“I’m pleased to see the governor’s proposed budget include important priorities such as meeting the minimum requirements for school funding. However, an overall $1.6 billion increase in spending is not realistic, and holding schools and others hostage while voters consider his tax hike is irresponsible...

Numerous military honors are currently recognized on Illinois license plates, but not the Air Force Combat Action Medal. That issue would be resolved under legislation filed by State Senator Jason Barickman (R-Bloomington)...

In addition to filling in college basketball brackets, Illinoisans can pick winners for another March tournament that will determine the “coolest thing made in Illinois.”

Tax season has begun as federal and state W-2 forms arrive in the mail, but according to the Illinois Department of Revenue (IDOR), thousands of eligible taxpayers fail to claim the both the Illinois Earned Income Credit (EIC) and the Federal Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC)...

Those wanting to purchase firearms would no longer need to possess a FOID card under legislation filed recently. Senate Bill 2535 would repeal the Firearm Owners Identification (FOID) Act, which supporters of the bill say is outdated and redundant...

On Jan. 5, it was announced that $50 million in funding is being released for the first round of matching grants of Illinois’ $420 million statewide broadband expansion. Applicants for the grant are anticipated to include Internet service providers, rural cooperatives, nonprofits and local governments...

As investigations into government corruption cases continue to play out in the headlines, passing commonsense legislation, including several measures unveiled last fall by Republican lawmakers, must be a top priority of lawmakers this spring...

New problems with Illinois’ Automatic Voter Registration system are being reported just days after Gov. Pritzker said there are no plans to suspend the AVR program, even after it mistakenly registered more than 500 people...

Senate Republicans reacted to Gov. Pritzker’s first official “State of the State” address, delivered to a joint session of Illinois lawmakers Jan. 29 in the House of Representatives chambers, noting that the Governor failed to mention the critical issue of redistricting reform...

According to media reports, more than 500 people who are not citizens and are not legally eligible to vote in elections, were registered to vote through the state’s Automatic Voter Registration (AVR) system, which was signed into law in 2017...

Right now State Senators and Representatives are finalizing their legislative agendas and filing their proposals in legislative form. With the spring legislative session set to begin on January 28th, lawmakers need to file their bills soon so that the ideas can be acted upon in the coming months...

As a new legislative session begins, Senate Republicans are again calling on the chamber to take action to fix the current partisan practice of drawing gerrymandered maps...

Individuals who fail to pay tickets for most non-moving violations will no longer face the loss of their driver’s license. The “License to Work Act” removes the penalty of suspension for a number of offenses, including parking tickets and tollway violations...

The American Red Cross is using the month of January to remind people of the importance of donating blood. Because blood donations often drop off right after the holidays, January has been recognized as Blood Donor Awareness Month since 1970, to raise awareness of the need for blood and platelet donations during the winter months...

The Illinois State Police (ISP) have extended the application period for the next Cadet class until Jan. 31. Candidates who successfully complete the Recruitment Examination will be invited to participate in a mandatory Physical Fitness Inventory Test in late March, with training to begin this summer. Applicants must be at least 21 years of age, have an associate’s degree or 60 credit hours of college course work...

January is Human Trafficking Awareness month, which aims to remind Illinois residents that human trafficking could be happening in their own communities. According to the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS), the agency investigated 225 allegations of human trafficking of children in Fiscal Year 2019...

Representatives from local governments and good government organizations spent nearly four hours meeting with the bipartisan Senate and House Joint Commission on Ethics and Lobbying Reform on Jan. 15...

As temperatures drop, the Office of the State Fire Marshal encourages residents to have their furnaces checked and to make sure carbon monoxide and smoke detectors are working properly...

The start of the New Year brought about the beginning of Illinois’ controversial minimum wage hike. Effective Jan. 1, Illinois’ minimum wage increased from $8.25 per hour to $9.25 per hour, putting additional cost burdens on small-business owners across the state. Wages will continue to increase incrementally to $15 per hour by 2025...

In the midst of ethical probes into the Illinois Statehouse, Illinois Comptroller Susana Mendoza recently announced that her office will no longer assist municipalities in collecting fines for violations caught by red-light cameras...

Following a public outcry about the investigation released by the Chicago Tribune and ProPublica detailing the use of isolation rooms throughout the state’s public schools, lawmakers held their first hearing about the controversial practice...

Illinois entered the new decade with nearly 160,000 fewer residents than in previous years, underscoring the need for lawmakers to address the continued outmigration...

As a new year begins, Illinois residents may be interested to learn about several notable new laws that take effect January 1. The new laws kicking off 2020 cover everything from recreational cannabis sales, to ensuring children are receiving adequate healthcare...

The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) has its own recommendations for Thanksgiving celebrations to prepare and keep your food healthy and safe...

If you’re planning to travel during the Thanksgiving weekend, you should expect to have plenty of company on the roads and in the skies...