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
By Peter Hancock Vowing to make Illinois the top state in the Nation for child-care accessibility, governor JB Pritzker unveiled a plan Tuesday, Oct. 24 to consolidate all the State’s early-childhood programs and funding into one new State agency. “Early Childhood program governance has to be unified in its focus
By Peter Hancock The State has paused a new policy requiring certain noncitizens enrolled in a Medicaid-like health insurance plan to pay copayments for certain services, instructing health care providers to refund any such payments they have already collected. Omar Shaker, the interim chief of administrative rules at the Department
In support of libraries, education and lifelong learning, the State has awarded more than $21.4 million in grants for library services and more than $5.7 million in adult literacy grants for literacy programs to more than 140 Illinois recipients. The projects receiving grants met the following criteria: The following programs
By Peter Hancock A gun trade association has filed a federal lawsuit challenging a new Illinois law that restricts how gun dealers and manufacturers market their products. The Connecticut-based National Shooting Sports Foundation filed the suit in the Southern District of Illinois on Monday, Aug. 14, just two days after
Illinois governor JB Pritzker signed five bills expanding protections for veterans, active-duty soldiers, and military dependents. “The men and women of this state and this Country who heed the call to serve, deserve every possible support and protection during and after their time in the military,” said governor Pritzker. “These
By Peter Hancock Governor JB Pritzker has spent much of his time in recent weeks promoting the State’s electric vehicle EV) industry and touting the impact of his signature Climate and Equitable Jobs Act, or CEJA, including during a weeklong trade mission to the United Kingdom. Pritzker was in Joliet
Lion Electric raises the bar on electric vehicle (EV) manufacturing with the official opening ceremony of its 900,000 square-foot Joliet, Illinois facility, the largest all-electric U.S. plant dedicated to medium and heavy-duty commercial vehicle production.
By Andrew Adams For hoteliers, business is booming in Illinois. Monday, July 10, governor JB Pritzker, the State’s legislative leadership, and representatives of the hospitality industry, announced that hotels in Illinois incurred record revenues in fiscal year 2023, which ended June 30. Across the State, hotels brought in $307.8 million,
By Peter Hancock Governor JB Pritzker signed legislation Tuesday, June 27 that will dramatically alter the health insurance market in Illinois. The measures establish a state-based exchange for policies sold under the Affordable Care Act and give the Illinois Department of Insurance the authority to modify or reject proposed rate
Emphasizing the need to responsibly prioritize resources on the issues families are concerned about, State representative Matt Hanson, D-Aurora, backed a compassionate and responsible budget that fully funds support for classrooms, local police departments, and lifesaving health care residents depend on. “The budget is an opportunity for us to outline
By Peter Hancock Immigrants in Illinois with or without permission from U.S. immigration authorities will soon be able to obtain standard driver’s licenses that can be used for identification. Governor JB Pritzker Friday, June 30 signed House Bill 3882, which will phase out the “Temporary Visitor Driver’s License,” or TVDL,
By Jerry Nowicki A new State fiscal year will begin July 1, ushering in the reinstatement of a one percent tax on groceries and a second increase to the State’s motor fuel tax in 2023. Amid record-high inflation last spring, the General Assembly temporarily waived Illinois’ grocery tax for the
