By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois phancock@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – The 2023 spring legislative session came to an end in the early hours of Saturday morning after the Illinois House gave its approval to a $50.6 billion spending plan for the upcoming fiscal year that begins July 1. The 73-38 party-line vote came […]
By JERRY NOWICKI, HANNAH MEISEL & PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois news@capitolnewsillinois.com UPDATE: The budget was filed as a 3,409-page amendment to Senate Bill 250 late Wednesday evening. This story has been updated to reflect the latest developments as of Wednesday night. SPRINGFIELD – Gov. JB Pritzker and Democratic leaders announced Wednesday they’ve agreed to a framework […]
By HANNAH MEISELCapitol News Illinoishmeisel@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – Catholic dioceses in Illinois failed to disclose hundreds of abusive clerics before the state opened what would become a yearslong investigation into sex abuse within the church, Attorney General Kwame Raoul announced Tuesday. Included in a scathing 700-page report published by Raoul’s office at the […]
By NIKA SCHOONOVER& ANDREW ADAMSnschoonover@capitolnewsillinois.comaadams@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – Victims of “deepfake porn” and “doxing” would have a legal pathway to sue their perpetrators in Illinois under a pair of digital privacy measures that have so far received unanimous support in the General Assembly. House Bill 2954, which would allow victims of […]
By ANDREW ADAMS& HANNAH MEISELaadams@capitolnewsillinois.comhmeisel@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – As the General Assembly prepares to wrap up its spring legislative session this week, Democratic lawmakers are advancing a bill that would mandate job postings to include a salary range in a move they say would promote equity within the workplace. Meanwhile, a […]
By NIKA SCHOOONOVERCapitol News Illinoisnschoonover@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – A measure that would ban the use of electronic cigarettes inside of public buildings in Illinois needs only a signature from Gov. JB Pritzker to become law after it received final approval from lawmakers this week. House Bill 1540 passed the Senate on a 42-11 […]
By ANDREW ADAMSCapitol News Illinoisaadams@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – Lawmakers are considering creating a grant program that would send state dollars to grocers in Illinois communities that have few options for buying food. Senate Bill 850 would direct the state’s Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, or DCEO, to establish the “Grocery Initiative,” […]
By PETER HANCOCKCapitol News Illinoisphancock@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – The assault weapons ban that Gov. JB Pritzker signed into law in January is back in force after a federal appeals court on Thursday blocked a temporary injunction that a lower court judge in East St. Louis issued on April 28. In a […]
By PETER HANCOCKCapitol News Illinoisphancock@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – A bill that would block libraries from receiving state grants if they ban books cleared the Illinois Senate Wednesday and will soon be sent to Gov. JB Pritzker, who is expected to sign it. House Bill 2789 is an initiative of Secretary of State […]
By JERRY NOWICKICapitol News Illinoisjnowicki@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – The state’s Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability has decreased its current-year budget forecast by $728 million, erasing much of a once-predicted surplus that had led Gov. JB Pritzker to float the idea of tax cuts earlier this spring. While the commission’s $51.2 million estimate is now […]
