Illinois in Focus

(The Center Square) – An Illinois state representative faces multiple counts of wire fraud and providing a false statement, according to a federal indictment released Tuesday night. State Rep. Carol Ammons, D-Urbana, was charged with eight counts of wire fraud surrounding an alleged kickback scheme involving campaign contributions. She was also charged with conspiracy to obstruct justice. Her husb...

(The Center Square) – The U.S. Supreme Court ruled 6-3 against an executive order by President Donald Trump Tuesday, which sought to ban birthright citizenship nationwide. A number of political heavyweights in Illinois have weighed in on the judgement. The court heard arguments and ultimately struck down the president’s February 2025 order stripping birthright citizenship protections from children...

(The Center Square) – Gov. J.B. Pritzker says higher proposed Illinois Tollway rates are for many users that travel to and from other states. Illinois Tollway officials are proposing a toll increase of about 45 cents per toll for IPASS users and a 30% rate hike for commercial IPASS users. At a ribbon cutting for building solutions company Amrize in Chicago on Tuesday, a reporter from The Center Sq...

Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed a $55.9 billion state budget for fiscal year 2027, with tens of millions of dollars included for non-governmental organizations. The governor placed his signature on the new spending plan in Chicago on Tuesday, calling it his eighth straight balanced budget. “This budget lowers costs for everyday Illinoisans and protects our state’s fiscal health and continues th...

(The Center Square) – Gov. J.B. Pritzker says there could be a special legislative session in Illinois this summer, but he won’t raise people’s taxes to pay for a new Chicago Bears stadium. Pritzker spoke in Chicago on Tuesday afternoon and said there could be a special session if the General Assembly can get together on one piece of Bears legislation. “The first priority for me is we're not raisi...

(The Center Square) – Gov. J.B. Pritzker says Illinois’ new budget for fiscal year 2027 protects working families from new taxes, but Republican state Rep. Blaine Wilhour says the governor can’t stop asking for more. The governor touted investments in housing, education and health care in the $55.9 billion spending plan approved by the General Assembly on Monday. “We made all of those people-first...

(The Center Square) – Illinois may soon have a prescription affordability board to impose price caps on drugs, but questions are being raised over the proposed board’s potential effectiveness and lack of budget appropriations. Senate Bill 3496 was filed in February to ensure proper licensing of nurses, but the bill text was gutted and replaced by House Amendment 1 to establish a Prescription Drug...

Illinois is projected to see less tax income than state agencies previously expected due to a variety of economic factors. With revised estimates, some lawmakers worry there may be a shortfall, which could prevent a balanced budget from being passed this month. Both the Illinois Department of Revenue – which oversees the collection of state funds – and the Commission on Government Forecasting and...

(The Center Square) – New tax proposals being considered in Springfield could bring nearly $7 billion in revenue to the state, according to advocates. Critics say the proposals – which would change corporate tax rules, among other impactful tax changes – could drive capital and jobs out of the state. The Illinois Revenue Alliance and Democrat lawmakers on Wednesday discussed initiatives they want...

(The Center Square) – Gas prices have surged in Illinois, and an American Automobile Association spokesperson says several factors are to blame. AAA listed the average price for regular unleaded at $4.53 a gallon on Wednesday, up from $3.41 a year ago and $3.98 one month ago. Molly Hart, spokesperson for AAA, said the conflict with Iran is playing a role. “What a lot of people don't understand is...

(The Center Square) -- State lawmakers expressed public, bipartisan concern again Wednesday over an Illinois commission's efforts to increase access to state contract money for businesses that are owned by racial minorities, women and people with disabilities. The lawmakers' concerns are largely based on the reporting of The Center Square in recent months, which has found that the commissioners  h...

(The Center Square) – A federal appeals court heard oral arguments Thursday as judges consider former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan’s appeal of his conviction on 10 counts of public corruption. The U.S. Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals took the case under advisement on Thursday afternoon following a hearing at the Everett McKinley Dirksen U.S. Courthouse in Chicago. Madigan defense attorn...

