Capitol News
Lawmakers set to consider nuclear energy on final day of veto session
By ANDREW ADAMS & JERRY NOWICKI Capitol News Illinois news@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – With one scheduled day left in the General Assembly’s fall veto session, lawmakers advanced measures that would allow new nuclear power construction in Illinois and usher in the electrification of government vehicles in the next decade. The two-week veto session has seen heated…
Lawmakers set to consider nuclear energy on final day of veto session
By ANDREW ADAMS & JERRY NOWICKI Capitol News Illinois news@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – With one scheduled day left in the General Assembly’s fall veto session, lawmakers advanced measures that would allow new nuclear power construction in Illinois and usher in the electrification of government vehicles in the next decade. The two-week veto session has seen heated…
Inside Illinois’ youth lockups, children go without basic services and face “excessive” punishments
By MOLLY PARKER Capitol News Illinois news@capitolnewsillinois.com This article was produced for ProPublica’s Local Reporting Network in partnership with Capitol News Illinois. In late December, a teenage boy with a broken arm was left to suffer alone in his cell at a youth lockup in rural southern Illinois. Staff were aware he’d been seriously injured;…
Inside Illinois’ youth lockups, children go without basic services and face “excessive” punishments
By MOLLY PARKER Capitol News Illinois news@capitolnewsillinois.com This article was produced for ProPublica’s Local Reporting Network in partnership with Capitol News Illinois. In late December, a teenage boy with a broken arm was left to suffer alone in his cell at a youth lockup in rural southern Illinois. Staff were aware he’d been seriously injured;…
State gets 9th recent credit upgrade as administration faces scrutiny for pandemic unemployment handling
By JERRY NOWICKI Capitol News Illinois jnowicki@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – Illinois received another credit upgrade Tuesday, the same day a legislative committee once again scrutinized Gov. JB Pritzker’s administration for its handling of unemployment claims during the COVID-19 pandemic. The upgrade came from Fitch Ratings, the last remaining holdout of the nation’s three major credit reporting…
State police still drafting assault weapons registration rules as deadline nears
By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois phancock@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – Officials at the Illinois State Police said Tuesday they are working to finalize rules for registering assault weapons and other items that are now tightly regulated under the state’s new assault weapons ban as a Jan. 1 compliance deadline approaches. ISP attorney Suzanne Bond told the…
State gets 9th recent credit upgrade as administration faces scrutiny for pandemic unemployment handling
By JERRY NOWICKI Capitol News Illinois jnowicki@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – Illinois received another credit upgrade Tuesday, the same day a legislative committee once again scrutinized Gov. JB Pritzker’s administration for its handling of unemployment claims during the COVID-19 pandemic. The upgrade came from Fitch Ratings, the last remaining holdout of the nation’s three major credit reporting…
State police still drafting assault weapons registration rules as deadline nears
By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois phancock@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – Officials at the Illinois State Police said Tuesday they are working to finalize rules for registering assault weapons and other items that are now tightly regulated under the state’s new assault weapons ban as a Jan. 1 compliance deadline approaches. ISP attorney Suzanne Bond told the…
State gets 9th recent credit upgrade as administration faces scrutiny for pandemic unemployment handling
By JERRY NOWICKI Capitol News Illinois jnowicki@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – Illinois received another credit upgrade Tuesday, the same day a legislative committee once again scrutinized Gov. JB Pritzker’s administration for its handling of unemployment claims during the COVID-19 pandemic. The upgrade came from Fitch Ratings, the last remaining holdout of the nation’s three major credit reporting…
State police still drafting assault weapons registration rules as deadline nears
By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois phancock@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – Officials at the Illinois State Police said Tuesday they are working to finalize rules for registering assault weapons and other items that are now tightly regulated under the state’s new assault weapons ban as a Jan. 1 compliance deadline approaches. ISP attorney Suzanne Bond told the…
State police still drafting assault weapons registration rules as deadline nears
