Springfield News
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Rep. Eva-Dina Delgado (D-Chicago), left, participates in a committee meeting in July. [Blue Room Stream]
Illinois is more than two years into its journey outlined in the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act (CEJA) of reducing fossil fuel emissions and as technology grows, a group of lawmakers is setting out to explore alternative and reliable fuel sources for the state.
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OCT 12, 2023
Former Sen. Darren Bailey (R-Xenia) stands in front of a map depicting Palestine in place of Israel as he speaks to the Palestinian American Club in Bridgeview last fall while running for governor.
Darren Bailey ran into several controversies while running for governor in 2022, often after angering Democrats. But as Bailey now mounts a run from Congress as the more conservative candidate in his race against U.S. Rep. Mike Bost, a Murphysboro Republican, one of those controversies is now being used against him by Republicans.
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OCT 11, 2023
A rendering shows what GardaWorld’s tent shelters look like. [Illinois Emergency Management Agency]
Chicago’s entrance into a controversial contract with a company with plans to house migrants in tent encampments was made possible by a master contract the state signed with the company.
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OCT 10, 2023
Illinois’ top three gaming sources — casinos, video gaming terminals and sports betting — all increased in 2023.
Since large expansions of Illinois’ betting laws were passed four years ago, the state continues to see robust growth in participation in the gaming industry, according to an annual report from the Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability.
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OCT 06, 2023
Gov. JB Pritzker discusses migrant issues with reporters at a news conference in Chicago on Thursday. [Ben Szalinski/The Daily Line]
Bus after bus continues to arrive in Chicago carrying asylum seekers who recently arrived in the United States, continuing to increase pressure on the city and state to provide for thousands of people with few resources of their own.
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OCT 05, 2023
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DCFS Director Marc Smith addresses a legislative committee last year. [Blue Room Steam]
The sharply criticized director of the Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS), Marc Smith, will resign at the end of 2023 along with the leaders of two other state agencies, Gov. JB Pritzker announced on Wednesday.
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A drawing shows the second proposal for Chicago school board districts. [Senate Democrats]
A Senate committee is taking another swing at passing maps for the Chicago Elected School Board that takes effect with the 2024 election after sharp criticism forced lawmakers to abandon drawing maps during the spring.
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OCT 04, 2023
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OCT 03, 2023
Gov. JB Pritzker and President Joe Biden speak during Biden’s visit to Crystal Lake in July 2021. [Gov. JB Pritzker/Facebook]
Gov. JB Pritzker sent a letter to President Joe Biden on Monday with a specific list of actions Pritzker wants Biden to consider as the nation’s migrant crisis puts growing pressure on Illinois and other states.
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Senate President Don Harmon (D-Oak Park), left, Paul Simon Public Policy Institute Director John Shaw, middle, and House Speaker Chris Welch (D-Hillside) participate in a discussion at the Union League Club in Chicago on Sept. 29. [Ben Szalinski/The Daily Line]
By Illinois’ standards, Senate President Don Harmon’s (D-Oak Park) nearly four years as a chamber leader and House Speaker Chris Welch’s (D-Hillside) nearly three years as a chamber leader are short. But despite their relatively brief time as leaders, both Harmon and Welch have deep perspectives of Illinois’ current health and the challenges that face the state in the future.
