By JERRY NOWICKI Capitol News Illinoisjnowicki@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – The state’s two main fiscal forecasting agencies agree: Illinois’ finances will see a strong close in the final 3 ½ months of the fiscal year before things tighten a bit next year. It’s a picture laid out in Gov. JB Pritzker’s budget […]
Author: Capitol News
Cook County judge orders Trump removed from GOP ballot but holds decision pending appeal
By PETER HANCOCKCapitol News Illinoisphancock@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – A Cook County judge on Wednesday ordered former President Donald Trump’s name to be removed from the March 19 Republican primary ballot but stayed her order until Friday to give time for an appeal to the Illinois Supreme Court. In a lengthy decision, […]
Pritzker proposes over $2B in spending growth, backed by tax increases for corporations, sportsbooks
By JERRY NOWICKI Capitol News Illinoisjnowicki@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – Gov. JB Pritzker on Wednesday proposed growing state spending by over $2 billion in the upcoming fiscal year while making a handful of corporate, sports wagering and other tax changes to pay for the increase. Pritzker’s plan, laid out to lawmakers during his […]
Board of Elections allows Trump’s name to stay on ballot
By PETER HANCOCKCapitol News Illinoisphancock@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – Former President Donald Trump’s name will appear on the March 19 Republican primary election ballot in Illinois, barring any extraordinary action by state or federal courts to remove him. The Illinois State Board of Elections voted unanimously Tuesday to deny an objection based […]
As online DMV services plagued by no-shows, secretary of state launches changes
By ANDREW ADAMSCapitol News Illinoisaadams@capitolnewsillinois.com Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias launched an online appointment system in September for Illinois drivers needing to come to a driver’s services facility, ostensibly to reduce wait times. The “Skip-The-Line” program introduced upgrades to the secretary of state’s website as well as a shift in policy, requiring […]
Gun laws, scholarship tax credits, nuclear energy – but not new spending – on table for veto session
By JERRY NOWICKI,PETER HANCOCK,HANNAH MEISEL& ANDREW ADAMSnews@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – When lawmakers return to the Capitol next week for their annual fall veto session, they have a full agenda, including a handful of vetoes from Gov. JB Pritzker to consider overriding, in addition to deciding whether to revive a private school […]
Pritzker calls Illinois’ support for Israel ‘unequivocal’ after weekend’s Hamas attacks
By HANNAH MEISELCapitol News Illinoishmeisel@capitolnewsillinois.com Gov. JB Pritzker on Tuesday condemned the deadly attacks on Israel over the weekend by the militant group Hamas, telling those gathered outside a synagogue in Chicago’s north suburb of Glencoe that Illinois “unequivocally stands” with the people of Israel. The governor, who himself is […]
Illinois to invest more than $23 million in abortion access, reproductive health care initiatives
By HANNAH MEISELCapitol News Illinoishmeisel@capitolnewsillinois.com As another of Illinois’ border states is set to enact a near-total abortion ban this week, Gov. JB Pritzker on Monday announced several new programs to help address the influx of out-of-state abortion seekers the state has seen in the 13 months since the U.S. […]
State driver services facilities to require appointments in more than 40 locations
By ANDREW ADAMS Capitol News Illinois aadams@capitolnewsillinois.com Drivers who need to renew their license at a secretary of state facility will likely have to make an appointment starting this fall. Starting Sept. 1, 44 driver services facilities in medium- to large-sized cities around the state will require appointments for driver services – […]
Cash bail will end in Illinois as justices rule SAFE-T Act provisions constitutional
By JERRY NOWICKICapitol News Illinoisjnowicki@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – A landmark criminal justice reform that eliminates cash bail in Illinois is constitutional, the state’s Supreme Court ruled Tuesday, paving the way for the change to take effect Sept. 18. The 5-2 decision – handed down on partisan lines – means that an […]