New laws: Gun storage, police background check changes take effect in 2026
Gun owners in Illinois must take new steps in 2026 to secure their firearms in their homes, particularly when children are present.
-
-
Competing health care plans fail in the Senate as ACA premium hikes loom
Both bills needed 60 votes to advance, but neither succeeded.
-
Pritzker signs bill enacting immigrant protections in courthouses
The law allows residents to sue immigration agents for violating constitutional rights.
-
Illinois Supreme Court in ‘wait and see’ posture as new public defense policy takes shape
During a recent visit to McLean County, Illinois Supreme Court Justice Mary K. O’Brien said there are geographic disparities in public defense, in addition to equity gaps between prosecutors and public defenders.
-
Urbana City Council appoints interim fire chief
Tal Prendergast has served the Urbana Fire Department for 17 years and the Danville Fire Department for five years.
-
Rep. Sorensen calls for Defense Secretary Hegseth to resign after Pentagon watchdog report
A summary of the inspector general’s report provided to NPR finds that had a foreign adversary intercepted the intelligence discussed in the chat, it would have endangered both U.S. servicemembers and the mission at large.
-
Champaign City Council rejects public encampment ban
The measure would’ve prohibited people from camping on public and city property while requiring city staff to make an effort to connect people with social services.
-
Pritzker signs bill allowing Illinois to issue state-specific vaccine guidelines
The new law will allow the state to publish guidelines that differ from the CDC.
-
Nonpartisan think tank identifies Illinois’ most effective state legislators
Because of their legislative supermajorities, Democrats in the Illinois House and Senate ranked the highest on the researchers’ list of legislators’ deemed to be the most effective.
-
Trump cuts could shrink Illinois economy by $10B: report
The report offers a detailed looked at the effects of cuts enacted by Trump through executive order or legislation, directives by federal agency leaders or through Elon Musk’s so-called “Department of Government Efficiency.”
-
U.S. Rep. Sorensen pushes for extension of Obamacare subsidies during visit to Normal
Sorensen dismissed an idea raised by the chair of the U.S. Senate Health Committee, Republican Bill Cassidy, to shift the money from the subsidies to health savings accounts for consumers.
-
Budzinski intervenes in local housing dispute on behalf of low-income residents
In late August, after months of conversations with residents, Budzinski approached HUD with concerns, requesting information about the frequency of inspections and compliance with HUD standards.
-
Requests for new K-12 funding in Illinois likely to outstrip available resources
If advocates, stakeholders and members of the public were granted all their requests for public school funding next year, lawmakers would have to increase the state’s K-12 education budget by nearly three-quarters of a billion dollars.
-
New Federal Rules Could Put Formerly Unhoused People Back Out on The Streets Across Illinois
The Trump administration is dramatically cutting the money available to help pay for housing for people in need, including those with mental illness or disabilities.
-
9 months after federal bribery conviction, former Speaker Madigan disbarred
Nearly six decades after becoming a lawyer, former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan has been disbarred following his convictions on federal corruption charges — including bribery — earlier this year.
