By Dilpreet RajuCapitol News Illinoisdraju@capitolnewsillinois.com In the middle of Mental Health Awareness Month, Gov. JB Pritzker and Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton hosted a panel in Springfield this week at which he pledged to expand the state’s behavioral health services. With several dozen services providers from around the state in attendance,
By Cole LongcorCapitol News Illinoisclongcor@capitolnewsillinois.com After Illinois received another failing grade from a national advocacy group, state House Republicans have introduced legislation aimed at further protecting victims and prosecuting perpetrators of human trafficking. Shared Hope International, an advocacy organization that works to prevent sex trafficking, said in its 2023 Illinois
This week is Teacher Appreciation Week, and Aurora is showing appreciation to the top teacher in the state. Aurora mayor Richard Irvin surprised Dr. Rachael Mahmood, the 2024 Illinois Teacher of the Year, with a special visit to her fifth-grade classroom at Georgetown Elementary School in Aurora. Mayor Irvin presented
By Peter HancockCapitol News Illinoisphancock@capitolnewsillinois.com In 1977, then-president Jimmy Carter signed into law the Community Reinvestment Act, a federal law that sought to wipe away the last vestiges of racial discrimination and redlining in America’s home mortgage industry. The idea was simple. By requiring lenders – primarily banks – to
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
