Illinois General Assembly

A bill that would lift long-standing restrictions on small poultry farmers in Illinois, reducing red tape and transforming the way local farmers process and sell their products, is heading to the governor

Chicago’s public transit agencies are now entering an uncertain future. Public hearings on service cuts could begin this summer, but lawmakers say they are dedicated to finding solutions

Gov. JB Pritzker got some of what he requested from the General Assembly in the area of higher education, but some of his biggest requests fell short.

While Illinois State Police has long investigated child sex crimes, a new measure would explicitly name addressing internet crimes against children as a core mission of its criminal division

Lawmakers in both chambers unanimously passed Senate Bill 73, which bans the sale and distribution of baby food in Illinois that contains levels of toxic elements

Illinois lawmakers have decided to delay a ban on “swipe fees” for another year as bankers are locked in a court battle with the state over the ban

The rise of power-hungry data centers has placed significant demands on the electric grid at a time when the supply of electricity is stagnant or falling. This situation has already led to higher prices

Illinois’ legislative session concluded without passage of a Native American K-12 school mascot ban, but another issue sought by Natives will make its way to the governor.

A bill that would have repealed licensing requirements for hair braiders in Illinois died in the final stretch of the legislative session after opponents voiced concerns about how deregulation could impact health, safety and equity for the profession

Newly purchased school buses in Illinois must have torso and lap safety belts for riders starting in July 2031, according to legislation that has cleared the General Assembly and awaits Gov. JB Pritzker’s signature.

Legislation to save public transit from a $771 million budget shortfall passed the Illinois Senate Saturday but fizzled in the House, leaving concerns about massive cuts to Metra, Pace and the CTA.

House Bill 3637 aims to protect medical providers who prescribe drugs that were previously approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration but had the approval revoked, provided the drug is still recommended by the World Health Organization

A $1.50 delivery fee that was part of a transit funding bill that passed the Illinois Senate failed to pass the House, which adjourned early Sunday morning without concurring as some of its tax hikes became too controversial. For now, the fee is not happening.

State Rep. Amy “Murri” Briel, whose district covers La Salle, Bureau and DeKalb counties, introduced a new bill that will target deceptive sales on sexual assault survivors.

Republicans object to coverage for asylum seekers, other noncitizens on special visas

Spending plan raises over $1B in revenue; income, sales taxes not affected

Terminally ill Illinoisans may have the legal option to end their own life with the help of a physician next year under a bill approved by lawmakers

Illinois Democrats introduced what a leading budgeteer described as a $55 billion budget Friday evening ahead of a Saturday deadline to pass the fiscal year 2026 spending plan

A bill that seeks to control the rising cost of prescription drugs while also offering financial help for many small, independent pharmacies in Illinois cleared the state Senate on Thursday and awaits action in the House

A bill that would require gun owners to keep any firearms in a locked box whenever a minor is present will soon head to Gov. JB Pritzker

In the backstretch of the legislative session, horse racing advocates are pushing to revitalize the industry in Illinois and its accompanying horse betting, both long in decline

A new plan to reform public transit that emerged Wednesday in the General Assembly would establish the Northern Illinois Transportation Authority in place of the Regional Transportation Authority and create one universal fare system.

The legislation, originally the idea of an Elgin high school student, is aimed at reducing the number of opioid-related deaths in Illinois

Gov. JB Pritzker said he would specifically veto any budget that includes tax increases on individuals, corporations or the sales tax

Illinois police officers soon could be required to undergo trauma-informed sexual assault training if the governor signs a bill passed by Illinois lawmakers last week. The bill passed the House and Senate unanimously

One bill requires employers to give paid time off to employees who pump breastmilk at work. The second allows midwives to help with home births

The General Assembly has through May 31 to pass a budget with a simple majority vote before the threshold increases to a three-fifths vote on June 1

The bill was conceived by a constituent of Rep. Jeff Keicher, R-Sycamore, last year

A Homer Glen man was arrested after he was accused of threatening a Republican state lawmaker.

The measure is aimed at combating maternal mortality in marginalized groups. Compared to white women in America who died at a rate of 14.5 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2023, Black women died at a rate of 50.3 out of 100,000 live births, according to the CDC

Lawmakers approved measures limiting AI instruction at community colleges, requiring seat belts on school buses, and mandating food handlers receive certain allergen training among dozens of bills Wednesday

The Illinois House voted 74-37 to approve Senate Bill 19, which contains a series of reforms designed to include victims’ participation in Prisoner Review Board decisions

A bill to ban the sale of firefighter protective gear containing “forever chemicals” is gaining momentum in the Illinois General Assembly

A growing number of state lawmakers are moving to repeal a 2015 Illinois law penalizing companies that boycott Israel to protest its policies toward Palestinians

Read the transcript of our Talk-Line interview with State Rep. Brad Fritts discussing the status of his proposed legislation he put forward this year

The TALK-LINE interview for May 16 featured Illinois 74th District State Representative Brad Fritts of Dixon discussing the progress made moving towards the end of the General Assembly session at the end of this montn

The measure was backed by housing advocates who argued the crime-free ordinances have been used to evict people in instances where the actual residents of the homes in question committed petty offenses or no crimes at all

Officials quiet on other reform plan details, funding options for transit agencies

House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch made the extraordinary move of removing an appropriations committee chair with two weeks left in the legislative session and a tightening fiscal landscape

Gov. JB Pritzker’s office is now projecting state revenues to come in about a half-billion dollars below the baseline projections assumed during his February budget address

If passed out of the Illinois General Assembly, the Climate Displacement Act would establish a state task force to assess and provide recommendations for how Illinois can prepare for the impacts of climate change

Read the transcript from our latest podcast: State Rep. Amy “Murri” Briel, D-Ottawa, talks with Shaw Local reporter Bill Freskos about rural healthcare access, the state of local hospitals and more

State Rep. Amy “Murri” Briel, D-Ottawa, talks with Shaw Local reporter Bill Freskos about rural healthcare access, the state of local hospitals and her objectives in the Illinois General Assembly

A day after veteran U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky announced she won’t run again in 2026, state Sen. Laura Fine of Glenview on Tuesday threw her hat into the ring for the seat.

The Illinois General Assembly‘s independent forecasting commission has improved revenue projections for the upcoming fiscal year despite growing economic volatility

Health care unions continue to rally for legislation to address understaffing they say strains hospitals and threatens both patient safety and staff well-being

Two Democratic leaders in the Illinois Senate openly expressed their disagreement this week about Gov. JB Pritzker’s proposal to allow community colleges to offer four-year bachelor’s degree programs in certain high-demand employment fields

Lawmakers apparently are close to a deal to resolve one of Springfield’s most hotly contested issues this session: transit reform

Advocates for after-school programs that provide tutoring, recreation and other services made their case again Tuesday for a $50 million state appropriation to restore programs in some schools where funding has run out

The cost to attend state universities has been rising, and some institutions have said they’ll have to continue pushing the brunt of state budget shortfalls onto students and families if there isn’t a change.