Capitol News Illinois

Capitol News Illinois is a nonprofit news organization run by the Illinois Press Foundation, dedicated to reporting on state government for newspapers across Illinois. Its funding comes from contributions made by the Illinois Press Foundation and the Robert R. McCormick Foundation. The goal of Capitol News Illinois is to deliver trustworthy and impartial news about state government to over 400 daily and weekly newspapers that are part of the Illinois Press Association. They offer continuous, daily updates on the Legislature, including committee meetings, state agencies and topics, state officials, as well as the Illinois Supreme Court and legal issues.

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At Jones trial, jury hears lawmaker bringing colleague into fold of ‘personal benefits’

2 weeks ago | capitolnewsillinois.com | Hannah Meisel

CHICAGO — On a warm Tuesday evening in late June 2019, state Sen. Emil Jones III walked out onto the patio at a suburban steakhouse and into an hourslong dinner that would set the table for alleged bribes — and subsequent federal corruption charges. Jones, D-Chicago, dressed in a polo shirt that matched the orange rind in one of his dinner companion’s condensation-glazed cocktails, had been asked to the meal by his colleague, state Sen.
Lawmakers approve bills easing driving tests on seniors, limits on student fines

2 weeks ago | capitolnewsillinois.com | Ben Szalinski |Peter Hancock

SPRINGFIELD — Road tests to renew driver’s licenses could be a thing of the past for many seniors in Illinois under a bill unanimously approved Wednesday by the Illinois House. The House voted 114-0 to approve House Bill 1226, which would raise the age that seniors must take a driving exam to renew their licenses from 79 to 87.
Technology | Capitol News Illinois

3 weeks ago | capitolnewsillinois.com | Andrew Adams

Economic development package also expands film, EV industry tax breaksTruck was one of more than 200 entries in the 2024 ‘Makers Madness’ contestA new battery manufacturing plant is set to open in northern Illinois next year after the state offered more than... As Illinois considers ways to achieve its goal of relying entirely on clean energy by 2050, one technology that has...
Durbin, Pritzker put pressure on Republicans to oppose cuts to key programs

1 month ago | capitolnewsillinois.com | Ben Szalinski

TAYLORVILLE — Voters must put pressure on congressional Republicans to oppose any budget bill that makes major cuts to services, according to U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill. Lawmakers are set to return to Washington, D.C., this coming week, where they will begin a reconciliation process on a budget plan that Democrats worry will contain major cuts to Medicaid, Social Security and other federal programs.
Illinois’ community colleges see nearly 9% spike in spring enrollment

1 month ago | capitolnewsillinois.com | Peter Hancock

SPRINGFIELD — Enrollment at Illinois community colleges grew to more than 285,000 in the spring semester this year, an 8.9% increase over a year ago and the largest spring-to-spring enrollment increase since the Illinois Community College Board began collecting systemwide data in the late 1990s. In a report released Tuesday, the ICCB said 40 of the state’s 45 community colleges reported enrollment growth this spring.
‘You are flying.’ Inside the harrowing 100-mile police chase in Sangamon County

1 month ago | capitolnewsillinois.com | Beth Hundsdorfer

SPRINGFIELD — When Sangamon County Sheriff’s Deputy Jonathan Pearce saw a white pickup spotted outside a motorcycle shop that had been burglarized earlier that night, he punched the gas and chased the fleeing truck, reaching race car speeds and screeching his tires through hairpin turns. Sgt. James Hayes, his supervisor, asked whether he had enough gas. “I got a full tank, baby,” Pearce said on a dispatcher’s recorded line. Hayes OK’d the chase. As it turned out, he would need all that gas.
Legislation aims to help first-time homebuyers

1 month ago | capitolnewsillinois.com | Peter Hancock |Jade Aubrey

SPRINGFIELD – As the cost of housing continues to rise, Illinois realtors are pushing legislation to make it easier for first-time homebuyers to save for a down payment. Senate Bill 148 would enable Illinois residents to open a special kind of savings account that could only be used to pay eligible costs for the purchase of a single-family residence. Deposits into those accounts would be deductible from state income taxeswith some limitations.
Pritzker positions himself at forefront of Trump opposition by invoking Nazis’ rise to power

1 month ago | capitolnewsillinois.com | Hannah Meisel |Bridgette Fox |Jade Aubrey

SPRINGFIELD – A month into President Donald Trump’s second term in the White House, Gov. JB Pritzker last week warned that the breakneck pace at which the Trump administration has been remaking federal policy could be a harbinger of something darker. “It took the Nazis one month, three weeks, two days, eight hours and 40 minutes to dismantle a constitutional republic,” the governor said near the end of his annual combined State of the State and Budget Address on Wednesday.
U of I soybean lab’s pending closure due to USAID cuts hinders global disease research

2 months ago | capitolnewsillinois.com | Bridgette Fox

The impending closure of a University of Illinois soybean research lab due to federal funding cuts could impede the study of a fungal disease that experts say would decimate the crop if it makes its way into the country.
State lawmakers weigh TikTok’s value

2 months ago | capitolnewsillinois.com | Bridgette Fox

When shortform video platform TikTok shut down service earlier this month, the move surprised some Illinois politicians who use the app to educate, reach constituents and follow trends. Others had abandoned the app months before it was shut down for less than 24 hours. TikTok, a social media app owned by China-based company ByteDance, has been the center of political controversy since 2019 when a federal probe into its ownership began.