corruption trial of former State Sen. Sam McCann, the onetime third-party candidate for governor instead videoconferenced into U.S. District...
By Jerry Nowicki The Illinois Supreme Court has again denied a request from a Republican lawmaker seeking to repeal the state’s assault weapons ban. Governor JB Pritzker signed the ban on the sale, possession and manufacture of a long list of firearms, high-capacity magazines and certain accessories in January 2023....
By Dilpreet Raju A Chicago organization focused on drinking water sustainability will receive a $15 million federal grant over the next two years for a project aimed at jumpstarting a regional clean water industry. The U.S. National Science Foundation awarded the grant to Current Innovation NFP, a nonprofit “innovation hub”...
By Dilpreet Raju For years, parents and providers have criticized what they see as a disorganized system for finding children mental health care in Illinois. State leaders are hoping a new partnership will change that. The Illinois Department of Human Services is partnering with Google to launch a new centralized...
By Andrew Adams Boston-based Nexamp, a major player in the solar energy industry, is joining the growing list of renewable technology companies that have expanded to, or relocated to Illinois in recent months. Monday, Jan. 22 Nexamp announced its intention to spend $2 billion in Illinois, including building a second...
For those who frequently navigate the Illinois Tollway, using an I-PASS is convenient and cost-effective. This electronic toll collection system promises faster travel, lower costs, and convenience for Tollway users. But, due to the up-front cost and ongoing financial responsibility, some drivers aren’t able to keep their I-PASS account in...
Sat, Dec. 9, 2023at Tennessee, L 86-79Sun, Dec. 17, 2023vs. Colgate, W 74-57Fri, Dec. 22, 2023vs. Missouri, W 97-73Fri, Dec. 29, 2023vs. Fairleigh Dickinson, W 104-71Tue, Jan. 2vs. Northwestern, W 96-66Fri, Jan. 5at Purdue, L 83-78Thu, Jan. 11vs. Michigan State, W 71-68Sun, Jan. 14vs. Maryland, L 76-67Thu, Jan. 18, 7:30...
By Jerry NowickiCapitol News Illinoisjnowicki@capitolnewsillinois.com With Illinois lawmakers scheduled to return to legislative session in less than a month, a recent government fiscal forecast provides an overview of the budgeting landscape that awaits them. The bottom line from the five-year forecast from the Governor’s Office of Management and Budget: The...
By Jerry Nowicki & Andrew Adams Governor JB Pritzker on Friday signed into law a measure that will allow for the limited development of new nuclear power generation technology in the state. The measure, House Bill 2473, does not allow new large-scale power generation facilities like the six plants that...
