Senate Democrat lead budgeteer Elgie Sims, D-Chicago, and House Republican lead budgeteer Amy Elik, R-Godfrey, speak on how federal funding affects the state budget. Get the full story at capitolnewsillinois.com.
Capitol News Illinois is a program of the Illinois Press Foundation.
<p>Former Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel openly flirted with a 2028 presidential candidacy Wednesday, telling a nationally televised talk show audience that he is “in training” for a White House bid.</p><p>Emanuel’s <a class="Link" href="http://abc.com/video/2f58521e-0067-4f14-b820-d307a16b80b3/playlist/PL557769560" target="_blank" >remarks</a> on ABC’s “The View” stopped short of an actual announcement that he intends to run for what constitutionally should be an open seat, given that President Donald Trump will have served two terms.</p><p>But
Illinois lawmakers took another step this week to end the program offering healthcare coverage to Illinois residents without legal status in the United States.
The legislature’s Joint Committee on Administrative Rules this week gave a green light to rules that will phase out the Health Benefits for Immigrant Adults program on July 1. The phase out has been expected ever since Democratic Illinois Gov.
SPRINGFIELD — Gov. JB Pritzker’s office is now projecting state revenues to come in about a half-billion dollars below the baseline projections assumed during his February budget address.
The latest downward revision comes as lawmakers are entering the final two-week stretch to approve a budget before their May 31 deadline amid increasing economic uncertainty.
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WCIA) — An Illinois State Senator is pushing a proposal to stop gyms from altering benefits of a "promised lifetime membership."
State Senator Christopher Belt said in a news conference he’s highlighting legislation that would prevent gyms and fitness centers from cancelling or changing benefits of their promised lifetime memberships, otherwise known as a "bait-and-switch" tactic.
With sharp Medicaid cuts that could kick in automatically and half a billion dollars less in the revenue forecast than initially expected for the coming fiscal year, Illinois is in no position to make up for any of the federal funding shortfalls on its own.
The Governor’s Office of Management & Budget said yesterday it expects $54.9 billion in revenue for the fiscal year beginning July 1, while its previous forecast called for $55.5 billion.
As reported in the recent Educator Shortage Report released by Illinois Association of Regional Superintendents of Schools and the State Board of Education, Illinois is making progress in growing its educator workforce, but shortages persist in critical areas. Indeed, the stopgap measures that are being used to fill those vacancies keep the education process moving forward for students but are not a sustainable approach to ensuring quality and equity for the long-term.
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WAND) — Democratic lawmakers hope to pass a plan in the final weeks of session to ensure Illinois strengthens workplace safety standards even if federal laws are weakened or repealed.
Sen. Robert Peters (D-Chicago) told the Senate Labor Committee Tuesday that no one should have to worry about losing vital workplace protections due to shifting politics.
With U.S. Rep. Robin Kelly looking to take the place of Dick Durbin in the Senate, others are looking to compete for her job in Washington.
In the wake of Kelly’s announcement of her plans, after Durbin said he would not seek reelection, those who’ve announced or are looking to follow her in the 2nd Congressional District include two Matteson officials and a South Side state senator.
The deputy director of the Illinois Stewardship Alliance says several groups are working to ensure a state program aimed at strengthening local food systems continues. Liz Rupel says the Local Food Infrastructure Grant (LFIG) has helped farmers expand and brought more economic resilience to communities. “Nineteen projects across the state.” She says, “All the […]
The post Push continues to shore up Illinois food system funding appeared first on Brownfield Ag News.
Springfield, IL (CAPITOL NEWS NOW) – Lawmakers and activists took part in a Wednesday morning news conference to promote proposed legislation being called CLEAN SLATE.
It happened in the Blue Room of the Illinois State Capitol where advocates stood before reporters displaying signs such as TAX THE RICH and TOO BLACK TOO STRONG.
Taylar Tramil with the Workers Center for Racial Justice took to the podium to talk about the importance of creating pathways for folks released from the prison system to reintegrate into communities without their past following them for the rest of their lives.
By Sidnee King Pineda, Illinois Answers Project
Sidnee King Pineda reported on eviction policies in Illinois as part of The Times’s Local Investigations Fellowship. Photographs by Jamie Kelter Davis.
Catherine Lang was evicted from her apartment outside Chicago after the police saw her swerving in traffic and charged her with driving drunk.
BLOOMINGTON, Ill. — The Illinois High School Association, the state’s governing body for high school athletics, will collaborate with state lawmakers over a bill that aims to allow student-athletes to compete in more sporting events not sanctioned by the IHSA while their high school seasons are going on.
The IHSA announced in a news release this week that it’s working with state Sen.
While rank-and-file lawmakers wait for the governor and legislative leaders to negotiate a budget bill, it’s shaping up to be a “play the hits” week here at Eye On Illinois.
After the recent reconsideration of charging parking fees for state parks, today’s trip down memory lane is another chance to excoriate both the General Assembly and Illinois Supreme Court for committing and tolerating repeated abuses of the enrolled bill doctrine.
* Senate President Don Harmon and House Speaker Chris Welch spoke at the annual Illinois Manufacturers’ Association/Illinois Retail Merchants Association lobby day last week. Among other things, they were asked these questions: “How do you see the transit playing out? Is it something that gets done this spring? Is it a Fall issue? Does reform come first and maybe revenue second?
We are in the important pre-primary phase of the 2026 elections in Illinois (circulation of petitions opens in September), when prospective candidates strut their endorsements — and money raised — in efforts to scare off possible opponents. In our basically one-party state, Democratic wannabes are coming off a long bench to make their cases.
In contrast, Republicans have no bench of experienced, well-known prospects to speak of.
Natural gas customers in the Chicago suburbs and downstate Illinois are likely to see an increase in their monthly bills next year, but it’s up to state regulators to decide how big a hike, if any, to approve.
Nicor Gas, which serves 2.3 million customers in northern and western Illinois, requested the largest gas rate plan in state history — roughly equivalent to $7.50 per month for the average residential customer.
IL-EATS producers have been paid fully for their January 2025 and February 2025 invoices.
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WAND) — A plan to help guide the use of artificial intelligence in schools is moving forward during the final weeks of session.
A new plan in Springfield could create the state’s first framework for evaluating and implementing AI technology in schools
The Illinois State Board of Education would be tasked with creating the first framework for evaluating and implementing AI technology for teachers and students.
CHICAGO – State Sen. Robert Peters, a Democrat from Chicago, announced his campaign for a U.S. House seat representing parts of the city’s South Side and southern suburbs in the 2026 midterm election.
The seat representing the 2nd Congressional District is currently occupied by U.S. Rep. Robin Kelly, a Democrat who recently announced she’s running for an open U.S.
