From Capitol News Illinois: Data centers, labor and environmental stakeholders say they’re ready to meet at the negotiating table as soon as possible because uncertainty is holding communities and projects in limbo

From Capitol News Illinois: Gov. JB Pritzker signed the fiscal year 2027 budget, which totals $55.9 billion, making it the largest in state history — though he had to once again issue a clean-up veto aimed at addressing drafting errors

From Capitol News Illinois: A federal jury this week found a southern Illinois man guilty of five gun-related charges tied to what prosecutors described as a small-scale gun manufacturing operation run from his southern Illinois home that included guns made with a 3D printer.

From Capitol News Illinois: After months of negotiations in the spring legislative session resulted in no final action on Gov. JB Pritzker’s flagship housing proposal, housing advocates are celebrating a few legislative victories – and holding onto hopes for future negotiations.

From Capitol News Illinois: Gov. JB Pritzker announced Friday that 434 Illinois pharmacies will receive nearly $25 million in support, the first distribution of annual funding established through legislation he signed last year.

From Capitol News Illinois: A bill that will soon head to Gov. JB Pritzker’s desk will officially remove an estimated 10,000 people from the state’s Medicaid program, leaving them without any form of health coverage.

From Capitol News Illinois: Rep. Dan Ugaste, R-Geneva, plans to file an amended megaprojects bill that would create new requirements that were not included in the original plan passed by the House. Gov. JB Pritzker says he’s open to a special session on the issue

From Capitol News Illinois: There were some high-profile caveats that underscored the limits of Gov. JB Pritzker's clout among his fellow Democrats who run the state legislature

Local residents have had negative reactions in recent weeks after learning about a real-estate listing posted on the Lee County Industrial Development Association’s website – a listing that has since been removed – advertising a 387-acre property along Interstate 88 and U.S. 30.

After the Chicago Bears announced last week that they’re advancing a new stadium project in Hammond, Indiana, a suburban Republican state lawmaker is trying to provide a new framework to keep the team in the Prairie State.

Communities across Illinois are stepping up opposition to data center development as lawsuits, packed meetings, and zoning battles spread, even after state lawmakers failed to advance major regulation of the rapidly growing industry

The Chicago Bears announced Friday that its board of directors voted to advance its stadium project in Hammond, Indiana. However, two Illinois lawmakers confirmed to Capitol News Illinois that any talk of the Bears leaving the state is premature

From Capitol News Illinois: Gov. JB Pritzker says he intends to sign legislation imposing a statewide ban on cell phones and other wireless communication devices during instructional time in public schools and charter schools

The Chicago Bears’ search for a new stadium took another unexpected dramatic turn early morning Monday in Springfield when Illinois lawmakers failed to pass a bill that would help them build a new stadium in Arlington Heights. Here's what could happen next in the search.

From Capitol News Illinois: JB Pritzker acknowledged that the Chicago Bears may be on their way to Indiana. But he and Democratic leaders defended their decision not to move a bill incentivizing them to stay

From Capitol News Illinois: Illinois lawmakers approved a budget after 4 a.m. Monday, which includes the full $350 million increase in Evidence-Based Funding for public schools. Some education advocates had called for a bigger increase

From Capitol News Illinois: New taxes would be implemented on social media companies based on the number of users in the state, along with prediction markets, fantasy sports, and digital assets

From Capitol News Illinois: The Illinois House gave final passage Wednesday to bills giving the Illinois Department of Insurance authority to review and approve rates for homeowners and automobile insurance

From Capitol News Illinois: Illinois House lawmakers passed a bill Wednesday that would regulate how the largest artificial intelligence companies report on the capabilities of their models

From Capitol News Illinois: U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin delivered a farewell address to the Illinois General Assembly, reflecting on his decades in public office and warning that today’s political divisions pose a serious threat to democratic norms

From Capitol News Illinois: Former Republican strategist Collin Corbett filed to run for governor as an independent candidate. He enlisted Crystal Lake's Carolyn Schofield, a former Republican candidate for lieutenant governor, as his running mate

Illinois vaccination rates have seen a slight increase in 2025-2026 among students, despite growing vaccine skepticism around the country

Gov. JB Pritzker’s office responded Tuesday to a Cook County Treasurer report that raised questions about the megaproject legislation he backs to keep the Bears in Illinois.

Gov. JB Pritzker joined local leaders on Friday to celebrate the construction of new Interstate 80 bridges that cross the Des Plaines River in Joliet. 

