Capitol News
Pritzker, Ayala point to positive trends in report card, acknowledge pandemic’s toll
By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois phancock@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – Gov. JB Pritzker and State School Superintendent Carmen Ayala on Thursday touted some of the more positive findings from the 2022 school report card, insisting that Illinois schools are on the right track while also acknowledging that the COVID-19 pandemic took a toll on student learning.…
Schools, students still recovering from pandemic learning loss, state report card shows
By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois phancock@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – Student test scores continued to fall last year but new data shows Illinois’ students are on the path to recovering from the learning loss that occurred during the pandemic. Numbers from standardized tests administered last spring show steep declines in the percentage of students who met…
Theis sworn in as Illinois Supreme Court chief justice amid possible election shake-up
By JERRY NOWICKI Capitol News Illinois jnowicki@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – Justice Mary Jane Theis was sworn in Wednesday as chief justice of the Illinois Supreme Court, the fourth woman in the state’s history to hold the position. She’ll serve a three-year term replacing Justice Anne M. Burke, whose term as chief justice concluded Tuesday ahead of…
Early voting expands as campaign season enters final two weeks
By JERRY NOWICKI Capitol News Illinois jnowicki@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – Early voting hours and locations greatly expanded across the state this week as the campaign season entered its final two-week stretch. Polling places opened across the city of Chicago as well. Information on early voting for each local election authority can be found on the Illinois…
Illinois COVID-related mortgage assistance program to reopen Nov. 1
By JERRY NOWICKI Capitol News Illinois jnowicki@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – The state will reopen a mortgage assistance program for pandemic-impacted homeowners on Nov. 1. The Illinois Homeowner Assistance Fund, run through the Illinois Housing Development Authority, provides up to $30,000 in assistance to homeowners through payments made directly to mortgage servicers, taxing bodies or other approved…
ANALYSIS: Still no clarity on Bailey’s budget cuts while Pritzker says a bit more on SAFE-T Act
By JERRY NOWICKI Capitol News Illinois jnowicki@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – After the first televised debate between Democratic Gov. JB Pritzker and Republican challenger state Sen. Darren Bailey two weeks ago, I wrote about two points that I thought the candidates should clarify. For Bailey, that was his statement that the state budget contains $10 billion to…
Pritzker, Bailey make closing arguments
By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois phancock@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – Democratic Gov. JB Pritzker and his Republican challenger state Sen. Darren Bailey met Tuesday night for their second and final debate ahead of the Nov. 8 general election. The debate, carried out in the studios of WGN-TV in Chicago and carried statewide in all other television…
Lawmaker to IDPH at administrative committee: ‘The pandemic is over’
By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois phancock@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – A legislative panel on Tuesday objected to an emergency rule put forth by the Illinois Department of Public Health, with one member declaring, “The pandemic is over.” The action came during a meeting of the Joint Committee on Administrative Rules, which has oversight authority over…
CAPITOL RECAP: Advocates push back against proposed SAFE-T Act changes
SPRINGFIELD – Domestic and sexual violence victim advocates joined the SAFE-T Act’s chief House sponsor and others Tuesday, Oct. 18, to oppose a bill that Gov. JB Pritzker has called a good launching point for discussions on follow-up legislation to the criminal justice reform. “We stand here in solidarity with all of the survivor organizations…
Advocates oppose SAFE-T Act changes proposed by Democratic senator
By JERRY NOWICKI Capitol News Illinois jnowicki@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – Much of the talk from supporters of the SAFE-T Act criminal justice reform has in recent days centered on how it will or won’t be amended before Jan. 1, when cash bail will be abolished in Illinois as part of a provision known as the Pretrial…
Madigan case widens as AT&T agrees to $23 million fine
