Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias is pictured in a file photo. (Andrew Adams / Capitol News Illinois)

The cause was an outage in the “national network that connects driver’s license facilities,” a network run by the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators. That outage resulted in the system having to shut down across the country.

(WTTW News)

Illinois’ insurance code prohibits discrimination, but state Rep. Will Guzzardi said there’s a difference between impact and intent. Even if insurance agents aren’t doing it maliciously, Guzzardi said, algorithms end up perpetuating inequities and punishing people of color and low-income drivers.

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A group of Illinois lawmakers have a proposal that would ban a handful of common additives in food made and sold in Illinois starting in 2027. California last year became the first state to ban the substances that are common in mass-produced and ultra-processed cereals, candies, salad dressings and sodas.

(WTTW News)

Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias says another round of updates should make it easier to book in-person appointments and reduce the number of people who actually need to make those appointments.

Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart, pictured right, explains how his office will implement a program to offer state IDs to exiting inmates. The program is a collaboration with Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias. (Capitol News Illinois photo by Andrew Adams)
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Regardless of how long a detainee stays in jail, however, Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart said a state ID has consistently been at the “top of the list” of needs that those in jail reported to officials upon intake “because it unlocks everything else.”

Illinois’ new universal specialty license plate design, with monarch butterfly decal. (Illinois Secretary of State / Facebook)

After a seven-year wait, the state of Illinois will finally begin issuing monarch butterfly specialty license plates, Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias announced Thursday.

(Matheus Ferrero / Pexels)

Illinois is the only state in the country that has a driving test requirement for people over a certain age. Illinois also requires more frequent driver’s license renewals for people over age 80, something only 23 states require.

Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias appears on “Chicago Tonight” on Sept. 14, 2023. (WTTW News)

Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias was in Washington, D.C., this week to testify before the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee regarding a new state law aimed at deterring book bans.

(Capitol News Illinois)
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For years, former Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White blocked attempts by an ex-state trooper to regain his driving privileges after a high-speed crash that caused the deaths of teenage sisters on a busy St. Clair County interstate in 2007.

Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias is pictured in a file photo. (Andrew Adams / Capitol News Illinois)

Six interagency law enforcement task forces received grant funding this spring to combat car thefts through an initiative of Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias’ office.

Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias speaks to reporters at a July 27, 2023, news conference announcing that several driver services facilities will begin requiring appointments in the fall. (Andrew Adams / Capitol News Illinois)

Starting Sept. 1, 44 driver services facilities in medium- to large-sized cities around the state will require appointments for driver services.

Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias, pictured at a Capitol news conference, backed a measure to allow holders of a Temporary Visitor Driver’s License to be eligible for a standard license regardless of their immigration status. (Jerry Nowicki / Capitol News Illinois)

Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Friday signed House Bill 3882, which will phase out the “Temporary Visitor Driver’s License,” or TVDL, which noncitizens currently use to drive legally in Illinois. The new law takes effect July 1, 2024.

Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias holds his daughter while brandishing a bill signed by Gov. J.B. Pritzker on June 12, 2023, that aims to discourage book bans at Illinois libraries. Bill sponsor Sen. Laura Murphy, D-Des Plaines, is pictured at left and Pritzker is pictured at right. (Capitol News Illinois photo by Andrew Adams)

The new law declares it to be the policy of Illinois to “encourage and protect the freedom of libraries and library systems to acquire materials without external limitation and to be protected against attempts to ban, remove, or otherwise restrict access to books or other materials.”

Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias speaks at a news conference March 23, 2023. His office announced $21 million in grants for law enforcement to target carjackings and auto thefts. (WTTW News)

The $21 million in grants will be funded through a dollar assessment charged annually on Illinois auto insurance policies.

(WTTW News)

For the first time in two dozen years, Illinois will get a new secretary of state. Former state treasurer Alexi Giannoulias, a Democrat, will be sworn Jan. 9 in to replace Secretary Jesse White, who did not run for reelection this year.

Alexi Giannoulias and Dan Brady appear in a WTTW News candidate forum on Oct. 26, 2022. (WTTW News)

It’s the first time since 1998 that Jesse White won’t be on the ballot for Illinois secretary of state. Running to fill the office is Republican Dan Brady and Democrat Alexi Giannoulias.