Illinois on Monday will become the first state to fully abolish cash bail through an act of the legislature — a major criminal justice overhaul spurred by the advocacy of a progressive faction of the Democratic Party that’s grown increasingly powerful in recent years.
Stories by Hannah Meisel — Capitol News Illinois
Emails Shown at Mapes Trial Detail Madigan World’s Response to 2018 Sexual Harassment Scandal
The email was introduced as evidence in the trial of longtime Madigan chief of staff Tim Mapes, who was charged with perjury and obstruction of justice after allegedly lying to a grand jury investigating Madigan and his inner circle.
Federal Judge Temporarily Blocks Illinois Law Subjecting ‘Crisis Pregnancy Centers’ to Civil Liability
A new law allowing Illinoisans to sue so-called crisis pregnancy centers under the state’s Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act is on hold after a federal judge late Thursday granted a preliminary injunction against it.
Illinois to Invest More Than $23M in Abortion Access, Reproductive Health Care Initiatives
Gov. J.B. Pritzker announced several new programs to help address the influx of out-of-state abortion seekers the state has seen in the 13 months since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade.
‘Crisis Pregnancy Centers’ Could Face Lawsuits Under Illinois’ Expanded Consumer Fraud Act
Crisis pregnancy centers are facilities often affiliated with anti-abortion, usually religious, organizations. CPCs range from volunteer-run outfits that can’t offer much more than counseling to facilities with licensed medical professionals on staff who can perform exams.
COVID Unemployment Surge Led to $5.2B in Overpaid Benefits in Illinois, Including Fraud
Included in that sum was $6 million paid to 481 dead people and $40.5 million in unemployment checks written to incarcerated individuals. And, the audit warned, those numbers could be a significant undercount.
State’s ‘Rainy Day’ Fund Hits Record-High Balance at Start of New Fiscal Year
Illinois Comptroller Susana Mendoza is ringing in fiscal year 2024 by celebrating a record-high $1.94 billion in Illinois’ “rainy day” fund and setting her sights on doubling that figure in the next decade.
On the Witness Stand, Former State Sen. Terry Link Finally Acknowledges He Wore a Wire for FBI
Link, a Vernon Hills Democrat, has spent years denying news media reports that he was the legislator-turned-cooperating witness described in charging documents made public after the arrest of ex-state Rep. Luis Arroyo in October of 2019.
As Trial Begins, Politically Connected Businessman Claims Feds Set Him Up to Bribe Illinois Legislator
James Weiss stands accused of bribing two Democratic lawmakers in an effort to shield his fledgling business from threatened bans at the state and local levels.