(The Center Square) - Fewer businesses that get diversity-related government priority in Illinois are getting contracts with the state, according to a new annual report from the agency, after a long-running computer problem thwarted efforts to increase those contracts. About 1,500 businesses that are owned by racial minorities, women and people with disabilities were paid by the state for construc...

(The Center Square) – President Donald Trump says a Loyola University student would still be alive if Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker asked his administration to help stop crime. The president spoke at a Cabinet meeting Thursday morning. “It would be great if people like the mayor of Chicago and the governor of Illinois would say, ‘Please come in and stop the crime,’”...

(The Center Square) – Illinois voters will have a rematch in the race for governor after Darren Bailey beat out three other candidates in Tuesday evening’s Republican primary election. Just as votes were being counted and before the race was called for Bailey, during a campaign event in Chicago, incumbent Gov. J.B. Pritzker predicted that Republicans would select the same candidate as they did fou...

(The Center Square) – Gov. J.B. Pritzker says God was looking out for people in Kankakee County this week. The governor visited the area Thursday after severe storms, including an EF-3 level tornado, caused extensive damage on Tuesday. “But one thing, and God was looking out for people here, is that there were really very few injuries. They were relatively minor. There were no deaths,” Pritzker sa...

(The Center Square) – Chicago Police say they are monitoring the U.S. conflict in Iran. Residents and visitors observed a significant increase in police presence at O’Hare International Airport and on area passenger trains this week. In a statement to The Center Square, the Chicago Police Department said it is monitoring the situation in Iran. “While there is no actionable intelligence related to...

Greg Bishop, Illinois editor for The Center Square, hosts Illinois In Focus Daily, a review of some of the top Illinois headlines with timely and relevant news and interviews.  Read more at TheCenterSquare.com/illinois Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

For Illinois in Focus Daily with The Center Square, host Greg Bishop talks with The Center Square investigative reporter Jared Strong about his continued investigation into Illinois diversity contracting commission, including a commissioner not disclosing the entirety of their other employment outside of being a commissioner.  Read the story here: https://www.thecentersquare.com/illinois/article_6...

(The Center Square) - An Illinois megaproject bill about a new Chicago Bears stadium project passed through a House committee Thursday, but it did so with a warning from several legislators and an advocacy group that the bill could lead to a meteoric rise in property tax bills in multiple communities in the state. The bill will next go to the House for a vote with sponsor Kam Buckner, D-Chicago, s...

(The Center Square) – Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker has proposed a budget for fiscal year 2027 that is smaller than the state’s 2026 spending plan. The governor delivered his State of the State budget address before the General Assembly at the Illinois Capitol on Wednesday. Pritzker opened by saying he would introduce another balanced budget proposal. The spending plan with $54.8 billion in general...

For Illinois in Focus Daily, host Greg Bishop reviews the latest actions from Indiana to lure the Chicago Bears out of Illinois, and shares reaction from Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker, Illinois House Minority Leader Tony McCombie and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson. Support this podcast: https://secure.anedot.com/franklin-news-foundation/ce052532-b1e4-41c4-945c-d7ce2f52c38a?source_code=xxxxxx Hosted b...

For Illinois in Focus Daily, host Greg Bishop reviews moments from Gov. J.B. Pritzker's 2025 budget address and what Republicans are looking for from the Democratic incumbent in the 2026 address. Support this podcast: https://secure.anedot.com/franklin-news-foundation/ce052532-b1e4-41c4-945c-d7ce2f52c38a?source_code=xxxxxx Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for informati...

(The Center Square) – A retail business advocate says a federal judge’s ruling to uphold the Interchange Fee Prohibition Act paves the way for Main Street Illinois to experience major relief, but a banking advocate says the law could slow commerce and foul up transactions. U.S. District Court Judge Virginia Kendall ruled on Tuesday that the law to ban processing fees on the tax and tip portion of...

For Illinois in Focus Daily, Greg Bishop discusses President Donald Trump's action on vehicle emissions and Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul's response. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.