Capitol Cast: Illinois

The Trump administration is seeking the entire, unredacted statewide voter registration database while the U.S. Supreme Court prepares to hear a case challenging part of the state's vote counting procedure. U.S. Rep. Danny Davis announces he won't run for reelection. And Democratic leaders in Illinois take on the insurance industry. Peter Hancock, Ben Szalinski and Andrew Adams analyze the week's...

The race to fill the seat of retiring U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin is already getting crowded. Gov. JB Pritzker is pushing back against proposals in Texas to redraw that state's congressional district to minimize GOP losses next year. Pritzker is also traveling to North Carolina this weekend, stoking speculation about his own national ambitions. The CNI news team discusses those stories and looks ahead t...

A new study suggests upward mobility is more difficult in Illinois than many would think. Although educational attainment and career choices have the biggest influence over a person's income potential, the economic class into which they are born also plays a role. Students from lower-income households tend to earn less than their wealthier peers, even after earning similar degrees and going into s...

This month marks the 60th anniversary of President Lyndon Johnson signing Medicare and Medicaid into law. At the time, Medicaid was considered to be a minor part of the bill, but it has since ballooned to become a driving force behind the entire American health care system. Now, it's about to be cut back dramatically under President Trump's recently passed domestic policy legislation. How did we g...

Gov. JB Pritzker is seeking a third term. Jerry Nowicki, Ben Szalinski and Public Affairs Reporting intern Jade Aubrey discuss the announcement and Aubrey's time at Capitol News Illinois.

Gov. JB Pritzker signed a $55.1 billion budget bill into law while criticizing the Trump administration for making budget planning at the state level more difficult. Meanwhile, Republican lawmakers filed a constitutional lawsuit challenging a legislative procedure known as "gut and replace," by which many major acts of the General Assembly are passed.

Protesters took to the streets in Chicago and other major cities this week as the Trump administration stepped up its efforts to carry out mass deportations of undocumented immigrants. Meanwhile, Gov. JB Pritzker went to Capitol Hill to defend the state's policies on immigration. Peter Hancock talks with Fred Tsao, of the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights, about the protests and...

Illinois lawmakers closed out the 2025 spring session by passing a $55.2 billion budget and a revenue package to help pay for it. But the session was marked as much by what didn't get through the process as what did. The Capitol News Illinois team breaks down the major issues that were confronted in the final days of the session.

As the final week of the legislative session approaches, Illinois lawmakers face a daunting task of balancing a budget for the upcoming fiscal year in the face of slow revenue growth and increased demands for state services. The budget picture became even more complicated this week when the U.S. House passed a budget reconciliation bill - what President Trump calls the "big, beautiful bill" - that...

May 19 will mark the 150th anniversary of Mary Todd Lincoln, widow of the slain president, being declared legally insane and committed to an asylum outside Chicago. Historian Jason Emerson discusses his new book, "The Dark Days of Abraham Lincoln's Widow, As Revealed by Her Own Letters," published by Southern Illinois University Press.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem's visit to Springfield this week put a spotlight on the Trump administration's immigration policy while also sparking protests from immigrant rights advocates. Peter Hancock, Ben Szalinski and Jade Aubrey discuss the event and what may be at stake for Illinois' own policies regarding immigrants.

One-on-one with Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton by Capitol News Illinois

U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois announced this week he will not seek reelection in 2026, setting off a chain reaction among politicians who now see an opportunity to move up the ladder. The first major candidate to announce so far is Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton who, on Friday, received the endorsement of Gov. JB Pritzker. CNI's Peter Hancock and Ben Salinski look back on Durbin's career in Congres...

Peter Hancock talks with author Patrick Wohl about his book, "Down Ballot: Howa Local Campaign Became a National Referendum on Abortion." The book chronicles the 1990 Republican primary in Illinois' 55th House District between Penny Pullen and Rosemary Mulligan.

Illinois lawmakers passed the midpoint of the 2025 session this week, the deadline for most nonbudget bills to pass out of one chamber or the other. Meanwhile, dozens of international students on college campuses learned their student visas were being revoked. Peter Hancock talks with CNI's Molly Parker about the crackdown on international students. And Ben Szalinski talks about major legislation...

Trade mission to Mexico by Capitol News Illinois

As lawmakers near the midpoint of the 2025 session, no legislation has passed either chamber as lawmakers appear stymied by the steady barrage of events coming out of the White House that have a direct bearing on Illinois. Peter Hancock and Ben Szalinski analyze the past week's events.

It used to be said that all politics is local. But today, state parties and partisan-backed organizations are getting more involved in local, and ostensibly nonpartisan, elections. Peter Hancock talks with CNI reporter Ben Szalinski and political scientist John Jackson of SIU Carbondale about this trend.

Four entities that make up the Chicago metro area's mass transit system face a combined $770 million budget shortfall. That means Chicago's transportation problems are now a front-and-center issue for state lawmakers from all parts of Illinois. Peter Hancock talks with CNI reporter Ben Szalinski about what's at stake, how we got here, and some of the proposed solutions.

Gov. JB Pritzker and other Democratic leaders warn of dire consequences if proposed cuts in federal Medicaid funding go through. And a new audit shows the state's Medicaid-like health care program for noncitizens - part of which Pritzker has proposed defunding - has been a lot more expensive than expected. Peter Hancock, Ben Szalinski and Hannah Meisel discuss the week's news.

Gov. JB Pritzker delivered his annual budget address and State of the State speech this week that included a warning about the rise of a neo-fascist movement in America led by President Donald Trump. Peter Hancock, Hannah Meisel and Ben Szalinski analyze the speech as well as legislative reaction to it.

Michael J. Madigan, a dominant figure in Illinois politics for the better part of 50 years, was found guilty in federal court this week on multiple corruption-related charges. Peter Hancock, Hannah Meisel and Ben Szalinski discuss how it all came about and what kind of legacy he leaves behind in Springfield.

From lawsuits over immigration policy to threats of a possible trade war, state government officials in Illinois spent most of the week focusing on news coming out of the Trump administration. Peter Hancock, Ben Szalinski and Jade Aubrey analyze some of the major developments.

The Trump administration temporarily froze the flow of billions of dollars in assistance to state governments and nonprofits, sending state agencies into a panic until a federal judge stepped in. And the long-running corruption trial of former House Speaker Michael Madigan is now in the hands of a jury. Peter Hancock discusses those stories with reporters Ben Szalinski and Hannah Meisel.

Donald J. Trump's inauguration for a second term as president put many people in Illinois on edge, especially those in Chicago's immigrant community. Ashley Soriano, a reporting fellow from Northwestern University, talks to Peter Hancock about her reporting on Inauguration Day protests in the Chicago area. And Jerry Nowicki discusses the final stages of former House Speaker Michael J. Madigan's co...