One year after Madigan’s indictment, former speaker’s allies prepare for trial
‘ComEd Four’ set for trial this month while former chief of staff’s trial scheduled for August.
Paul Vallas and Brandon Johnson head to Chicago mayoral runoff
Mayor Lori Lightfoot was handed a stunning defeat, the first time in 40 years a sitting mayor was not reelected.
Court rulings supercharge Illinois’ strongest-in-nation biometric privacy law
Law’s critics want to reopen debate, but backers say law is working as intended
Some school board candidates this year are pushing to limit lessons on Black history. Where do Champaign Unit 4 candidates stand?
Six candidates say students should learn African American history and the history of racism. The seventh, business owner Mark Holm, declined to be interviewed.
Marron seeks state funding for Savoy, Rantoul & Danville infrastructure projects
State Representative Mike Marron is one of many Republicans critical of Governor J-B Pritzker’s ambitious budget proposals to add new state spending for education, childcare, and anti-poverty efforts. But the Vermilion County lawmaker is still working to make sure state funding for infrastructure projects reaches his 104th House district. Marron announced three bills for three…
Budzinski tours ag research at U of I and visits with laid-off Akorn workers in Decatur
U.S. Representative Nikki Budzinski visited the University of Illinois Research Park in Champaign on Thursday. But first, the central Illinois Democrat stopped in Decatur, where more than 400 pharmaceutical plant workers had been abruptly laid off by Akorn Pharmaceutical.
Illinois governor lays out a roadmap for a ‘transformed’ youth mental health care system
CHICAGO — Gov. JB Pritzker on Friday released a blueprint for transforming what the state acknowledges is a confusing patchwork system for families who need greater access to mental health care for their children at a moment of overwhelming need both in Illinois and across the country. The current fragmented system, compounded by a workforce…
Indiana lawmakers advance ban on all gender-affirming care
An Indiana bill that would ban all gender-affirming care for minors, including puberty blockers and hormone therapy, passed the state Senate public health committee 8-3.
Rep. Sorensen ‘optimistic’ Congress can beat farm bill deadline
MOLINE — Congress has a tight deadline to approve a new farm bill. Central Illinois congressman Eric Sorensen, D-Ill., is part of the U.S. House Agriculture Committee that recently reorganized at the start of the 118th Congress in late January. Listen to this story here. Sorensen said it will take compromise to meet the needs…
Former US Rep. Adam Kinzinger to release book in October
The Open Field announced Tuesday that former U.S. Rep. Adam Kinzinger’s “Renegade: My Life in Faith, the Military, and Defending America from Trump’s Attack on Democracy” is scheduled for on release Oct. 17.
Sen. Paul Faraci discusses first month in office, Pritzker’s speech and more
URBANA — Paul Faraci has completed his first month as a state senator. The Champaign Democrat was appointed by party leadership in Champaign and Vermilion counties to replace his friend Scott Bennett, who died suddenly in December at the age of 45. Faraci says he’s enjoyed his new job despite the circumstances leading to his…
Illinois governor moves to change agency name
Governor JB Pritzker has submitted an Executive Order to change the official name to the Illinois Emergency Management Agency and Office of Homeland Security.
Azark David Cobbs seeks change in his second run for mayor of Champaign
Azark David Cobbs is making his second run for mayor of Champaign, running against incumbent mayor Deborah Frank Feinen and former mayor Don Gerard.
Braver Angels teaches liberals and conservatives how to talk to each other at Town Hall
Braver Angels conducts workshops across the US with the goal of to bringing Democrats and Republicans together to understand each other.
Jimmy Carter, 39th US president, enters hospice care at home
Carter, a Democrat, became the 39th U.S. president when he defeated former President Gerald R. Ford in 1976. He served a single term and was defeated by Republican Ronald Reagan in 1980.