Supporters of the Pretrial Fairness Act gather outside the Cook County criminal court in Chicago on Sept. 18, 2023. [Ben Szalinski/The Daily Line] 

Wednesday marked one year since Illinois became the first state to completely abolish cash bail and those who led the law’s passage in Springfield took a victory lap as dire predictions about the law’s success have been proven wrong. 

Guaranteed Rate Field is pictured during a White Sox game in 2018. [Ben Szalinski/The Daily Line]

A city version of the Field of Dreams came to life on Monday when Related Midwest invited state lawmakers to a makeshift baseball field at The 78 where the Chicago White Sox hope state lawmakers will help the team build a new stadium.  

House Speaker Chris Welch (D-Hillside) discussed veto session at a City Club of Chicago luncheon on Tuesday. And Sen. Tammy Duckworth’s bill in the U.S. Senate to protect access to in vitro fertilization was blocked by Senate Republicans for the second time.  

A map shows the geographic boundaries of the Mahomet Aquifer across Central Illinois. [City of Champaign]   

Lawmakers in Central Illinois are calling for new restrictions on carbon storage after a leak was found at a major agriculture facility located near a drinking water source for hundreds of thousands of Illinoisans.  

The Illinois Capitol   

Illinois lawmakers gathered another round of feedback last week on the role of pharmacy benefit managers (PBM) and the challenges consumers face getting necessary and affordable medications.  

Illinois State Police Director Brendan Kelly speaks at a City Club of Chicago event on Wednesday. [City Club of Chicago] 

Illinois lawmakers have passed several bills in recent years designed to combat the proliferation of illegal firearms used in crimes in Illinois. Those laws are having an effect, Illinois State Police (ISP) Director Brendan Kelly said.  

The Cook County Jail   

It’s been nearly one year since Illinois eliminated cash bail and while much of the data and information about the change is in its infancy, researchers are starting to see trends in how the revolutionary criminal justice system reform is impacting Illinois.

Gov. JB Pritzker speaks at a news conference in Chicago on Tuesday. [Ben Szalinski/The Daily Line]   

Chicago officials and Mayor Brandon Johnson have not talked about any of the city’s budget issues with Gov. JB Pritzker, the governor told reporters on Tuesday.  

The Illinois Capitol 

Two school years have been completed since Illinois legislators passed controversial new sex education policies, and new data from the State Board of Education shows most Illinois school districts have decided not to adopt the curriculum that sparked fierce debate in Springfield.  

The Illinois Capitol   

Illinois lawmakers are renewing a push to pass new laws on gun storage after a 14-year-old was responsible for a mass shooting at a Georgia high school.