Stories by Peter Hancock — Capitol News Illinois

State and national test scores have shown proficiency rates in math are consistently below those in English language arts.

Gov. JB Pritzker says he intends to sign legislation imposing a statewide ban on cellphones and other wireless communication devices during instructional time in public schools and charter schools.

Money that lawmakers approved to fund after-school programs this year was not distributed until April, leaving organizations only a few months to spend those funds or return the money to the state.

Changes to SNAP and Medicaid eligibility are seen as possible reasons for the drop in low-income numbers. These changes could have a direct impact on the amount of state funding school districts receive.

At issue before the 7th Circuit is a constitutional challenge to the Protect Illinois Communities Act, a sweeping ban on assault-style weapons and large-capacity magazines.

Advocates for health care providers that treat low-income and uninsured patients are pressuring state lawmakers to pass legislation they say would prevent drug manufacturers from restricting access to medications that are discounted through a federal pharmacy program.

Illinois is among 29 states and Washington, D.C., being sued by the Trump administration for access to their complete, unredacted voter registration databases.

Oil production was once a major industry in Illinois, but it has steadily declined since the 1950s. Most active wells in Illinois are “stripper” wells that produce less than 1.5 barrels per day.

New federal rules contained in President Donald Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” will impose tighter caps on how much money states can raise for their Medicaid programs through provider taxes.

The budget request for the upcoming fiscal year calls for only a minimal increase in K-12 education spending, a reflection of the state’s tightening fiscal condition.

Illinois is one of 23 states and Washington, D.C., that are being sued by the Trump administration for access to their unredacted voter rolls. The U.S. Department of Justice filed the Illinois case Dec. 18 following months of efforts to obtain the information directly from the Illinois State Board of Elections.

The agency would not explain why it took officials so long to discover the problem or why they waited more than three months after it was discovered to notify the individuals affected and the news media, as required by federal rules.

Illinois lawmakers responded to President Donald Trump’s crackdown on immigrant communities with new legal protections for students and guidelines for schools that will take effect Jan. 1. Lawmakers also focused on the use of AI in education.

Officials said the extension is intended to give people more time to receive help choosing a plan for the upcoming year as changes in federal policy are about to take effect.

Jerry Costello II, director of the Illinois Department of Agriculture, said the money being offered is not nearly enough to make up for the losses farmers are suffering.

The state’s 2025 report card showed only 38.4% of Illinois students overall scored proficient or better in math, compared to 52.4% in English language arts.

In a letter to the Voting Section of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division, ISBE general counsel Marni Malowitz said releasing the data would expose Illinois voters to unnecessary risks.

The petition was filed on the same day two children were killed and 17 other individuals were injured in a mass shooting at a Catholic church in Minneapolis. As of Thursday, authorities had not yet publicly identified the specific weapons used in that shooting, only to say one of them was a rifle.

Federal officials are continuing to press their demand for Illinois’ unredacted voter registration database, which includes sensitive personal information, and are now giving state officials until Monday, Sept. 1, to comply.

Robert Gordon, a senior vice president at the American Property Casualty Insurance Association, said property losses from natural disasters are common in Illinois, and they have been growing more frequent.

The lawsuit is one of 35 such suits challenging Trump administration policies that Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul has joined as part of a coalition of Democratic state attorneys general. That’s an average of more than one suit per week since Trump resumed office on Jan. 20.

In a letter dated Thursday, Aug. 14, an attorney in the department’s Civil Rights Division rejected the Illinois State Board of Elections’ offer of a partially redacted database insisting that federal authorities are entitled to the complete, unredacted data.

The meeting of party officials Thursday morning was a precursor to the annual Republican Day festivities at the Illinois State Fair, an event where the party showcases its major candidates for the next round of elections and tries to generate enthusiasm among its core base of voters.

Pritzker’s comments came amid escalating tensions over the Texas redistricting drama. Earlier in the day, according to the New York Times, Republican U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, of Texas, said the FBI had agreed to his request to help locate the absent Texas lawmakers.

In a filing known as a “statement of interest,” the Justice Department said the government has an interest in the outcome of the lawsuit, although the filing stops short of asking the court for permission to intervene as a party in the case.

The study found students from lower-income families tend to earn less than those from wealthier families, even after they went on to earn similar credentials.