Stories by Ben Szalinski — Capitol News Illinois

In a rare rebuke of a Democrat-sponsored bill, a bipartisan coalition of lawmakers voted against House Bill 3332, causing the bill to fail on a 49-51 vote. Bills require 60 votes to pass the House, and numerous Democrats voted against the bill or skipped the vote.

House Republican Leader Tony McCombie, R-Savanna, along with a group of individual voters, asked the court to reject the current legislative map for its partisan bias and lack of compactness. House Republicans wanted the court to appoint a special master redraw the districts.

Mexico was Illinois’ second-largest export market in 2024 with $32 billion worth of goods being sent to the country. Another $19 billion worth of Mexican goods came to Illinois that year, making the country Illinois’ third-largest import market.

Gov. J.B. Pritzker has rarely issued vetoes since he became governor in 2019 and has largely found himself on the same page with the Democratic supermajority in the legislature.

Chicago police executed a search warrant at the wrong address more than six years ago that left social worker Anjanette Young handcuffed and naked in her home as she was getting ready for bed.

Some of Illinois’ largest school districts already have adopted their own limits on cellphones in their classrooms, including Springfield, Peoria and Champaign.

The Local Food Purchase Assistance Program uses federal funding to buy fresh products from farmers at a fair market value, then distributes the food to communities via food pantries and other similar programs designed to help people in need for no additional cost.

Metra, the Chicago Transit Authority and Pace, along with the Regional Transportation Authority, which oversees some aspects of the Chicago area’s transit systems, collectively face a $771 million funding shortfall in 2026 as federal pandemic dollars run out.

State Superintendent Tony Sanders acknowledged that roughly 10% of funding for Illinois school districts could be at risk if the federal government ceases funding. ISBE receives billions annually from the federal government.

The bill comes after the Illinois Supreme Court issued a pair of rulings last year. The court ruled in September that the smell of burnt cannabis did not give police probable cause to search a vehicle, but three months later ruled the smell of raw cannabis was probable cause for a search.

Gov. J.B. Pritzker will present his seventh budget proposal Wednesday as the state faces a projected $3.2 billion revenue shortfall for fiscal year 2026, which begins July 1.

Karina Gonzalez and her 15-year-old daughter Daniela were shot and killed on Fourth of July weekend in 2023 at their Chicago home, allegedly by her husband. After more than a year of negotiations, Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed a bill in her honor that is designed to remove guns from domestic violence situations.

Lawmakers passed the Interchange Fee Prohibition Act last spring as part of the legislative package that enacted the state budget. It’s the first of its kind in the country and prohibits credit debit and card companies from charging fees on the tax and tip portions of credit and debit card transactions beginning July 1.

Kin-first foster systems decrease the risk of abuse and create a higher chance of achieving permanent placement for kids, according to Casey Family Programs, the nation’s largest foundation focused on foster care.

President Donald Trump’s plan to implement tariffs on key United States trading partners could affect more than $100 billion worth of goods imported to Illinois from Canada, Mexico and China. The countries were Illinois’ top trading partners in 2023.

Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Tuesday signed a long-awaited bill to stop Illinois organizations from paying less than the minimum wage to workers with disabilities.

As a new General Assembly begins, it remains unclear how lawmakers and the governor plan to plug the projected deficit. Republicans’ main concern is Democrats will resort to tax increases to boost revenue and avoid spending cuts.

The Kindship in Demand Act, or KIND Act, puts an obligation on the Department of Children and Family Services to use a “kin-first approach” when placing children in foster care settings.

Six people were killed when an EF3 tornado with 150 mph winds struck an Amazon warehouse in Edwardsville on Dec. 10, 2021. The incident raised questions about the safety of warehouses in severe weather, including if warehouses are designed to withstand extreme winds and if warehouse operators are properly prepared for severe weather.

Beginning New Year’s Day, Illinois workers making minimum wage will see wages rise by $1 and tipped workers will see their paychecks bump to $9 an hour. Youth workers under 18 who work fewer than 650 hours a year will have a $13 minimum wage.

Changes that would make Illinois pension systems compliant with Social Security by improving benefits for government employees hired since 2011 could be on the table when lawmakers return to Springfield in January.

No state is immune from the negative effects of an economic downturn, but Illinois is more prepared today than it was for the Great Recession of 2007-2009 or the COVID-19 recession of 2020, according to a new report from the Illinois Economic Policy Institute and University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign’s Project for Middle Class Renewal.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s views on health and his stated policy initiatives could have far-reaching effects on public health, including on policies in Illinois. Kennedy has often encouraged healthier food consumption for Americans — a goal Illinois Democrats could support. But Kennedy holds other views at odds with science.

The lower turnout in the November election also followed low turnout in the March primary, which featured uncontested presidential primaries in Illinois after challengers dropped out of the race by the time it was Illinois’ turn to vote.

“It is time to treat people with developmental disabilities the same and have them be paid what they’re worth, which is what we pay everybody else,” state Sen. Cristina Castro told an Illinois Senate committee.

The state is partnering with the nonprofit Undue Medical Debt, which can buy debt from collection agencies, hospitals and similar entities for just a few cents per dollar. Every $1 collected translates into $100 of debt relief by the nonprofit, which partners with governments on debt forgiveness programs.