Applying to college can be an overwhelming, timely and expensive process for parents and students. But Illinois Senate Democrats have introduced a bill that would help to streamline the college application process.
Senate Bill 2448 would allow all high school juniors and seniors and community college students to enroll in the program and submit one universal application — with the exception of the University of Illinois campuses in Urbana-Champaign and Chicago.
* From February…
Illinois has approximately 1,626 crypto currency kiosks, according to a 2024 report from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA). These kiosks are unregulated and providing an opportunity for out-of-state actors to facilitate illegal activity and scam seniors and others.
The Digital Assets and Consumer Protection Act and the Digital Asset Kiosk Law collectively will establish new consumer protections for Illinois residents that use or invest in cryptocurrency.
Federally qualified health centers, known as FQHCs, hospitals and pharmacies say the program is essential to both providers and their patients, and neither can live without the discounted drug prices.
The national trade association that represents the thousands of drugmakers that participate in 340b, as a requirement of Medicaid participation, says the program has ballooned into a cash cow for big hospitals, pharmacies and pharmacy benefit managers, rather than a mechanism for poorer patients to find relief from rising medical costs.
SPRINGFIELD — Building relationships with state leaders in Illinois takes on new importance these days for Muslims and immigrants facing unprecedented challenges, under a new federal administration determined to roll back legal protections. Illinois Muslim Action Day at the Illinois State Capitol helps strengthen the vital connections.
Advocates representing the Muslim and immigrant communities across Chicagoland traveled to the Illinois State Capitol on Wednesday, April 9, to call for strengthening Illinois’ welcoming state policies at a challenging time, for Illinois Muslim Action Day (IMAD).
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WAND) — The Illinois House passed a bill Tuesday to provide paid family leave for firefighters.
This legislation would allow for six weeks of paid leave for the birth of a child, caring for a newly adopted or fostered child under 18, or caring for a family member with a serious health condition.
It states that employers should pay firefighters at their normal rate of pay for regular work hours while they are away from work.
* Background…
Two elections have come and gone since the Illinois General Assembly passed new legislative maps, and Democrats’ attorneys argue in a new court filing that Illinois Republicans have lost their opportunity to challenge the maps in court.
A case brought to the Illinois Supreme Court by House Republican Leader Tony McCombie, R-Savanna, asked the court to reject the current legislative map for its partisan bias and have a special master redraw the districts.
Illinois leaders want farmers and agricultural workers to know they have their backs when it comes to selling their good around the world, even amid President Donald Trump’s escalating trade war.
Governor JB Pritzker appeared with other state representatives for Agriculture Legislative Day to discuss issues facing the state’s crops, including soybeans, corn, wheat, pumpkins and livestock.
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WAND) — A plan requiring health insurance companies to cover prescription vitamins is one step closer to becoming law in Illinois.
State employee, private insurance, and managed care plans would be forced to provide the new coverage for prescription vitamins starting January 1, 2027.
Rep. Lisa Davis (D-Chicago) told her colleagues Tuesday that this policy will not apply to vitamins purchased over the counter.
Public transportation is big business. And in Illinois, it’s also big government.
The Chicago area has the Regional Transportation Authority, which sits atop a flow chart above Metra Commuter Rail, Pace Suburban Bus and the Chicago Transit Authority to service more than 2 million daily riders in six counties: Cook, DuPage, Kane, Lake, McHenry and Will.
Former red-light camera company executive Omar Maani, one of the more prolific FBI moles in recent Chicago history, is expected to take a federal witness stand for the first time Wednesday as the bribery trial of state Sen. Emil Jones III kicks off in earnest.
Maani, a co-founder of SafeSpeed LLC who began cooperating with federal investigators after being confronted with evidence of his own wrongdoing, is the star witness against Jones and is expected to testify about secret recordings he made of dinner meetings where he allegedly discussed paying the senator $5,000 for his help on red-light camera legislation.
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WAND) — An Illinois bill to create an auto insurance discrimination commission passed out the House Tuesday.
The goal of the commission is to research if auto insurance companies discriminate or raise their rates based on credit score, zip code, race and age. That research data could then be used to create future bills.
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WAND) — State representatives passed a bill Monday night to require all assisted living and shared homes to have an AED on-site.
Rep. Natalie Manley (D-Joliet) presents a proposal before the House Human Services Committee on March 26, 2025.
The legislation also calls for all healthcare employees at the facilities to be trained on how to use defibrillators in emergencies.
Honeymoon flight turns into a mid-air medical rescue: ‘I got lucky’
When one woman suffered arrhythmia on a flight home from her honeymoon, another stepped up to save her. Here’s what happened.
1983 called, and it wants its license plate back.
A bill that unanimously passed in the Illinois’ House of Representatives would allow the Secretary of State to issue a "special registration plate" that would replicate the plate issued between 1983 and 2001.
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WAND) — A State Democratic plan to ban move in fees barely passed the House floor Tuesday.
The bill would ban move in fees and require application fees to be no higher than $20. It would also change late fee’s to 1% of the total rent. So, if a renter pays their $1000 rent too late, they would be charged $10.
Illinois Democratic Senate President Don Harmon improperly accepted $4 million more in political contributions than allowed under campaign donation laws he championed years ago, according to the State Board of Elections.
In a certified letter sent to Harmon last month following a Chicago Tribune inquiry about Harmon’s fundraising, state election officials said his campaign committee accepted numerous donations within nine months after the March 2024 primary that far exceeded state contribution caps designed to curtail big-money influence in Illinois politics.
Capitol Connection: Waverly farmer shares concern over tariffs
Capitol Connection: Durbin hangs on as several democrats gear up for Senate run
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WAND) — The Illinois House unanimously approved a bill Tuesday to require law enforcement submit quarterly reports on the number of homicides and violent crimes in their communities.
The plan calls on the Illinois State Police to send the number of homicides and aggravated assaults with a firearm to the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority.
SPRINGFIELD — Gov. JB Pritzker vowed Tuesday that Illinois will remain a “stable” trading partner with nations around the world, despite President Donald Trump’s imposition of tariffs that have disrupted global markets.
“Look, there are a lot of uncertainties at the moment, a lot of instability. There’s no doubt,” Pritzker said. “But this is a stable state.
