Illinois in Focus

Greg Bishop reviews a rough play-by-play from Wednesday's federal court hearing in the Northern District of Illinois where Judge Iain Johnston took attorneys for Illinois and Cook County to task over implying his ruling against the state's prohibition of canceled carry creates a public safety risk. Support this podcast:  https://secure.anedot.com/franklin-news-foundation/ce052532-b1e4-41c4-945c-d7...

The Illinois Attorney General’s office has apologized to a federal judge demanding answers after implying his ruling against the state’s mass transit concealed carry ban has “safety implications.” Northern District of Illinois federal Judge Iain Johnston ruled the Second Amendment is violated by the state’s prohibition of people carrying concealed firearms on mass transit. The state appealed and i...

Greg Bishop shares a conversation with Illinois State Rifle Association Executive Director Richard Pearson about the legal fight over Illinois' prohibition of concealed carry on mass transit as the state appeals a district court ruling. Support this podcast:  https://secure.anedot.com/franklin-news-foundation/ce052532-b1e4-41c4-945c-d7ce2f52c38a?source_code=xxxxxx   Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWiz...

Greg Bishop reviews some of the moments from a recent Illinois House hearing about the state's high property taxes where witnesses discussed a nonbinding resolution on the Nov. 5 ballot to ask voters whether millionaires should be taxed a surcharge to fund a property tax relief fund. Support this podcast:  https://secure.anedot.com/franklin-news-foundation/ce052532-b1e4-41c4-945c-d7ce2f52c38a?sour...

Businesses and banks are at odds over a pending Illinois law banning credit card fees when customers pay for taxes and tips. Illinois Retail Merchants Association President and CEO Rob Karr said recent polling shows overwhelming public support for the Interchange Fee Prohibition Act. The law slated to take effect next July prohibits banks and credit card companies from charging swipe fees on the s...

Greg Bishop talks with Todd Vandermyde to review recent filings in separate cases impacting Cook County's gun and ammo tax and the mass transit concealed carry prohibition case. He also reviews a recent appeals court decision denying the state's motion to stay a case challenging the Firearm Owner's ID card. Support this podcast:  https://secure.anedot.com/franklin-news-foundation/ce052532-b1e4-41c...

Greg Bishop reviews a recent ruling from the Illinois Supreme Court in a case challenging a provision of Illinois' Firearm Owner's ID card law. 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 information about our collection and use of personal data fo...

The state of Illinois is appealing a ruling that the ban on carrying concealed firearms on public transit is unconstitutional. The case Schoenthal v. Raoul, filed two years ago, challenges Illinois’ concealed carry law that carves out places like mass transit where people licensed to carry firearms concealed are prohibited from carrying. Late last month, a Northern District of Illinois federal jud...

While the bench trial for Illinois’ gun and magazine ban is over, the reverberations could impact a separate lawsuit against banning firearm silencers. Litigants in the trial that wrapped up Thursday argued over the difference and similarities of now banned semi-automatic only firearms and military rifles that go full auto or burst. Plaintiffs worked to address the issues raised by the Seventh Cir...

The bench trial for the challenge to Illinois’ gun and magazine ban continues in East St. Louis. Illinois enacted a ban on semi-automatic firearms and magazines over certain capacities in January 2023. Lawsuits challenging the law in federal court went all the way up to the U.S. Supreme Court on preliminary grounds. Justices denied the request, saying they wanted a full case on final judgment. Mon...

Greg Bishop reviews the closing arguments from the plaintiffs and defense in the bench trial of Illinois' gun and magazine ban, as well as some of the closing comments from federal Judge Stephen McGlynn about historic riots where Black residents were victimized. Support this podcast:  https://secure.anedot.com/franklin-news-foundation/ce052532-b1e4-41c4-945c-d7ce2f52c38a?source_code=xxxxxx Hosted...

Attorneys for the state of Illinois called their first witness to the stand in the trial against the state’s gun and magazine ban. Day 3 of the bench trial featured plaintiffs’ final witness Randy Watt. Day 3 of the trial also had the state call its first witness. Retired Col. Craig Tucker, who served overseas in Iraq and Afghanistan and trained other soldiers for combat, testified that semi-autom...

Whether commercially available semi-automatic rifles now banned in Illinois are common or too similar to military grade firearms was the focus of Day 2 of the bench trial of Illinois’ gun and magazine ban. On preliminary grounds, the Seventh Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals ruled in favor of the state last year, saying commercially available rifles that Illinois banned in January 2023 are too similar...

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. 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 information about our collec...

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. 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 information about our collec...

A Chicago economics professor has questions about the potential effectiveness of the city’s new budget restrictions. City Budget Director Annette Guzman outlined the changes this week, after Mayor Brandon Johnson projected a budget deficit of nearly a billion dollars in 2025. Guzman said a citywide hiring freeze would take effect immediately. Frances Lee is an economics professor at Loyola Univers...

Former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan doesn't want the word "corruption" mentioned at his upcoming corruption trial. Madigan laid out a litany of things he wants excluded from his upcoming racketeering trial in October. The words Madigan's defense team doesn't want the jury to hear are "patronage," "political machine," "Shakman Litigation," "corrupt politicians," "corruption," and "Public...

Defense attorneys for the four former Commonwealth Edison executives and lobbyists convicted of bribing one of the state's most powerful politicians have asked a judge to drop the case. The four defendants, who have not be sentenced, want Judge Manish Shah to dismiss the indictment against them and issue an acquittal after a U.S. Supreme Court ruling on the federal bribery statute. In June, the U....

Greg Bishop reviews the response from the Illinois State Board of Election to concerns raised by the Illinois Election Integrity Project. 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 information about our collection and use of personal data for adve...

With the national parties’ conventions over, it’s a mad dash to the general election finish line. Leaders from both of Illinois’ major political parties are laying out their get-out-the-vote efforts. Democrats officially nominated Kamala Harris for president last week in Chicago. Republicans nominated Donald Trump in Milwaukee last month. The Illinois State Board of Elections certified the ballot...

Greg Bishop reviews some of the themes heard around last week's Democratic National Convention, including reaction from party leaders to concerns about the economy and border security. 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 information about o...

While Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker didn’t get selected to be Kamala Harris’ vice presidential candidate, he did get a primetime spot on the stage of the Democratic National Convention Tuesday. Chicago plays host to the convention this week where an array of speakers addressed Democratic delegates. Among the speakers on the national stage was former President Barack Obama. Before that and shortly af...

Greg Bishop reviews some of the moments from the final day of the Democratic National Convention in Chicago featuring several Illinois politicians on the main stage. 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 information about our collection and u...

Greg Bishop reviews some of the themes discussed at Day 3 of the Democratic National Convention in Chicago with the Illinois delegations. 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 information about our collection and use of personal data for adve...

Greg Bishop reviews some of the questions and answers from Illinois Democrats during Tuesday's breakfast in Chicago as part of the Democratic National Convention. He also shares comments from Republican state representative candidates Leslie Collazo and Fredrick Walls. Support this podcast:  https://secure.anedot.com/franklin-news-foundation/ce052532-b1e4-41c4-945c-d7ce2f52c38a?source_code=xxxxxx...