Capitol News Illinois CHICAGO — Just over one year ago, the Illinois legislature approved spending more than $700 million to attract and support a new industry: quantum technology. Now, representatives of other countries, federal research labs and a network of private organizations with ties to the state are beginning to ink deals and make agreements…

Capitol News Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker signed Illinois’ fiscal year 2026 budget into law Monday, taking shots at President Donald Trump’s budget management to defend hard choices state lawmakers were forced to make this year. The $55.1 billion spending plan set to take effect July 1 is the largest in state history and is supported…

Capitol News Illinois by Alex Nitkin for ILLINOIS ANSWERS PROJECT CHICAGO — For most new parents, finding last-minute child care usually means an afternoon of frantic phone calls and around $100 dropped on a trusted babysitter. For Brian and Fiona Peterman, it means walking across their backyard. In 2021, Fiona’s mother, Louise D’Agostino, was scanning…

Capitol News Illinois CHICAGO — Transit agency officials in Chicagoland met this week and formally began the process of planning for next year’s budget, including drawing up plans for major service cuts and potential layoffs. It’s the latest chapter in an ongoing fight between public transit officials and state lawmakers over funding. Public transportation agencies’…

Capitol News Illinois UPDATED: This story has been updated with a historical overview of Illinois corruption cases, new character letter details, and photos. CHICAGO — The number of years former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan spent in Springfield has often been used as shorthand to explain his outsized impact on state government and politics. His…

Capitol News Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker will tell a congressional committee Thursday that America’s immigration problems are a result of a bipartisan failure to reform the country’s immigration system and secure the country’s borders. In more than five pages of written testimony submitted by the governor to the U.S. House Oversight Committee ahead of hours…

Capitol News Illinois SPRINGFIELD – In a year when many state agencies received little or no funding increase, state lawmakers this year approved an increase of $15.7 million, or 22.4%, for general operating expenses in Attorney General Kwame Raoul’s office. That General Revenue Fund increase is significantly more than some other constitutional officers received for…

Capitol News Illinois CHICAGO — The state of Illinois is investigating an automatic license plate reader system used in a northwest suburb after a Texas sheriff accessed the system to look for a woman who recently had an abortion. This and hundreds of other searches, according to Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias, violated Illinois law.…

Capitol News Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker spent hours Thursday defending his governing record and Illinois’ immigration policies as he was peppered with questions from members of the U.S. House Oversight Committee. Pritzker and Democratic governors Kathy Hochul of New York and Tim Walz of Minnesota were summoned to Washington, D.C., by committee Chair James Comer,…

Capitol News Illinois SPRINGFIELD – Under a bill awaiting the governor’s signature, certain insurance plans would have to cover hippotherapy and other forms of therapeutic horseback riding in Illinois. Hippotherapy is a type of physical, occupational and speech therapy where the movement of a horse is used to treat a patient’s specific disability or disorder.…