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.

(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.

(WTTW News)
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With the Illinois Supreme Court set to hear oral arguments in March, it will likely be months before justices decide the fate of cashless bail in Illinois. But bail transformation is just one of many provisions contained in the SAFE-T Act.

(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.

Airline passengers here wait at a Transportation Security Administration (TSA) checkpoint to clear security before boarding flights in Denver, Colorado on April 19. (Patrick T. Fallon / AFP / Getty Images via CNN)

The U.S. federal government has yet again delayed nationwide security requirements for driver’s licenses and other identification cards, giving states, including Illinois, more time to issue REAL IDs to residents.

A rendering of Carvana’s proposed 14-story tower in Skokie. (Village of Skokie)

The online used-car dealer has once again had its dealer’s license in Illinois suspended. The company’s construction of a glass “vending machine” for cars remains on hold in Skokie as a result.

Illinois Secretary of State Republican candidates Dan Brady and John Milhiser join “Chicago Tonight” June 16, 2022. (WTTW News)

After more than 20 years in office, Secretary of State Jesse White is retiring. We hear from the two Republican candidates vying for his job.

A rendering of Carvana’s proposed 14-story tower in Skokie. (Village of Skokie)

Construction of Carvana’s controversial 14-story car vending tower in Skokie, approved just three months ago by the Village Board of Trustees despite widespread community opposition, is now on hold due to the temporary suspension of Carvana’s dealer’s license in Illinois.

Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White appears on “Chicago Tonight” on Dec. 10, 2019. (WTTW News)

White’s endorsement puts his powerful political machine behind Valencia in the contest against former State Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias and Ald. David Moore (17th Ward).

(Andrzej Rembowski / Pixabay)

The crackdown kicks off on Black Friday at Woodfield Mall. Scofflaws could face fines up to $600.

(WTTW News)

Illinois residents scrambling to renew their driver’s licenses and identification cards got a five-month reprieve Monday as lines swelled at secretary of state offices across the state.

Ald. David Moore (17th Ward) appears on “Chicago Tonight” on Sept. 4, 2018. (WTTW News)

Ald. David Moore (17th Ward) is one of three Chicago elected officials running for secretary of state in 2022.

Ald. Walter Burnett, left, speaks during a City Council meeting on Wednesday, Dec. 18, 2019. (WTTW News)

Although five Democrats are already jockeying to replace Secretary of State Jesse White, Ald. Walter Burnett (27th Ward) told WTTW News he will not run to replace his political godfather.