Capitol News

Capitol News Illinois Editor’s note: This is a breaking news story. Find fuller coverage of the budget proposal here. Gov. JB Pritzker has proposed growing spending by about $2 billion without new income or service taxes in the upcoming fiscal year – though his administration acknowledged policy changes by the Trump administration could drastically alter…

Capitol News Illinois Editor’s note: This is a breaking news story. Find fuller coverage of the budget proposal here. Gov. JB Pritzker has proposed growing spending by about $2 billion without new income or service taxes in the upcoming fiscal year – though his administration acknowledged policy changes by the Trump administration could drastically alter…

Capitol News Illinois Editor’s note: This article has been updated to reflect a correction to Martin Torres’s job title. SPRINGFIELD – Gov. JB Pritzker plans to offer a proposal in his budget address Wednesday that would allow some community colleges to offer four-year baccalaureate degrees. The goal, according to the governor’s office, would be to…

Capitol News Illinois Editor’s note: This article has been updated to reflect a correction to Martin Torres’s job title. SPRINGFIELD – Gov. JB Pritzker plans to offer a proposal in his budget address Wednesday that would allow some community colleges to offer four-year baccalaureate degrees. The goal, according to the governor’s office, would be to…

Capitol News Illinois SPRINGFIELD — With an increasing number of officials warning Illinois might struggle to meet its renewable energy goals, regulators and lawmakers met Tuesday to discuss how the state should regulate its energy industry. The state is facing a potential decrease in electricity generation at the same time demand is increasing, partially because…

Capitol News Illinois An Illinois Senate committee advanced a bill on Tuesday that would strictly limit police’s ability to search a vehicle after smelling cannabis. The Senate Criminal Law Committee voted 7-3 to advance Senate Bill 42, which would eliminate the requirement that cannabis be transported in vehicles in an odor-proof container. It would also…

Capitol News Illinois SPRINGFIELD – A day ahead of Gov. JB Pritzker’s annual budget address Wednesday, Senate Republicans said they want budget negotiations to include cuts to noncitizen spending while bringing in “transparent accounting.” The Governor’s Office of Management and Budget predicts the state would face a $3.2 billion deficit in fiscal year 2026 if…

Capitol News Illinois A second protest against the Trump administration took place in front of the Illinois Capitol Monday, less than two weeks after the first such protest was held. The protest was part of the “50501 movement,” which calls for 50 protests in 50 states on one day. This is the same entity that…

Capitol News Illinois The U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention says the risk of an outbreak of the bird flu in humans is low, although Illinois’ health department is preparing for the possibility. On Friday, the Trump administration reportedly laid off 1,300 probationary employees of the CDC, which has led nationwide efforts to contain…

Capitol News Illinois 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. The federal government has designated 63 biological agents and toxins, including Ebola virus…