Gov. JB Pritzker speaks at the Illinois Education Association Representative Assembly Thursday in Rosemont. 

Illinois is joining a lawsuit alleging mass layoffs within the Department of Education are part of a plan to unlawfully dismantle the department. 

The House Health and Human Services Appropriations Committee meets Thursday in Springfield. [BlueRoomStream]

The House Health and Human Services Appropriations Committee passed a measure Thursday to streamline two programs that provide medical assistance to non-citizens who are victims of human trafficking, torture or other serious crimes. 

The House Judiciary Civil Committee approved a series of bills Wednesday intended to allow all Illinois corporations to choose their governance style, stop threatening “leafletting” and ban third-party restaurant reservation sellers.   

The Senate Executive Committee meets Wednesday in Springfield [BlueRoomStream]

The House Executive Committee approved a series of measures Wednesday to increase the borrowing limit for the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (MWRD), add cultural heritage sites to the definition of conservation rights and change the audit requirement for local units of government. 

A CTA logo and train. 

Suburban municipalities want to ensure they keep a seat at the table as the General Assembly looks at possible reforms for Chicago-area transit agencies. 

[Sarah Stierch/Creative Commons Attribution 4.0]

A measure proposed in the Illinois General Assembly would require state agencies to begin prioritizing Illinois farmers and quality when purchasing food. 

After more than two years of work, advocates for a bill creating a minimum insurance reimbursement rate for mental health, behavioral health and substance abuse care are hopeful they’ll see it pass both chambers this session. 

Advocates for Senate Bills 1397 and 1398 speak at a press conferences Thursday in Springfield [BlueRoomStream] 

A bill package in the Illinois Senate aims to decrease the amount of food waste that ends up in landfills. 

After forecasting revenues for Fiscal Year 2026 will be $700 million below the number predicted by the governor’s budget office, leaders from the Commission of Government Forecasting and Accountability (COGFA) shared some insights on the state’s revenues. 

Gov. JB Pritzker advocates for a measure to ban cell phones in Illinois schools Thursday at Champaign Centennial High School [BlueRoomStream]

A measure backed by the governor to ban cell phones in Illinois schools has been assigned to the Senate Education Committee. 

Gov. JB Pritzker announced the proposed policy as part of his State of the State Address in February. He expanded on the measure Thursday, saying cell phones harm students’ social and mental health, increase cheating and lead to poor academic performance.