Illinois in Focus

Former Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner said he faced a lot of headwinds during his time in office, but didn’t want to talk about politics after his official portrait was unveiled Monday. The former one-term Republican governor had a tumultuous time in office with a more than two-year long budget impasse. Democrats who controlled both chambers still blame Rauner for the impasse. As Illinois implements m...

Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Wednesday signed the state's $50.6 billion budget, which includes pay raises for state lawmakers, health care for undocumented migrants, and new taxpayer-funded programs for education. With the consolidated gun ban challenge being briefed and soon heard in the Seventh Circuit U.S. Court of Appeal, an Illinois attorney is asking a federal district judge for partial ju...

With increased spending on legislator pay, local governments, K-12 and higher education and other programs, Illinois’ budget for the coming fiscal year is the largest in state history and ready for the governor’s desk. The House passed the $50.6 billion state budget early Saturday along party lines, 73-38. The Senate approved the plan late Thursday mostly along party lines. Despite statehouse corr...

Topping $50 billion, Illinois Democrats say they have reached a budget agreement. The proposed fiscal 2024 budget is similar to what Gov. J.B. Pritzker unveiled earlier this year. It includes $700 million for K-12 and early childhood education, and an additional $100 million so those under the median income can go to community college tuition free but at taxpayer expense. While legislators are adv...

With Friday being the last scheduled day for the spring session at the Illinois Statehouse, lawmakers have yet to reveal a state budget for taxpayers to review. Last year's budget was over 3,000 pages and was presented by the Democratic majority to Republicans at the last moment, giving the public no time to review it. Opposition is growing over a piece of legislation advancing in Springfield that...

A report detailing Illinois' budget forecast is warning of a huge drop in state revenues. The Illinois Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability said April receipts fell $1.8 billion compared to the same month the year prior. The COGFA report said while a substantial decline in revenues was anticipated, the extent of the decline is much steeper than the commission had projected. The...

A federal jury on Tuesday convicted four top lobbyists and executives at a state-regulated utility in Illinois' highest-profile corruption case since former Gov. Rod Blagojevich was convicted 13 years ago. The jury convicted the defendants on all counts in the case in which prosecutors alleged former state lawmaker and lobbyist Michael McClain, former ComEd CEO Anne Pramaggiore, former ComEd lobby...

In his first address before a full joint session of the General Assembly since before the pandemic, Gov. J.B. Pritzker presented his State of the State and budget address Wednesday. Included was a $49.6 billion budget proposal, an increase in spending by over $3 billion from last year’s budget. With the threat of a possible recession on the horizon, some are worried that Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s propo...

Some downstate Illinois lawmakers are voicing concerns over Chicago Mayor-elect Brandon Johnson’s proposed spending spree. Johnson told lawmakers they must commit to working together if both the city and state are to succeed. He said his time at the statehouse is about building a better, stronger and safer Chicago by establishing a strong foundation for collaboration. The Illinois Supreme Court ha...

After hours of oral arguments Wednesday, a federal judge now has the case challenging Illinois’ gun ban with a ruling on a preliminary injunction expected in the weeks ahead. Plaintiffs say they are confident they’ll get the law overturned. A new report on U.S. state’s economic outlook paints a bleak picture for Illinois. Former ComEd CEO Anne Pramaggiore is expected to take the stand as part of h...

Because of “unreasonably large campaign contributions” to then-candidates and now sitting justices on the Illinois Supreme Court from lead defendants in the case challenging the state’s gun ban, plaintiffs are seeking two judges recusal. The state of Illinois has been given an extension to the deadline it has to file an appeal of a circuit court’s ruling in a case over when the state can suspend s...

As population growth in the nation’s largest counties rebounded in 2022, Illinois continued to see population losses. According to the U.S. Census Bureau’s Vintage 2022 estimates, 92 of Illinois' 102 counties lost residents from July 2021 to July of last year. Cook County lost a staggering 68,314 people, the second highest total by number in the country behind only Los Angeles County. Defense atto...

Former Commonwealth Edison chief lawyer Tom O’Neill said Wednesday that over time he came to work hand-in-hand with associates of then-House Speaker Michael Madigan to secure jobs for them in high-profile positions. O’Neill took the stand for a second day in the ComEd bribery trial at the Dirksen Federal Courthouse in Chicago. Former House Speaker Michael Madigan called the shots on a bill that wa...