By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois phancock@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – Officials at the Illinois State Police said Tuesday they are working to finalize rules for registering assault weapons and other items that are now tightly regulated under the state’s new assault weapons ban as a Jan. 1 compliance deadline approaches. ISP attorney Suzanne Bond told the…
Latest state school report card shows proficiency gains, persistent gaps on racial lines
By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois phancock@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – Elementary and secondary students in Illinois showed consistent improvements in their reading and math scores while the state’s high school graduation rate reached a 13-year high for the most recently concluded school year. Those are some of the conclusions from the most recent annual statewide school…
NewsMatch fundraising drive caps exciting year of growth and impact for Capitol News Illinois
By JEFF ROGERS Executive Director, Capitol News Illinois and Illinois Press Foundation We were humbly born on Jan. 23, 2019, with this headline: “Pritzker signs on to U.S. Climate Alliance.” More than 100,000 times since then, Illinois newspapers and broadcast stations have used our reporting to inform their audiences. Capitol News Illinois has quickly become…
Scholarship tax credit program among issues still on the table with 3 legislative days remaining
By HANNAH MEISEL & ANDREW ADAMS Capitol News Illinois news@capitolnewsillinois.com Lawmakers will return to Springfield next week for the second half of their fall veto session, giving advocates of a tax credit program for private school scholarships one last chance to push for its extension before it’s set to expire at the end of the…
Gun rights advocates question proposed assault weapons registration rules
By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois phancock@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois State Police are facing pushback from gun rights advocates over proposed rules requiring owners of certain firearms to register them before the end of the year. ISP is in the process of adopting new rules to implement part of the state’s new assault weapons…
Capitol News Illinois expansion continues with addition of digital team, videographer
By CAPITOL NEWS ILLINOIS news@capitolnewsillinois.com Capitol News Illinois has continued its rapid expansion in recent weeks, hiring a digital engagement team and its first videographer to bolster its multi-platform presence. K. Ellen Stackhouse joined the team in September as its director of audience development and engagement. She’ll oversee a website redesign and help build…
Federal appeals court upholds Illinois’ assault weapons ban
By PETER HANCOCK & HANNAH MEISEL Capitol News Illinois news@capitolnewsillinois.com In a 2-1 ruling Friday, a federal appeals court declined to block enforcement of the state’s assault weapon ban as well as similar local ordinances, saying the rights guaranteed under the Second Amendment of the U.S. Constitution are not absolute. The judges sided with two…
Gun rights groups to seek Supreme Court ruling on assault weapons
By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois phancock@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – Gun rights advocacy groups say they intend to ask the U.S. Supreme Court to review the state’s assault weapons ban after a federal appeals court on Friday refused to block enforcement of the law. In a statement Saturday, the Illinois State Rifle Association said it was…
Capitol News Illinois, partners win national award for excellence in disability reporting
By CAPITOL NEWS ILLINOIS News@capitolnewsillinois.com Capitol News Illinois and its reporting partners have been honored with a second national award for their investigative series into a culture of abuse and cover-ups at a state-run center for individuals with developmental and intellectual disabilities. CNI reporters Beth Hundsdorfer and Molly Parker were honored with the Katherine Schneider…
First week of veto session wraps up with little legislative movement
First week of veto session wraps up with little legislative movement Lawmakers to return to Capitol Nov. 7 to address lingering issues By ANDREW ADAMS Capitol News Illinois aadams@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – Lawmakers are heading back to their districts after three days of legislative session in Springfield this week that saw little movement on several major…
Proponents drop push to give downstate utilities dibs on new transmission lines
By ANDREW ADAMS Capitol News Illinois aadams@capitolnewsillinois.com With billions of dollars of construction projects on the line, Ameren Illinois and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers have been vying to secure first rights on new electricity transmission line construction in downstate Illinois. But after Gov. JB Pritzker issued an amendatory veto to a bill that…
Assault weapon registration period remains open as Illinois State Police seeks further input