By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois phancock@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – The federal case against former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan widened Friday after new charges were filed against him and his longtime ally, Michael McClain, alleging they conspired to accept a bribe from AT&T Illinois in exchange for favorable legislation. Prosecutors also announced that the company…
Supreme Court 2nd District: Longtime Judge Rochford, judicial newcomer Curran vie for open seat
By JERRY NOWICKI Capitol News Illinois jnowicki@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – Two seats on the Illinois Supreme Court are up for vote on Nov. 8 and the outcomes of those races could flip the state’s high court from a Democratic majority to a Republican one for the first time in more than 50 years. In the…
Governor Forum: Pritzker considering SAFE-T Act changes; Bailey urges full repeal
By JERRY NOWICKI Capitol News Illinois jnowicki@capitolnewsillinois.com 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…
Comptroller’s Race: Mendoza touts state’s fiscal progress; Teresi focuses on recent corruption
By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois phancock@capitolnewsillinois.com 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…
Voters will decide on ‘right to unionize’ constitutional amendment
By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois phancock@capitolnewsillinois.com 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…
Secretary of State’s Race: Giannoulias, Brady vying to replace Jesse White
By JERRY NOWICKI Capitol News Illinois jnowicki@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – For the first time since 1998, the secretary of state seat in Illinois will be an open one in the general election. The candidates to fill it are former state treasurer and Chicago Democrat Alexi Giannoulias, and longtime state Rep. Dan Brady, a deputy House minority…
Secretary of State’s Race: Candidates talk elections, other issues
By JERRY NOWICKI Capitol News Illinois jnowicki@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – Secretary of state candidates Alexi Giannoulias, a Chicago Democrat and former state treasurer, and Dan Brady, a Republican state representative from Bloomington, each spent 45 minutes before a panel organized by the Illinois Associated Press Media Editors in recent weeks. A full story about their plans…
ANALYSIS: After debate, more clarity needed on candidates’ non-answers
By JERRY NOWICKI Capitol News Illinois jnowicki@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – Democratic Gov. JB Pritzker and Republican state Sen. Darren Bailey generally stuck to their talking points Thursday at their first debate on the same stage. The questions and answers were similar to those posed during a forum organized by the Illinois Associated Press Media Editors, on…
UPDATED: Capitol News Illinois 2022 Voter’s Guide
On Nov. 8, Illinois voters will cast a ballot on a state constitutional amendment, every statewide constitutional office, every seat in the General Assembly and, in 12 counties, a spot on the state’s Supreme Court. Ahead of Election Day, the Capitol News Illinois team has – independently or in collaboration with newspaper editors across…
Chilling audio provides glimpse into abuse at state-run facility
This article was produced for ProPublica’s Local Reporting Network in partnership with Lee Enterprises, along with Capitol News Illinois. By BETH HUNDSDORFER Capitol News Illinois MOLLY PARKER Lee Enterprises Midwest ANNA, Ill. — The disturbing 911 call began with sounds of a struggle, then a voice that sounded like a child’s cried out, “Let me…
Supreme Court 3rd District: Burke, O’Brien vie for open seat
By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois phancock@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – The race for the 3rd District Illinois Supreme Court seat features two experienced jurists in a contest that could determine partisan control of the court for the next several years. Incumbent Justice Michael J. Burke, a Republican who was appointed to the court in 2020 to…
Attorney general candidates clash over SAFE-T Act, public health measures
By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois phancock@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – Attorney General Kwame Raoul accused his Republican challenger Thomas DeVore of making “dangerous” remarks, while DeVore accused the Democratic incumbent of failing the state’s school students by not challenging Gov. JB Pritzker’s COVID-19 mitigations. The charges and countercharges came during a nearly hourlong debate organized by…
Illinois Supreme Court denies former lawmakers’ claim for back pay