Governor JB Priztker visits Joliet to kickoff the new Interstate 80 Des Plaines River bridges on Friday.

From Capitol News Illinois: Senate Republicans are calling on their colleagues and the governor to opt into a federal school choice tax credit program.

From Capitol News Illinois: A bill heading to the House would allow minors to consent to receiving birth control without parental consent. The governor also says he will sign a measure to ban “junk fees,” or unlisted charges tacked onto the total of cost of ticketed events

Republican allegations emerge day before big vote on 6,100-acre Earthrise solar complex.

With less than two weeks to go in the General Assembly’s spring session, Gov. JB Pritzker expressed confidence Monday that megaproject legislation that could bring the Chicago Bears to Arlington Heights would get done.

From Capitol News Illinois: Public school advocates have rallied against the tax credit, arguing it is a voucher program, in which the state directly funds students’ private school tuition

The Illinois Municipal League has proposed the Reducing Expenses and Advancing Local Housing Act as an answer to Gov. Pritzker's housing plan that calls for relaxing zoning restrictions.

From Capitol News Illinois: Advocates are calling for the General Assembly to pass the POWER Act to regulate data centers before the legislative session ends on May 31

From Capitol News Illinois: Growing pessimism over the direction of the global economy is leading budget analysts for the governor’s office and Illinois’ legislature to temper revenue expectations

From Capitol News Illinois: JB Pritzker sent a letter to U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick on Tuesday, urging the release of $1 billion in broadband infrastructure funds previously allocated to Illinois

From Capitol News Illinois: A Cook County judge on Monday pushed off her scheduled ruling on whether to appoint a special prosecutor to investigate alleged abuses by federal immigration agents during last fall’s “Operation Midway Blitz.”

From Capitol News Illinois: Eight months after a federal immigration agent shot and killed a man in the earliest days of “Operation Midway Blitz,” the Illinois State Police has opened an investigation into the fatal shooting

From Capitol News Illinois: Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and an army of suburban mayors descended on Springfield on Wednesday to call on the General Assembly to boost funding for local governments

36 districts are under review as the Justice Department examines opt-out policies and classroom content surrounding gender and sexuality, with the potential for probes to expand to bathroom and sports team access.

From Capitol News Illinois: The Illinois Accountability Commission is also sending letters to local law enforcement agencies for potential prosecution of federal immigration agents amid Operation Midway Blitz

From Capitol News Illinois: Republican candidate for governor Darren Bailey proposed changes to electronic monitoring rules, but said his plan would not call for returning to the use of cash bail. JB Pritzker blamed the judge in the case for deciding to release the man accused

From Capitol News Illinois: Senate President Don Harmon, D-Oak Park, said the Senate will not move forward with a constitutional amendment rewriting the state’s redistricting rules after a ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday

From Capitol News Illinois: JB Pritzker announced Wednesday that IBM will bring its FutureNow innovation and delivery hub to Chicago’s South Side, bringing an estimated 750 new full-time jobs in supercomputing fields, such as cybersecurity, AI and data science

In dueling appearances Friday, Gov. JB Pritzker and his Republican rival in the Nov. 3 election, Darren Bailey, outlined fixes for legislation intended to anchor the Chicago Bears in Illinois

From Capitol News Illinois: Proponents of BUILD argued that the primary driver of the current housing affordability crisis is a lack of supply caused by legislative hurdles and different municipal priorities

The Illinois Municipal League put together a model resolution for the Plainfield Village Board to approve, urging state leaders to not take zoning authority away from municipalities.

For months, the Bears had sought property tax concessions, which drew pushback from local governments, and financial aid with stadium infrastructure like roads

From Capitol News Illinois: The Illinois House voted to approve a constitutional amendment that would make a new priority list for lawmakers as they redraw legislative district lines. Even if the Senate agrees to support the amendment, voters would still need to approve it

From Capitol News Illinois: A 2025 nationwide report on statewide early childhood education found that Illinois stalled in efforts to expand preschool for 3- and 4-year-olds. A flat budget for the upcoming fiscal year may further stall Illinois’ progress

Illinois lawmakers took a major step toward keeping the Chicago Bears from moving to Indiana on Wednesday night. The Illinois House passed a Bears-backed megaprojects bill by a 78-32 vote that would help the team build a new stadium in Arlington Heights

From Capitol News Illinois: JB Pritzker signed an executive order Tuesday barring state employees and elected officials from using information obtained in their official capacity to place bets on prediction markets like Polymarket and Kalshi