(WTTW News)

A red wave may not have materialized on Tuesday as polls predicted and the GOP had hoped, but election currents swept in changes across the top ranks of the Illinois General Assembly.

(WTTW News)

Illinois legislative leaders Dan McConchie, Don Harmon, Tom Demmer, and Chris Welch join “Chicago Tonight” to break down the budget, efforts to fight crime, tax relief and more.

In this file photo, restaurant patrons wear masks while dining indoors. (WTTW News)
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Masking will be universally required in Illinois schools, and some state employees must get vaccinated for the coronavirus, according to mandates handed down Wednesday by Gov. J.B. Pritzker — a move that immediately drew rebuke from friends and foes alike.

(Meagan Davis / Wikimedia Commons)

Plus: Our Spotlight Politics team on that and more

The state’s top Republicans asked a federal judge Wednesday to appoint an eight-member commission made up of four Democrats and four Republicans to craft the maps with census data.

After several late nights and an extra day on the legislative calendar, state lawmakers wrapped up their spring session May 31, 2021. (WTTW News)

Illinois Democrats took a victory lap when the General Assembly’s regular spring session came to a close this week, holding press conferences touting the session as one of the most productive in memory. But for the minority party, each victory smacks of partisanship and defeat.

Rush University Hospital physician Anthony Perry. (WTTW News)
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Barring quick action from the General Assembly, a requirement that health insurance companies treat virtual visits as they would regular, in-person appointments will soon lift. Lawmakers appear to be on the verge of extending that mandate before Monday’s planned adjournment.

(WTTW News)

Illinois legislators voted along partisan lines Friday in response to another set of political lines: the boundaries of districts for the legislature, state Supreme Court and the Cook County Board of Review.

(WTTW News)

According to the latest Illinois Department of Public Health data, about 2.35% of Illinois’ population is fully vaccinated, which means millions more are still waiting for a shot — and many won’t have the opportunity for months. 

(Chuck Grimmett / Flickr)

Will the attorney general’s reversal of an Obama-era policy give prosecutors free rein to aggressively enforce pot prohibition?

(Meagan Davis / Wikimedia Commons)

How Republican lawmakers are trying to stop publicly funded abortions in Illinois—and what the bill’s backers say.

After 736 days, Illinois finally has a budget. But it’s not all good news: At the moment, funding is locked up for all of the state’s public schools. Will schools open on time?

Illinois Senators discuss the newly passed budget and explain why they voted the way they did.