By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois phancock@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois Supreme Court on Thursday rejected a lawsuit filed by two former state legislators who sued for back pay they believed they were due for raises that they voted against while in office. Former Sen. Michael Noland, D-Elgin, and former Sen. James Clayborne, D-Belleville, argued…
Illinois takes Equal Rights Amendment to appeals court
By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois phancock@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – Attorneys for the state of Illinois joined their colleagues in Nevada and Virginia Wednesday in asking a federal appellate court to declare that the Equal Rights Amendment has been legally ratified as the 28th amendment to the U.S. Constitution. “I have a daughter who intends to…
Local News
Oak Lawn police target drivers who ignore stop signs
By Joe Boyle Oak Lawn police are going to crack down on reckless drivers who repeatedly blow stop signs throughout the village. And police will begin enforcing those measures within the next two weeks. The subject was brought up during the Oak Lawn Village Board meeting June 11. Village Manager Tom Phelan said that he…
Volunteers from Brother Rice, St. Rita and St. Laurence help indigent on their final journey
By Nuha Abdessalam Father Larry Sullivan, a director of Catholic Cemeteries of the Archdiocese of Chicago and pastor of Christ the King Parish, joined County Board President Toni Preckwinkle and spoke words of love, respect, and God at the 35th annual committal service at Mount Olivet Cemetery. The service on June 6 at 1:30 p.m.…
Riot Fest abandons Chicago park for SeatGeek Stadium
By Bob Bong Last year, Lyrical Lemonade moved its Summer Smash hip-hop music festival from Chicago’s Douglass Park to Bridgeview’s SeatGeek Stadium. Thousands of fans poured into the stadium at 7100 S. Harlem Ave. over the course of three days and, by most accounts, enjoyed the experience. Summer Smash returned to SeatGeek this weekend for…
Comings & Goings: Orland Park Summerfest returns this weekend
By Bob Bong Back for a second go round this weekend is the Orland Park Area Chamber of Commerce’s Summerfest. The event combines a carnival, live music, an array of dining options and a car show, at the 153rd Street Metra Station location in Orland Park and will run from Friday, June 14, through Sunday,…
Repair Cafe this Saturday at Township of Lyons HQ
By Steve Metsch Repair cafes have become quite the thing for the Township of Lyons. So much so that another repair cafe will be offered from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. this Saturday, June 15, at the township office, 6404 Joliet Road in Countryside. A repair café held in May was a smashing success, Township…
‘They didn’t have to kill my brother’ – sister of slain Bridgeview man
By Steve Metsch Arturo Cantu should be celebrating two big events this weekend. He would have celebrated his 40th birthday on June 14. And, a sister said, he would have enjoyed Father’s Day on Sunday, spending time with family and his two young children. Instead, 10 family members and friends gathered in a Bridgeview courtroom…
‘You just learn to live with the pain’
Status hearing in July for McCook murder By Steve Metsch The attorney representing a Chicago man charged with murdering a Blue Island man in McCook in February told a judge Wednesday there’s been “a significant and outstanding discovery in this matter.” Attorney Damon Cheronis made his comment before Cook County Circuit Court Judge John “Terry…
Man shot in La Grange; suspect arrested in Stickney
By Steve Metsch A man was shot Tuesday afternoon in La Grange, according to a news release received Wednesday from the police department. A suspect has been apprehended, the release said. The shooting victim remains in stable condition at a local hospital, the release said. La Grange Police, working with the Major Case Assistance Team,…
McCook building inspector retires after 18 years
By Steve Metsch After 18 years of inspecting buildings, be it a modest bi-level house or a sprawling multi-million-dollar warehouse, Terrence Hickey is retiring from the village of McCook. His retirement takes effect June 28, Mayor Terrance Carr said during the June 3 meeting of the village board. “I’m jealous,” Carr said. “(He’s worked on)…
New Summit Girl Scout troop off and running
By Carol McGowan There’s a new Girl Scout Troop in Summit, and they have been busy. Troop 56615 is made up of girls from Summit School District 104 from first-grade to third-grade, and between 7-9 years old, making them Brownies in the scouting world. They have 10 girls so far, and Troop Leader Marisol Rodriguez…