House GOP again calls for ethics reforms after legislative watchdog resigns | Illinois
(The Center Square) – Following confirmation that the state’s top ethics watchdog overseeing lawmakers in Springfield filed to resign, GOP state lawmakers in the House are again calling for strong reforms to legislative ethics standards and rules. Legislative Inspector General Michael McCuskey confirmed Tuesday he filed his resignation late last month, leaving the role vacant […]
DHS disputes report on immigration enforcement impact | Illinois
(The Center Square) – University of Illinois Chicago researchers say heightened federal immigration enforcement corresponded with about $1.26 billion in foregone retail and restaurant activity in Cook County, but the U.S. Department of Homeland Security dismissed the correlation between a good economy and illegal immigration. Matthew Wilson co-authored the report by UIC’s Great Cities Institute […]
GOP rep, Pritzker targeted with AI photo, death threats | Illinois
(The Center Square) – A Republican state lawmaker and the governor took a photo with a constituent at the DuQuoin State Fair after its opening, which was used to allegedly create an AI-generated photo of the two officials that sparked threatening comments about the lawmaker. State Rep. Dave Severin, R-Benton, said he connected with a […]
Illinois Quick Hits: Gaming board renews Joliet casino license | Illinois
(The Center Square) – The Illinois Gaming Board has renewed Hollywood Casino Joliet’s license for four years to 2030. The casino opened its new land-based facility near Interstates 80 and 55 in August 2025. In meeting Friday, the IGB also approved new rules regarding the board’s oversight of fantasy contests and adopted amendments to the […]
Illinois students being failed by low academic standards, lawmaker says | Illinois
(The Center Square) – State Rep. Regan Deering is calling for greater accountability in Illinois schools following concerns about academic performance at Hillcrest High School in Country Club Hills. While appearing on Newsmax, education whistleblower and author Geno Young said a tenured Hillcrest teacher told him the school was testing at about a fourth-grade level […]
Illinois Quick Hits: State offers $35M to encourage transit use by students | Illinois
(The Center Square) – The Illinois Department of Transportation and the Illinois State Board of Education announced on Friday that a total of $35 million in funding is available for agencies to establish programs that encourage public school students to use transit outside of the Chicago area. The Downstate Reduced Fare Grant Program and the […]
Illinois Quick Hits: Applications open for state-funded diverse apprenticeship program | Illinois
(The Center Square) – State officials say $25 million in taxpayer funds for the sixth round of the Illinois Works Pre-Apprenticeship Program will increase representation of people of color, veterans and women in the construction trades. According to an announcement from Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s office and the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, qualified […]
Local hike on Springfield hotels ups rate to second highest in state | Illinois
(The Center Square) – A new tax set to be imposed will soon make hotel rooms in Springfield the second-most taxed in the state, behind the city of Chicago. Debate over the new tax saw economic development pit against a burden the tax could place on the local hotel industry. A new 3% hotel tax […]
NITA takes over public transit with $1.5B annual taxpayer funding | Illinois
(The Center Square) – Beginning Tuesday, the Northern Illinois Transit Authority officially took full control of Chicagoland public transit, including the CTA, Metra and Pace, from the Regional Transit Authority. NITA brings with it $1.5 billion in annual public funding for the system. The act creating NITA and associated funds was signed by Gov. J.B. […]
Feds close trucking schools in alleged fraud crackdown | Illinois
(The Center Square) – Trump administration officials say they have ordered the emergency removal of 110 commercial driver’s license schools associated with more than 5,000 drivers who failed English language proficiency tests. They have also shutdown of 150 additional schools that claim to be certified but have unlicensed instructors and don’t have adequate space to […]