The specter of indicted former House Speaker Michael Madigan loomed large during opening arguments in the “ComEd 4” bribery trial at the Dirksen Federal Courthouse Wednesday. The longest serving legislative leader in U.S. history seemed everywhere during arguments while he personally was nowhere to be found during the daylong proceedings in the overflow courtroom of U.S. District Judge Harry Leine...

Gov. J.B. Pritzker doesn’t just appear at the top as a defendant in the Macon County gun-ban challenge in front of the Illinois Supreme Court. He’s also the top donor for two supreme court justices’ campaigns. Pritzker donated a total of $2 million to then-Illinois Supreme Court candidates Mary O’Brien and Elizabeth Rochford, $1 million each. The governor signed a law in 2022 that capped contribut...

Lori Lightfoot's tenure as Chicago mayor will end after her first term. Lightfoot – widely criticized as rising violent crime plagued the city during her four years in office, for her strict COVID-19 restrictions, and as students in Chicago Public Schools struggled to perform at grade level – conceded in her race for re-election in Tuesday's primary. A judge is expected to rule on key motions that...

The attorneys with state-level challenges against Illinois’ gun ban disagree on whether the cases should be consolidated. Gov. J.B. Pritzker enacted a ban on more than 170 different semi-automatic firearms and magazines over certain capacities on Jan. 10. Since then, a series of lawsuits have been filed in federal and state courts challenging the law. The law exempts individuals in certain occupat...

Join The Center Square’s Publisher Chris Krug & Executive Editor Dan McCaleb they discuss with the threat of a possible recession on the horizon, some are worried that Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s proposed budget is trending toward future tax hikes. Representatives from the state's five pension systems testified to lawmakers over the past few weeks with updates on their unfunded liabilities, leaving lawma...

Join The Center Square’s Publisher Chris Krug & Executive Editor Dan McCaleb they discuss that about 2,100 more Illinois citizens are now safe from the state enforcing Illinois’ gun ban against them after a third temporary restraining order was issued Wednesday. Recent court cases across the country challenging gun regulations could be an issue for conversation at the Illinois statehouse as the st...

Join The Center Square’s Publisher Chris Krug & Executive Editor Dan McCaleb they discuss the temporary restraining order against Illinois’ gun ban issued by an Effingham County judge has been upheld by the Fifth District Appellate Court of Illinois. The state of Illinois is expected to ask for an expedited review by the Illinois Supreme Court after a temporary restraining order was upheld Tuesday...

Join The Center Square’s Publisher Chris Krug & Executive Editor Dan McCaleb they discuss lawsuits brought against Illinois’ new gun ban that are working their way through the judicial process. Board officials from Illinois' second most populated county heard from residents on both sides of the debate about whether the sheriff there should enforce the state's gun ban. Illinois voters rejected a pr...

Join The Center Square’s Publisher Chris Krug & Executive Editor Dan McCaleb they discuss the first federal lawsuit against Illinois’ gun ban and registry has been announced by the Illinois State Rifle Association. It follows two others that were filed in state court Tuesday. With a ruling on a temporary restraining order against Illinois’ gun ban expected before the end of the day Friday, each si...

Join The Center Square’s Publisher Chris Krug & Executive Editor Dan McCaleb they discuss the fact that the sale of certain semi-automatic guns and magazines is now prohibited in Illinois with a law Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed Tuesday night. Gun-rights groups say they’ll see him and legislative leaders in court. With a new ban on certain guns now in place in Illinois, some have said they won’t compl...

Join The Center Square’s Publisher Chris Krug & Executive Editor Dan McCaleb they take a look at the possible paths forward now that the Illinois Supreme Court has halted the cashless bail portion of the criminal justice legislation called the SAFE-T Act, many are wondering what happens next. Illinois lawmakers are back in Springfield for lame-duck session. The House introduced new members. Illino...

Join The Center Square’s Illinois Reporter Greg Bishop as he takes a look at the top news stories in the state of Illinois in the year 2022 and what to expect out of Illinois in 2023. Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/illinois-in-focus/support Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for...