By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois phancock@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – People who own certain guns and other items now prohibited under the state’s assault weapons ban still need to register them with the Illinois State Police. But ISP says it plans to hold additional public hearings about that process and may refine the rules before they become permanent…
House approves framework allowing legislative staff to unionize
By HANNAH MEISEL Capitol News Illinois news@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – Democrats in the Illinois House on Wednesday approved a measure to allow certain legislative staffers to unionize, following in the recent footsteps of lawmakers in California and Oregon. House Bill 4148 passed 74-35 and now goes to the Senate, where leaders have not yet revealed whether…
Proponents drop push to give downstate utilities dibs on new transmission lines
By ANDREW ADAMS Capitol News Illinois aadams@capitolnewsillinois.com With billions of dollars of construction projects on the line, Ameren Illinois and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers have been vying to secure first rights on new electricity transmission line construction in downstate Illinois. But after Gov. JB Pritzker issued an amendatory veto to a bill that…
Local News
Capacity crowd speaks out against Evergreen Park dispensary
By Joe Boyle Additional chairs had to be brought out to seat an overflow crowd of Evergreen Park residents who attended a meeting April 15 regarding a proposed cannabis dispensary for the village. And many who were in attendance voiced their opposition to having a dispensary in Evergreen Park. Most of the people cited safety, traffic…
Bridgeview approves auto repair shop
Moves up time for May 1 village board meeting By Steve Metsch Bridgeview is getting a new automotive repair shop. The village board at its April 17 matinee meeting approved a special use permit that will allow a repair shop at 9010 S. Beloit Ave. There was no discussion among trustees. The board followed the…
Summit Fire Department blood drive draws a crowd
By Carol McGowan The Summit Fire Department, along with the Village of Summit, and the Argo Summit Lions Club held a blood drive this past Saturday, and it drew a crowd that even impressed the American Red Cross. It took place from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m. with non-stop donors walking through the door. Fire…
Hodgkins toasts village businesses
By Carol McGowan Hodgkins Mayor Ernest Millsap and the Board of Trustees celebrated the village’s businesses at its annual Business Appreciation Breakfast on April 10. Over 100 people gathered at the Hodgkins Administration Center for a hearty breakfast hosted by the village. Representatives from many businesses that are located in or that work within the…
First Secure Bank to host American Eagle gold coin sale
From staff reports First Secure Bank & Trust of Palos Hills announced its annual May sale of 1-ounce and ¼-ounce American Eagle Gold Coins, produced by the U.S. Mint, will take place from 10 a.m.to noon on Saturdays, May 4, May 11, May 18 and May 25. The sale will take place at First Secure…
Solarbration: Chicago Ridge celebrates fun in the sun
By Kelly White The sun is shining and after a long winter, Chicago Ridge residents ready for it. In honor of National Solar Appreciation Day, the Chicago Ridge Park District offered residents the opportunity to come out and celebrate with a Solarbration, the free event was held outside of Freedom Activity Center, 6252 Birmingham St.,…
Oak Lawn trustee says village needs state grocery tax
By Joe Boyle An Oak Lawn trustee said that Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s proposal to eliminate the state’s grocery tax will be costly for the village. Trustee William “Bud” Stalker (5th), accompanied by Mayor Terry Vorderer, recently returned from a fact-finding trip to Springfield where they learned more about the governor’s proposal to eliminate the grocery…
Palos Heights recognizes volunteers
By Nuha Abdessalam Palos Heights handed out awards last week recognizing the services provided by volunteers through the years. The proclamations, which were read aloud during the city council meeting April 16, were a testament to the city’s volunteers and were handed out as part of Volunteer Recognition Week. Volunteers were cited for their efforts…
SD218 puts on annual Arts Extravaganza
By Kelly White The arts have become a major portion of the curriculum Community High School District 218. Showcasing those many talents, the Friends of CHSD 218’s Education Foundation proudly hosted its 15th annual Arts Extravaganza on April 5 at Eisenhower High School in Blue Island. “The Arts Extravaganza is a great event which showcases…
Palos Park passes $16 million budget
By Jeff Vorva The Palos Park Village Council approved the 2024-25 budget, which totals a little more than $16.3 million at the April 22 village council meeting. According to village documents, it represented an increase of a shade over $603,000 from last year. The village is expecting $13.4 million in revenue and $1.86 million in…