Capitol News
State-backed quantum park plan expands with new company, computer
Article Summary Quantum computing company Infleqtion will open an office in Illinois and build a quantum computer on Chicago’s South Side. Infleqtion is expected to receive at least a $5 million tax credit through a state program meant to incentivize microchip manufacturing and quantum computing. The quantum research park project has received significant incentives, grants…
Read MorePritzker calls Texas GOP’s remap effort ‘cheating,’ doesn’t rule out Illinois response
Article Summary Gov. JB Pritzker is leaving open the possibility that Illinois lawmakers could redraw congressional maps with more Democrat-leaning districts. Texas lawmakers are meeting this week to consider President Donald Trump’s request to add more Republican-leaning districts in the state to boost the party’s power in Congress. Redistricting is a process that usually takes…
Read MoreFeds weigh in on lawsuit challenging how Illinois maintains voter registration rolls
Article Summary The Justice Department is supporting a lawsuit by private entities that challenges Illinois’ practice of putting local election officials in charge of maintaining voter registration rolls. The action appears to be part of a broader effort to exert more federal control over election procedures, including voter registration. The suit claims local officials have…
Read MoreFederal housing credit expansion could increase affordable rental units in Illinois: report
Article Summary The latest federal domestic policy plan increases funding for the Low-Income Tax Housing Credit by 12%. The expanded tax credit could allow construction of 34,700 new affordable housing units in Illinois, according one report. Supporters of the tax credit say Illinois should enact its own tax credit for housing developers to help increase…
Read MoreFormer ComEd CEO sentenced to 2 years for bribery scheme targeted at Madigan
Article Summary Former Commonwealth Edison CEO Anne Pramaggiore has been sentenced to 24 months in prison in addition to a $750,000 fine — the second of the “ComEd Four” to face sentencing after their 2023 convictions on bribing ex-Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan via jobs and contracts for his political allies. Despite his tossing most…
Read MoreFollowing state rep’s encounter, Pritzker signs ‘squatter bill’ into law
Article Summary A new Illinois law allows police to remove squatters from a person’s home for criminal trespassing. State law previously required property owners to go through a lengthy eviction process in court to remove squatters who claimed legal rights to a property. Gov. JB Pritzker signed the bill after Rep. Marcus Evans, D-Chicago, had…
Read More‘The public deserves to know.’ State agency withholds details in girl’s death
Capitol News Illinois Article Summary An 18-year-old girl died in a foster home in Fairview Heights, Illinois, where she lived for four years. The state’s Department of Children and Family Services is refusing to release a timeline of her case until a criminal investigation and trial are completed. A decades-old state law requires the agency…
Read MoreStudy: Education still pays, but barriers to upward mobility persist in Illinois
Capitol News Illinois Article Summary A new study shows there are barriers to upward mobility in Illinois, especially for women and people of color. People who grow up in lower-income families tend to earn less as adults than those from wealthier families, even after earning similar degrees and going to work in similar fields. Educational…
Read MoreCook County Dems back Croke for comptroller, no endorsement for Senate race
Capitol News Illinois Article Summary The Cook County Democratic Party, one of the most powerful political organizations in the state, chose to back Rep. Margaret Croke, D-Chicago, in her bid to be the next state comptroller. The comptroller endorsement sparked an intraparty fight, with House Speaker Chris Welch on one side and Senate President Don…
Read MorePritzker seeks more regulatory authority over homeowners insurance business
Capitol News Illinois Article Summary Gov. JB Pritzker is asking lawmakers to pass legislation this fall to give the state more control over the rising cost of homeowners insurance. State Farm, based in Bloomington, recently announced it is raising premiums by an average of 27.2%, due mainly to the risk of losses from severe weather.…
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