By Brenden MooreCapitol News Illinoisbmoore@capitolnewsillinois.com In an expected move, the Donald Trump administration filed a lawsuit last week seeking to nullify a new state law that allows Illinois residents to sue federal immigration agents who arrest them in or near courthouses or if they believe their constitutional rights were violated.
By Jerry NowickiCapitol News Illinoisjnowicki@capitolnewsillinois.com Illinois’ electric grids may soon face power shortages and further price increases as fossil fuel plants go offline and data centers fueling the rise of artificial intelligence demand ever-increasing amounts of power. That’s the conclusion of a new report by three state agencies that foreshadows
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
By Ben SzalinskiCapitol News Illinoisbszalinski@capitolnewsillinois.com Recent cuts by president Donald Trump’s administration could reduce the size of Illinois’ economy by nearly $10 billion each year, according to a new report released Monday by the Illinois Economic Policy Institute. The report offers a detailed looked at the effects of cuts enacted
By Brenden MooreCapitol News Illinoisbmoore@capitolnewsillinois.com Illinois driver’s licenses and identification cards will officially enter the digital realm this week. Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias announced Tuesday that people will now have the option to add their Illinois-issued licenses and IDs to the digital wallets on their cellphones. The long-awaited technological
By Ben SzalinskiCapitol News Illinoisbszalinski@capitolnewsillinois.com U.S. senator Dick Durbin is once again at odds with other prominent Illinois Democrats over a vote that set in motion a plan to end the record-long federal government shutdown. Durbin, who is not seeking reelection in 2026, was one of eight members in the
By Peter HancockCapitol News Illinoisphancock@capitolnewsillinois.com The Illinois House rejected a bill Thursday that would have given the state Department of Insurance authority to regulate homeowners’ insurance rates. Governor JB Pritzker had called for the legislation in July after State Farm Insurance announced it was raising rates for property and casualty
Working to uplift local families, this week State representative Stephanie Kifowit, D-Oswego, backed an energy plan to reduce home energy costs, expanded the senior property tax freeze, supported transit reform and recognized individuals impacted by scarring alopecia. “We took needed action this veto session to address rising home energy prices,”
By Peter HancockCapitol News Illinoisphancock@capitolnewsillinois.com An Illinois House panel Wednesday, Oct. 29 advanced a bill aimed at reforming a state pension plan known as the “Tier 2” system, but only with the understanding that negotiations will continue and no final action will be taken until next spring at the earliest.
By Brenden MooreCapitol News Illinoisbmoore@capitolnewsillinois.com While candidates filed petitions Monday to run under Illinois’ existing congressional district lines, U.S. House minority leader Hakeem Jeffries brought his redistricting campaign to Illinois, pitching top state Democrats on a new map in a series of closed-door meetings. Dozens of congressional candidates were in
Once again, like the sun rising over the Great Lakes, there is an opinion in the news that disrespects the hardworking people who give so much to our state. Over the past three years, my committee and I have been working on a comprehensive package to retain and attract dedicated
By Woodrow Carroll Last weekend was not a good one for Illinois and Northwestern football. Both teams suffered conference losses on the road. Illinois was a 42-25 loser at Washington, while Northwestern was edged 28-21 at Nebraska. Defeats that left each team with 5-3 overall records. In the case of
By Hannah MeiselCapitol News Illinoishmeisel@capitolnewsillinois.com The Donald Trump administration has agreed to extend a federal judge’s temporary block on deploying National Guard troops to Chicago while the U.S. Supreme Court weighs whether to stay the judge’s order. In a filing Tuesday — two days before U.S. District Judge April Perry’s
By Woodrow Carroll While few are predicting a major breakthrough for the Northwestern football program, one has to admit that the Wildcats have performed better than expected by most to this point. With a 19-0 road victory at Purdue last Saturday, Northwestern upped its season record to 5-2. Five victories
By Hannah MeiselCapitol News Illinoishmeisel@capitolnewsillinois.com The Donald Trump administration on Friday asked the U.S. Supreme Court to allow the immediate deployment of National Guard troops in Illinois, calling the decisions by lower court judges blocking the activation of guardsmen “indefensible” and “micromanaging.” In a 43-page filing, the administration argued the
By Ben SzalinskiCapitol News Illinoisbszalinski@capitolnewsillinois.com Illinois agencies must identify spending reductions and create reserves in their budgets to prepare for an economic downturn, according to an executive order issued Tuesday by governor JB Pritzker. Pritzker said the order is designed to combat federal policies by the Trump administration that are
By Ben SzalinskiCapitol News Illinoisbszalinski@capitolnewsillinois.com Governor JB Pritzker said political leaders — starting with president Donald Trump — need to do more to condemn political violence. “He actively fans the flames of division, as he did on Friday, regularly advocates violence for political retribution, and in more than one case,
By Ben SzalinskiCapitol News Illinoisbszalinski@capitolnewsillinois.com Governor JB Pritzker said Tuesday, Sept. 2 he expects Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents to employ the same aggressive strategies they used in Los Angeles earlier this summer after president Donald Trump said he will deploy the National Guard to Chicago. The information, Pritzker said,
By Peter HancockCapitol News Illinoisphancock@capitolnewsillinois.com Two veteran federal officials from Illinois are relaunching an effort to amend the Illinois Constitution and end partisan gerrymandering in state legislative districts. Bill Daley, a Democrat from Chicago who served as secretary of commerce under President Bill Clinton, and Ray LaHood, a former Republican
By Ben SzalinskiCapitol News Illinoisbszalinski@capitolnewsillinois.com In front of gleaming skyscrapers along the Chicago River, Illinois’ Democratic leaders showed a united front Monday against president Donald Trump’s threats to deploy the military into Chicago’s streets to fight crime with one message: “Mr. President, do not come to Chicago.” “You are neither
