Capitol News Illinois SPRINGFIELD — Public employees hired since 2011 must continue to wait for pension reform after Illinois lawmakers declined to take up the issue during the spring session. Lawmakers and labor unions have both expressed concern that benefits for Tier 2 employees – those who entered the public sector after 2011 – are…

Capitol News Illinois Gun rights advocates once again are asking a federal appeals court in Chicago to overturn Illinois’ ban on assault-style firearms and large-capacity magazines in a case that may be destined for the U.S. Supreme Court. In briefs filed Friday with the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals, attorneys representing plaintiffs challenging the law…

Capitol News Illinois CHICAGO — Federal prosecutors on Tuesday announced they intend to retry state Sen. Emil Jones III after his April trial on charges of bribery and lying to the FBI ended in a hung jury. Jones, a Chicago Democrat and son of former Illinois Senate President Emil Jones Jr., stands accused of agreeing…

Capitol News Illinois SPRINGFIELD — A bill passed in this year’s legislative session would rewrite the definition of a “forcible felony” to allow Illinois State Police to use images obtained from automatic license plate readers in cases involving human trafficking and involuntary servitude. Automatic license plate readers are cameras that capture images of vehicle license…

Capitol News Illinois SPRINGFIELD — The “Clean Slate” Act, which could have sealed thousands and potentially millions of nonviolent criminal records in Illinois, had bipartisan support but failed to pass in the final flurry of legislative action this spring, the sponsor says. Senate Bill 1784 would have required law enforcement agencies to automatically seal eligible…

Capitol News Illinois SPRINGFIELD — A bill that would lift long-standing restrictions on small poultry farmers in Illinois, reducing red tape and transforming the way local farmers process and sell their products, is heading to the governor. Under a measure dubbed the “chicken bill,” farmers who process fewer than 7,500 birds annually would be exempt…

Capitol News Illinois SPRINGFIELD — Illinois’ latest budget misses the mark in several key areas, according to one independent nonprofit fiscal analyst. State lawmakers sent Gov. JB Pritzker a $55.2 billion budget on May 31 that raises $1 billion in new revenue and increases spending by more than $2 billion in fiscal year 2026 compared…

Capitol News Illinois By Claire Murphy, Illinois Answers Project With $49,000 in student loan debt, Josue Villalpando figured becoming a homeowner was a long way off. “The thought of purchasing a home was definitely floating around, however I never actually looked into it knowing that I had such a big burden with my student loans,”…

Capitol News Illinois SPRINGFIELD – While Illinois State Police has long investigated child sex crimes, a new measure would explicitly name addressing internet crimes against children as a core mission of its criminal division. House Bill 2586, also called Alicia’s Law, would add to the current 13 missions of the Illinois State Police Department of…

Capitol News Illinois SPRINGFIELD – Gov. JB Pritzker got some of what he requested from the General Assembly in the area of higher education, but some of his biggest requests fell short. Pritzker’s wins include a $10 million increase in need-based student financial aid and passage of a direct admission program to make it easier…