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Capitol News Illinois Article Summary The U.S. House gave final passage Thursday to a bill that will cut federal Medicaid spending in Illinois by an estimated 20%, or $48 billion, over 10 years. Medicaid pays for about 40% of all childbirths in Illinois as well as 69% of all nursing home care, according to an…

Capitol News Illinois Article Summary Illinois’ fiscal year 2026 budget reduced funding for programs serving homeless people by more than $14 million from the previous year. JB Pritzker’s “Home Illinois” initiative aimed at reaching “functional zero” homelessness saw a $26.6 million cut. That program was launched in 2022 and had previously been on a steady…

Capitol News Illinois Reporting Highlights: Illinois closed fiscal year 2025 with record $54 billion in revenue. While that marked a surplus from the enacted budget, the extra revenue was anticipated when lawmakers approved the current-year budget in May. It doesn’t give lawmakers any extra breathing room for an expected volatile fiscal year 2026. These highlights…

Capitol News Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker announced Tuesday that former Deputy Gov. Christian Mitchell will be his running mate for the 2026 campaign. Pritzker’s selection, made just days after announcing a third campaign for governor, comes from a close circle of trust in Pritzker’s administration. Mitchell previously served in the governor’s office as one of…

Capitol News Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker signed a pair of health care-related bills Tuesday that he said would put more controls on the pricing of pharmaceutical drugs sold through insurance plans while expanding insurance coverage for certain kinds of hospital costs. “For too long our health care system has been infected by profit-seeking middlemen and…

Capitol News Illinois CHICAGO — Illinois students won’t need to fill out applications for most state universities to be admitted — if they have high enough grades. With his signature, Gov. JB Pritzker on Monday approved a bill creating the direct admissions program. Along with it, he approved bills that implement new state standards for…

Capitol News Illinois WOLF LAKE. Ill. — Standing on the edge of a 300-foot limestone bluff in southern Illinois’ Shawnee National Forest, Machaela Sweeney could thank the perfect words she typed into ChatGPT for bringing her to the unexpected spot. “I literally looked up lush, magical, fairytale areas,” she recalled, looking over the edge of…

Capitol News Illinois SPRINGFIELD — Gov. JB Pritzker began his third campaign for governor on Thursday, but much of the buzz around his 2026 campaign announcement focused on 2028. Pritzker made four stops around the state to launch his campaign, fielding questions about any future interest in the presidency and what is driving him to…

Capitol News Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker will run for a third term as governor. He’s officially making the reelection announcement Thursday in a four-stop tour that spans Chicago, Rockford, Peoria and Springfield. Should Pritzker win and serve a full term, he would become the only three-term Democratic governor in Illinois’ history. “I’m running for re-election…

Capitol News Illinois CHICAGO — In a hot gymnasium on Chicago’s South Side, Gov. JB Pritzker announced Thursday morning he’s running for a potentially historic third term as governor. In his announcement speech, Pritzker said he is running to “protect” the story he’s been telling about Illinois — one that has been built largely in…