Sen. Darren Bailey (R-Xenia), middle, greats McHenry County Clerk Joe Tirio, left, outside Around the Clock restaurant in Crystal Lake Wednesday. [Ben Szalinski/The Daily Line] 

Wherever Republican nominee for governor Sen. Darren Bailey (R-Xenia) goes, he’s talking about crime. That was no different Wednesday on day three of Bailey’s bus tour around the state as he made stops in the suburbs.

Attorney General Kwame Raoul speaks at a news conference at Bright Star Church in Chicago’s Bronzeville neighborhood Tuesday. [Ben Szalinski/The Daily Line] 

As crime remains a top issue this campaign season, Attorney General Kwame Raoul is touting his record on crime despite facing attacks from his Republican opponent Tom DeVore.

Sen. Emil Jones III (D-Chicago). [Illinois Senate Democrats]

Veteran Sen. Emil Jones III (D-Chicago) is the latest state lawmaker to be charged in a red-light camera scheme federal  prosecutors announced Tuesday.

Tara Blair, left, and Matt Alsdor, right, speak to the Supreme Court Pretrial Fairness Task Force Friday. [Illinois Supreme Court] 

When cash bail is abolished on Jan. 1, 2023, Illinois’ court system will begin using risk assessment tools to evaluate whether a person charged with a crime should be held in jail while they await their trial.

From left to right, Attorney General Kwame Raoul, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot, Vice President Kamala Harris, and Gov. JB Pritzker meet with abortion providers and University of Illinois Chicago students at a round table at the University of Illinois Chicago Friday. [Ben Szalinski/The Daily Line] 

A day after Indiana officially banned abortion, adding to the strain Illinois abortion providers were already feeling from an influx of out-of-state patients, Vice President Kamala Harris visited Chicago Friday to shine a spotlight on Illinois’ position as one of the only abortion providers in the Midwest.

Vice President Kamala Harris, center, celebrates at a rally at the University of Illinois Chicago with Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton, left, and Gov. JB Pritzker, right. [FOX News] 

Mid-term elections often yield losses for the party that controls the White House. But with an electorate angry over the overturning of Roe v. Wade and Republican candidates taking hard-right approaches, Vice President Kamala Harris and Illinois Democrats are pushing voters to the polls to defeat candidates they believe are too extreme.

Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot speaks during a news conference with Gov. JB Pritzker and other state and local government officials Wednesday. [Ben Szalinski/The Daily Line]  

State and Chicago officials are working to better coordinate resources to assist a continuing influx of migrants arriving by bus from Texas as Gov. JB Pritzker issued a disaster proclamation Wednesday to help the state and local governments, including the city of Chicago, coordinate resources to assist the migrants.

Comptroller Susana Mendoza speaks to the City Club of Chicago on Wednesday. [Blue Room Stream]  

Illinois’ finances have come a long way since Comptroller Susana Mendoza took office in 2016. The state’s bill backlog has decreased by billions to a more typical amount now termed “accounts payable,” there have been six credit upgrades and funds to provide the state with a cushion in the event of an economic downturn have received recent boosts.

But there’s still more work to do to make the progress gained since the two-year budget impasse that ended in 2017 permanent, Mendoza told members of the City Club of Chicago Wednesday.

Solar panels will be a major source of energy in Illinois in the future.

It’s been one year since state lawmakers passed a massive nation-leading energy bill and those who helped craft the legislation after years of negotiations say they are happy with the bill’s early implementation.

Illinois Supreme Court Chief Justice Anne Burke, left, and Justice Mary Jane Theis, right.

Illinois Supreme Court Chief Justice Anne Burke will retire from the high court at the end of November, she announced Monday.

U.S. Rep. Robin Kelly (D-Ill.) speaks during an event with the City Club of Chicago on Monday. [City Club of Chicago] 

Tension between Democratic Party of Illinois members and U.S. Rep. Robin Kelly (D-Ill.) appear not to have thawed over a month after Kelly was ousted as the party’s chair in favor of Rep. Lisa Hernandez (D-Cicero).

Tax rebates will begin going to Illinois taxpayers as part of the General Assembly’s $1.8 billion tax relief plan. Gov. JB Pritzker reiterated his frustration with Texas officials over busloads of migrants after suburban mayors became frustrated with Pritzker. And a statue of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. outside the State Library in Springfield was vandalized.

A drawing shows the Chicago Bears’ preliminary vision for the Arlington Park property. The team wants to ask for public funding to develop the “mixed use district” portion of the property but will not use public funds for the stadium. [Chicago Bears]

State officials are cold to the idea of directly giving the Chicago Bears funds to potentially add apartments, businesses and other sources of economic activity around a potential new stadium for the team in Arlington Heights.

Sen. Cristina Pacione-Zayas (D-Chicago) speaks during a news conference in Humboldt Park Wednesday. [Ben Szalinski/The Daily Line]

Latino communities need more financial help fighting gun violence, a pair of state senators and a group of Humboldt Park community members said at a townhall meeting Wednesday.

Sen. Darren Bailey (R-Xenia), left, and Gov. JB Pritzker, right, after their primary victories on June 28 

With Labor Day in the rearview mirror, Illinois campaigns are going into the home stretch with two months to go before votes are tabulated on Nov. 8 and early voting begins on Sept. 29.

While political observers have speculated a “red wave” could propel Republicans to victories this fall, such a surge could be minimal or nonexistent in Illinois as Democrats continue to out-fundraise Republicans and fend off attacks Republican candidates hope will sway voters.

Black and brown stakeholders in the cannabis industry are calling on Gov. JB Pritzker’s administration to overhaul the cannabis licensing process with a greater focus on reducing barriers for minorities to receive cannabis business licenses. And Republican nominee for governor Sen. Darren Bailey (R-Xenia) says a bill filed by Sen. Chapin Rose (R-Mahomet) repealing the SAFE-T Act is a solution to crime in Illinois.

Rep. Mark Batinick (R-Plainfield) speaks during a news conference in at the State Capitol in 2021. [Blue Room Stream]  

The voice of the House Republican caucus on the House floor Rep. Mark Batinick (R-Plainfield) is stepping aside in January after deciding not to run for a fifth term in 2022.

But while he is ready to leave legislating behind for the next few years, Batinick told The Daily Line he hopes his caucus will stay focused on important policy issues and shared his secrets for navigating debates as the minority party.

Republican nominee for governor Sen. Darren Bailey (R-Xenia), left, and Republican nominee for attorney general Tom DeVore, right. 

With about two months left before Election Day on Nov. 8 and less than a month before voters can begin casting ballots by mail and at early voting sites, Republican candidates for statewide office continue to trail Democrats in the fundraising race.

However, Republican nominee for governor Sen. Darren Bailey (R-Xenia) and Republican nominee for attorney general Tom DeVore both received financial boosts to their August fundraising numbers.

Supreme Court Statutory Court Fees Task Force Chair Steve Pflaum, left, and Lake County Circuit Court Judge Jorge Ortiz, right, speak during a hearing on Tuesday. [Illinois Supreme Court/YouTube] 

Illinois lawmakers should eliminate court fees for juveniles, advocates told members of the state Supreme Court Statutory Court Fees Task Force during a hearing Tuesday.

Illinois officials said Thursday they “welcome” migrants from Venezuela and other Latin American countries after Texas Gov. Greg Abbott sent a group of migrants by bus to Chicago Wednesday. Republican secretary of state nominee Rep. Dan Brady (R-Bloomington) pledged to digitize vehicle titles if elected. And Republican nominee for U.S. Senate Kathy Salvi announced her plans to participate in an October debate.