The Illinois Commerce Commission has until mid-September to rule on a downstate utility provider’s energy efficiency plan, which consumer advocates say would cost residents nearly 30 percent in savings on utility bills and jeopardize 7,000 jobs.

Illinois joins a handful of states that require restaurants to provide some form of food allergen awareness and safety training. Learn about the new rules.

Immigrants and refugees in Illinois can now breathe a sigh of relief, and people eager to vote will find it easier to register. The changes come as Gov. Bruce Rauner signed two pieces of legislation Monday.

Gov. Bruce Rauner signed a measure this week allowing the city to install noise monitors along the scenic expressway, following residents’ complaints.

Illinois parents faced with the expulsion of a preschool-age child are often put in a difficult situation, but a new state law seeks to end that practice and get schools thinking about alternative solutions.

Illinois will become the first state to ban the use of elephants in circuses and other traveling exhibitions, putting an official end to a practice that animal rights activists have been protesting for decades.

“This law sends a message to survivors of felony child sex crimes that it is not too late to come forward,” said Polly Poskin, executive director of the Illinois Coalition Against Sexual Assault, in a statement.

Residents in central and southern Illinois will pay nearly 30 percent more on utility bills than projected if Ameren is allowed to lower its energy savings target, environmental and consumer advocates said Wednesday.

Under a new law, Illinois residents as young as 16 years old can sign up to become organ and tissue donors when they receive their driver’s license or state ID cards. 

While Illinois was lauded in a new report for its smoke-free laws and rules on indoor tanning devices, the state is “exceptionally” far behind on comprehensive tobacco-control programs, according to a national cancer advocacy organization.

Efficiency plans filed by Ameren Illinois fail to comply with the state’s new energy law and could prevent the creation of additional jobs, according to a new report. 

Law enforcement agencies have a new set of guidelines for responding to reports of sexual assault and sexual abuse.

After intense lobbying in Springfield, lawmakers this month passed legislation that could ultimately disconnect 1.2 million landline users in Illinois. 

As legislators in Springfield debate the future of marijuana, some believe there is a major disconnect between Illinois’ laws and shifting public opinion. 

While it remains to be seen whether legislators will pass a budget by July 1, here are five local and state laws that go into effect on that date.

Legislation proposed this week in the Illinois Senate would require electronics manufacturers to pay for permanent recycling drop-off sites set up by counties.