By Capitol News Illinois JONES MAYORAL CHALLENGE: State Rep. Thaddeus Jones, who was elected Calumet City mayor in April, is facing a challenge to his mayorship that is based on a municipal referendum that prohibits a Calumet City mayor from also serving as a state representative. But Jones, a Calumet City Democrat, said a recently…

By SARAH MANSUR Capitol News Illinois smansur@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD — Two Chicago Public Schools employees are challenging the validity of their signed contracts to pay union dues as unconstitutional under a 2018 decision that ruled mandatory union dues are a violation of free speech. Lawyers with the National Right to Work organization, which represent CPS employees…

By SARAH MANSUR Capitol News Illinois smansur@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD — Lawyers for an Illinois man who was sentenced to 130 years for a murder when he was 16 years old are asking the U.S. Supreme Court to clarify how life sentences for juveniles should be reevaluated in light of recent U.S Supreme Court decisions against that…

By DANIEL C. VOCK Better Government Association If President Joe Biden gets his infrastructure package through Congress, it could prompt Illinois and other states to reconsider how much of its transportation networks are built for cars and trucks. Biden’s $2.3 trillion American Jobs Plan is far from becoming law, and its details remain in flux.…

By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois phancock@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – Fitch Ratings, one of three credit rating agencies that grade Illinois bonds, has upgraded its credit outlook for the state from “negative” to “positive.” Although the state’s overall rating remains at near-junk status at BBB-, the agency said the state’s economic outlook coming out of the…

By Capitol News Illinois SPRINGFIELD – With the first year of the 102nd General Assembly mostly wrapped up, lawmakers as of Friday had officially passed 664 bills through both houses for eventual consideration by the governor.  Gov. JB Pritzker had signed 17 of them as of Friday, including the Thursday signing of the state’s operating…

By SARAH MANSUR Capitol News Illinois smansur@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD — The Illinois attorney general on Tuesday sued a Delaware company that owns the now-closed Vermilion Power Station over claims of illegal pollution at the former coal plant, resulting from the storage of coal ash at the site. The six-count lawsuit against Dynegy Midwest Generation LLC claims…

By SARAH MANSUR Capitol News Illinois smansur@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD — A woman found guilty of a McHenry County murder had her conviction vacated last week after serving 19 years of her 27-year sentence and maintaining her innocence throughout her imprisonment. With the help of the lawyers from the Illinois Innocence Project, Jennifer McMullan was released from…

By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois phancock@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – A recent U.S. Supreme Court decision could reignite a 10-year-old controversy in Illinois over whether faith-based charities can be prohibited from contracting with the state for foster care and adoption services on the grounds that they refuse to work with unmarried or same-sex couples. In a…

By SARAH MANSUR Capitol News Illinois smansur@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD — People targeted by a campaign robocall from former Gov. Bruce Rauner since his first campaign in 2014 will be eligible to earn a portion of a $1 million settlement agreement that was reached last month in a class-action case. The agreement would end the federal lawsuit…