Capitol News

Capitol News Illinois Editor’s Note: This story has been updated to reflect that Mickensy Ellis-White is the former chair of the Vermilion County Democratic Party. McHENRY — John Gerend, a Vietnam War veteran from Lake Villa, Illinois, was exposed to Agent Orange while on duty. Suffering from diseases associated with exposure to the toxic chemical,…

Capitol News Illinois U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth endorsed Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton on Monday in the 2026 Democratic primary for Illinois’ open seat to replace longtime Sen. Dick Durbin. Duckworth’s endorsement comes after Gov. JB Pritzker endorsed Stratton on Friday, one day after she entered the Senate contest. With no other Democratic candidates announcing campaigns…

Capitol News Illinois SPRINGFIELD – The cost to attend state universities has been rising, and some institutions have said they’ll have to continue pushing the brunt of state budget shortfalls onto students and families if there isn’t a change. Data from the Illinois Board of Higher Education, which oversees public universities, shows university income has…

Capitol News Illinois CHICAGO — Just one day into her campaign to replace retiring Sen. Dick Durbin in the U.S. Senate, Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton on Friday received a key endorsement from Gov. JB Pritzker, nearly eight years after he first tapped her to be his running mate. Standing outside the Bright Star Church amid…

Capitol News Illinois SPRINGFIELD — Insurance companies are reducing the scope of coverage for some community foster agencies in Illinois, leading to higher costs, diminished coverage and fewer options for agencies who say a continuance of the trend could lead to closures. If the situation worsens, some foster agencies warn they will have to shut…

Capitol News Illinois A federal judge on Thursday declared a mistrial in the case of state Sen. Emil Jones III, D-Chicago, after a jury deadlocked in their deliberations over whether Jones agreed to take bribes from red-light camera entrepreneur-turned-government cooperator Omar Maani in 2019, then lied to the FBI about it. The senator, who’s served…

Capitol News Illinois SPRINGFIELD – Standing on his backyard deck Thursday – the same place where he declared his 1996 candidacy for U.S. Senate – Illinois’ senior Sen. Dick Durbin reflected on his decision to retire after four decades in Congress. “I’ve done this my way, making decisions based on family needs and personal needs,…

Capitol News Illinois The man who pleaded guilty to a mass shooting in 2022 in Highland Park that left seven people dead and prompted the passage of a ban on assault-style weapons in Illinois, has been sentenced to seven consecutive life sentences. Robert Crimo III pleaded guilty on March 3, the day his trial was…

Capitol News Illinois SPRINGFIELD – Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton is the first Democrat to step into what is expected to be a crowded race to fill Sen. Dick Durbin’s Senate seat. Stratton launched her campaign Thursday morning in a video just one day after Durbin announced he will not seek reelection for a seat he…

Capitol News Illinois The Illinois Department of Public Health confirmed Wednesday afternoon the first case of measles in the state. The measles diagnosis involving an adult in far southern Illinois was confirmed through laboratory testing, according to a press release sent out by IDPH. This is the only IDPH-confirmed case in the state. “This is…