URBANA — The two women running for Congress to represent Illinois’ 13th Congressional District differ in their approaches to abortion, the COVID-19 pandemic and more. Republican candidate Regan Deering and Democratic candidate Nikki Budzinski highlighted their differences on Thursday night during a debate hosted by Illinois Public Media, WAND News and the League of Women
NORMAL – The frenetic first televised face-to-face debate between Democratic Gov. JB Pritzker and Republican Darren Bailey Thursday devolved into a battle over who of the two is Illinois’ biggest liar and threat to the state. The high-stakes showdown at Illinois State University — roughly a month ahead of the election — covered abortion, guns
URBANA – On Thursday night, two political newcomers prepared to debate and tell the voters why they should represent the newly drawn 13th congressional district. The Democratic candidate is Nikki Budzinski. She is a former aide in both the administrations of Governor JB Pritzker and President Joe Biden. Republican Regan Deering is a former educator
CHAMPAIGN — In an exclusive interview with Illinois Public Media, Republican Regan Deering, the 13th congressional district candidate, made this claim: “I do think that unfortunately, a lot of the communities that are experiencing gun violence across the country do have very strict gun laws on the books.” “Correlation is not causation,” Dr. John Jackson,
SPRINGFIELD – Illinois voters will be asked in November to decide whether the right of workers to form unions and engage in collective bargaining should be enshrined in the state constitution. The first clause of the amendment contains two sentences. The first would establish a “fundamental right to organize and to bargain collectively and to
PEORIA — The two candidates vying for the opening seat representing the 17th U.S. Congressional District had widely differing opinions on a variety of topics during a debate Monday night at Bradley University’s Hayden-Clark Alumni Center. Republican Esther Joy King and Democratic nominee Eric Sorensen are seeking to follow retiring U.S. Rep. Cheri Bustos, D-Moline,
URBANA — Two first-time candidates, Democrat Nikki Budzinski and Republican Regan Deering, are facing off in the newly redrawn 13th congressional district in central Illinois. The winner will help determine which party controls Congress in January. Springfield resident Nikki Budzinski spoke with Illinois Newsroom’s Harrison Malkin. Malkin: Nikki (Budzinski) is running against Regan Deering, a
SPRINGFIELD – When former Gov. Bruce Rauner and the Democratic-controlled General Assembly spent more than two years at an impasse in negotiating a state budget from mid-2015 into 2017, the office of Illinois comptroller was thrust onto center stage. As the state’s chief fiscal officer, the comptroller is often referred to as manager of the
Over the past four years, Pritzker made good on campaign promises, but faced criticism for pandemic-related restrictions and a failed tax revamp. When JB Pritzker first announced his run for governor in a packed South Side gymnasium in 2017, he told reporters he’d be a “progressive governor for everyone.” Since then, the Gold Coast Democrat
The GOP nominee for governor gained fame as the voice of opposition on cultural issues — gun rights, abortion — at the statehouse. But he passed few bills of his own. As Illinois’ landmark abortion-rights law was finalized in 2019, current Republican gubernatorial hopeful Darren Bailey grew exasperated about extending protections to an “individual” beyond
SPRINGFIELD – Gov. JB Pritzker is considering changes to the SAFE-T Act criminal justice reform to clarify provisions related to the end of cash bail in Illinois, while his Republican challenger, state Sen. Darren Bailey, continues to push for a full repeal. The candidates shared their thoughts Friday on those and other issues during a
This election season, voters in Illinois will decide on a proposed amendment to the state constitution, dubbed “Amendment 1” or the “Workers’ Rights Amendment.” Voting “yes” on the amendment would establish a state constitutional right for employees to organize and collectively bargain. Frank Manzo IV, Executive Director of the pro-labor Illinois Economic Policy Institute, said
Conspiracy theorists inundate election officials across the state with form letters demanding voter records and threatening lawsuits. CHICAGO — No Republican nominee for president has won Illinois since 1988, with Joe Biden beating Donald Trump by more than 1 million votes in the last election two years ago. As a reliably blue state, Illinois has
URBANA — The November midterm election is less than two months away. In the newly redrawn 13th congressional district, Democratic candidate Nikki Budzinski will face Republican Regan Deering. Deering spoke with Illinois Newsroom’s Harrison Malkin about her background, what compelled her to join this important race, and some of her policy proposals. Malkin: I’m sitting
Governor JB Pritzker signed the SAFE-T Act into law in 2021. On January 1, 2023, the Act will end cash bail in Illinois. In a cash bail system, the ability to pay bail determines if a person is released or remains in jail after an arrest. Illinois Republicans are warning that New York’s bail reform,