McCarthy falls short in first vote for House speaker
House Republicans are courting chaos on the opening day of the new Congress. McCarthy is fighting to become speaker as his party takes slim control of the chamber.
New Congress to convene, but will McCarthy be House speaker?
WASHINGTON — The new Congress opens with House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy grasping for his political survival, with the potential to become the first nominee for speaker in 100 years to fail to win initial support from his own colleagues in a high-stakes vote for the gavel. Lawmakers convene Tuesday to a new era of…
Illinois Supreme Court halts abolition of cash bail
The justices issued their order Saturday evening, hours before the new law was slated to take effect, to maintain the status quo across the state.
Judge invalidates cash bail reform in some counties; Supreme Court appeal pending
Bail will still end in counties that didn’t sue, containing about two-thirds of state’s population.
Critics expect chaos under Illinois bail ban despite ruling
Critics of a law to eliminate cash bail in Illinois starting Sunday fear a judge’s ruling that the plan is unconstitutional will create a chaotic system of pretrial release unless urgent action is taken.
A judge ruled the portion of the SAFE-T Act ending cash bail is unconstitutional
A Kankakee County judge has ruled that the portion of the state’s controversial SAFE-T Act that ends cash bail is unconstitutional. The judge’s ruling late Wednesday comes just four days before cash bail was set to be abolished across Illinois as part of the massive criminal-justice reform law. In his ruling, Kankakee County Chief Judge Thomas W….
Rodney Davis set to exit after a decade in Congress
Rodney Davis is set to leave office after a decade of representing central Illinois in Congress. In June, the Taylorville Republican lost in the GOP primary to fellow incumbent Mary Miller. One of Davis’ final acts in Congress was to help pass the a bill that formalizes same-sex and interracial marriage protections. President Joe Biden signed the…
Ukrainian President Zelenskyy visits Washington to speak with Biden, address Congress
Updated December 21, 2022 at 1:00 AM ET WASHINGTON — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will visit President Biden at the White House on Wednesday and will address Congress in a trip aimed at underscoring U.S. support for the country as Russia’s war against its neighbor drags on. Watch Presdident Zelenskyy’s address to Congress below at…
Retiring Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White reveals the racism that shaped his legacy
You may know White because his name is on your driver’s license or you’ve seen his tumblers at parades. But there’s a lot more to White’s legendary political career as it comes to an end. CHICAGO — Democrat Jesse White is leaving office next month as Illinois’ longest-serving and first African American secretary of state….
5 takeaways from the final Jan. 6 committee hearing
WASHINGTON — The congressional committee investigating the deadly Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol referred former President Donald Trump for four criminal charges related to an insurrection that he inspired because he couldn’t publicly accept that he’d lost an election. In the face of it all, that former president already announced he is running…
Hundreds turn out for a memorial service for State Senator Scott Bennett
At a memorial service for State Senator Scott Bennett (D-Champaign) on Monday, friends and colleagues emphasized his ability to make friends in a field where lasting friendships are rare. Bennett died unexpectedly on December 9, at the age of 45, from a brain tumor. The Champaign attorney and former prosecutor had served in the Illinois…
The Jan. 6 committee is about to have its last hearing. Here’s what to expect
The House select committee investigating the attack on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021 is holding what’s likely to be its final public meeting on Monday, wrapping up its year-and-a-half-long inquiry. The panel will vote on criminal referrals against former President Donald Trump on at least three charges: insurrection, obstruction of an official proceeding…
A federal bill with bipartisan support could bring 20x more money to Illinois conservation efforts
NORMAL — That manatees still swim along Florida’s coast, grizzly bears still roam the west and bald eagles still fly in North American skies is due, in large part, to the Endangered Species Act of 1973 — once described by the Supreme Court as “the most comprehensive legislation for the preservation of endangered species enacted…
New year to bring new laws in Illinois
SPRINGFIELD – By now, almost everyone in Illinois has heard that Jan. 1 will mark the beginning of a significant change in the state’s criminal justice system – the elimination of cash bail. It’s an issue that dominated the 2022 campaigns and has been both praised and criticized on editorial pages in newspapers across the…
Lawmakers hear more pleas for assault weapon ban
SPRINGFIELD – A legislative committee on Thursday heard more witnesses call for a ban on high-power, semi-automatic rifles and large-capacity magazines, but some experts said that alone won’t solve the problem of violent crime in Illinois. During its second hearing on a proposed assault weapon ban, an Illinois House committee, meeting in Chicago, heard from…