State Sen. John Curran at a press conference Tuesday called on Gov. J.B. Pritzker to pledge not to raise taxes, either on individuals or businesses.

Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker in a news conference on Thursday signaled that Democratic leaders are discussing what, if any, actions the state may take to gird itself against the future Trump administration.

As a Republican wave swept across the country, Illinois Democrats are set to maintain their veto-proof majorities in the state legislature, even with a handful of races still too close to call as of Wednesday morning.

In November 2014, more than 2.6 million Illinois residents overwhelmingly voted to add a “crime victims’ rights” amendment, known as Marsy’s Law, to the state constitution.

Illinois’ first-in-the-nation law doesn’t outlaw so-called interchange fees completely, but it does preclude credit card processors from applying the fee on the portion of a card swipe that pays for state and local taxes and tips.

Members of the Illinois Flag Commission have nearly 5,000 designs to wade through, as the state moves onto a new phase of potentially overhauling its flag.

Voters will consider a non-binding referendum that seeks to impose a 3% tax on income over $1 million to fund property tax rebates for homeowners. It’s different from the contentious 2020 graduated income tax amendment that sparked an expensive campaign battle.

The Chicago area’s transit agencies are facing a $730 million fiscal cliff in 2026 when federal COVID relief money runs out, money that’s filling the gap in operating budgets from still-sluggish ridership numbers. Some legislators and advocates back the idea of doing away with RTA, CTA, Metra and Pace in favor of a new regional mega-agency, the Metropolitan Mobility Authority.

The Illinois Senate’s Transportation Committee has been meeting since July to grapple with the thorny issue of funding for the Chicago area’s transit system and whether to replace the CTA, Metra, Pace and Regional Transportation Authority with a single agency that will oversee bus, train and paratransit services. The proposal also calls for $1.5 billion in new funding. 

The Chicago area’s public transit system is approaching the precipice of a $730 million fiscal cliff in just over a year’s time. A group of lawmakers and advocates don’t just want to plug the transit agencies’ budget hole — they’re looking to funnel $1.5 billion in additional state funding each year to create a sustainable, world-class public transportation system.

Gun safety advocates want Illinois to shorten the period of time in which a gun must be reported as lost or stolen from 72 hours to 48 hours. The group also wants lawmakers to mandate that dealers check a gun’s serial number in a state database before it can be bought or sold. Gun rights groups oppose the changes.

Voters in Illinois are being posed three “advisory” questions that ask voters whether they support a specific policy but aren’t legally binding. Lawmakers may take the results into account when considering what policies to advocate for in future legislative sessions.

The students behind efforts to name the Calvatia gigantea the state mushroom of Illinois had an opportunity to learn more about the “giant puffball” at the Field Museum.

Illinois surpassed $2 billion in tax revenue last year from all types of gambling and the state lottery — a record bolstered by continued growth in video gambling, sports betting and the opening of several new casinos.

Throughout four days of testimony, a central issue has been whether the weapons and equipment covered under the law are commonly used in American society for lawful purposes such as self-defense, and thus protected under the Second Amendment, or military-grade weapons that state and local governments can more easily keep out of civilian hands.

The solution to the Chicago area’s public transportation woes isn’t merging CTA, Metra and Pace into a single entity — it’s finally tackling the “decades-long, discriminatory and racially charged funding policies” that have left transit agencies “fighting over scraps,” according to CTA President Dorval Carter.