Illinois’ statewide 1% grocery tax will go away on Jan. 1, though many people will continue to pay it at the local level. Data compiled by the Illinois Municipal League shows that 656 municipalities — a little more than half of the state’s municipalities — have passed an ordinance establishing their own grocery tax. Those communities […]
Ben Szalinski
Ben joined CNI in November 2024 as a Statehouse reporter covering the General Assembly from Springfield and other events happening around state government. He previously covered Illinois government for The Daily Line following time in McHenry County with the Northwest Herald. Ben is also a graduate of the University of Illinois Springfield PAR program. He is a lifelong Illinois resident and is originally from Mundelein.
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Key Illinois Democrats at odds with Durbin over shutdown vote
U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin is once again at odds with other prominent Illinois Democrats over a vote that set in motion a plan to end the record-long federal government shutdown. Durbin, who is not seeking reelection in 2026, was one of eight members in the Senate Democratic caucus to join Republicans in supporting a procedural […]
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Key Illinois Democrats at odds with Durbin over shutdown vote — again
U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin is once again at odds with other prominent Illinois Democrats over a vote that set in motion a plan to end the record-long federal government shutdown. Durbin, who is not seeking reelection in 2026, was one of eight members in the Senate Democratic caucus to join Republicans in supporting a procedural […]
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Illinois bill ‘decouples’ state, federal taxes, raising revenue and angering businesses
Illinois lawmakers are sending a bill to Gov. JB Pritzker that makes a pair of changes to Illinois’ tax code in response to new federal tax provisions that could reduce state revenue. The Governor’s Office of Management and Budget projected last month that Illinois is on track to run a $267 million deficit in fiscal […]
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Illinois joins lawsuit to force federal government not to pause SNAP benefits
Illinois joined 24 other states and the District of Columbia in suing the Trump administration over plans to stop funding the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program on Saturday as the federal government shutdown continues. About 1.9 million people in Illinois, and about 42 million people across the country, depend on SNAP benefits, otherwise known as food […]
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Nearly 2 million Illinoisians set to lose SNAP benefits amid congressional stalemate
Nearly 2 million people in Illinois could lose federal food benefits ahead of Thanksgiving if Congress can’t agree on a budget by the end of the month. The Illinois Department of Human Services announced the U.S. Department of Agriculture has told states that Supplement Nutrition Assistance Program benefits will not be funded beginning Nov. 1 […]
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Illinois sues to block Trump’s National Guard deployment to Chicago
Illinois and Chicago filed a federal lawsuit Monday to block the Trump administration’s planned deployment of National Guard troops to the state — a move Gov. JB Pritzker called an “invasion.” Trump pushed forward with the plan to activate hundreds of National Guard soldiers, including some from Texas, despite monthslong opposition from state and local […]
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Pritzker says feds seeking Chicago troop deployment
The Department of Homeland Security is seeking to send 100 military troops to Chicago, according to Gov. JB Pritzker, who assailed the move as the Trump administration’s latest — yet not unforeseen — push to consolidate power. “What he plans to do with that power now or during the 2026 elections should worry all of […]
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Judge rules feds can’t block Illinois’ disaster funding in response to immigration laws
The Trump administration cannot withhold federal emergency funding from Illinois because the state refuses to participate in federal immigration enforcement, a Rhode Island federal judge ruled on Wednesday. President Donald Trump signed an executive order in January requiring the Department of Homeland Security and agencies under its command, such as the Federal Emergency Management Agency, to stop […]
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Pritzker directs agencies to limit spending in response to Trump’s economic policies
Illinois agencies must identify spending reductions and create reserves in their budgets to prepare for an economic downturn, according to an executive order issued Tuesday by Gov. JB Pritzker. Pritzker said the order is designed to combat federal policies by the Trump administration that are likely to increase costs on the state and put pressure on the […]
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‘We are not backing down’: Feds ramp up immigration raids in Chicago area
The federal government is significantly ramping up immigration enforcement in the Chicago area as a specialized federal law enforcement team arrived in Chicago on Tuesday. U.S. Customs and Border Protection Commander Gregory Bovino posted a video on social media announcing his specialized team has arrived in Chicago to “continue the mission we started in Los Angeles.” At […]
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Amid backlash, Pritzker calls for leaders — especially Trump — to tone down rhetoric
Gov. JB Pritzker said political leaders — starting with President Donald Trump — need to do more to condemn political violence. “He actively fans the flames of division, as he did on Friday, regularly advocates violence for political retribution, and in more than one case, declares we are at war, not with a foreign adversary, […]
