Democratic Gov. JB Pritzker and Republican state Sen. Darren Bailey generally stuck to their talking points Oct. 6 at their first debate on the same stage. The questions and answers were similar to those posed during a forum organized by the Illinois Associated Press Media Editors, on which I served as a questioner. During the […]
Capitol News Illinois
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What happens when cash bail ends?
Beginning Jan. 1, 2023, cash bail will be abolished in Illinois. The measure that will eliminate it has been on the books since early 2021, giving the justice system two years to plan for the major overhaul of the state’s pretrial detention system. It’s also given time for the measure to become politicized to a […]
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Tax rebate checks go out this week
Gov. JB Pritzker announced Sept. 12 that Illinois taxpayers will soon start receiving rebates of their income and property taxes, either in the mail or by direct bank deposits. Speaking at a news conference in Chicago where he was flanked by other state officials and Democratic leaders of the General Assembly, Pritzker said the rebates […]
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Brutal beatings, abuse plague state-run mental health facility, investigation reveals
As Blaine Reichard rose from a breakfast table at the Choate Mental Health and Developmental Center in southern Illinois, a worker ordered him to pull up his sagging pants. A 24-year-old man with autism and developmental disabilities, Reichard didn’t obey. “I’m a gangsta! This is how we do it where I am from!” responded Reichard, […]
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Closing the equity gap for public schools
Five years ago this month, Illinois lawmakers passed legislation that overhauled the way public schools in the state are funded. The so-called Evidence Based Funding formula, or EBF, was designed to calculate the actual cost for each district to provide the kind of education the state expects, and then gradually increase the share of that […]
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10-day sales tax reduction on clothing, school supplies begins Friday
Beginning Friday and lasting through Aug. 14, the state will reduce its sales tax rate from 6.25 percent to 1.25 percent for certain clothing items costing less than $125 and school supplies. The “tax holiday” was included in Gov. JB Pritzker’s “family relief plan,” one prong of several bills making up the Fiscal Year 2023 […]
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FOID, red flags and restraining orders: How state laws regulate firearm purchases
A mass shooting in Highland Park at a Fourth of July parade prompted questions about how the suspect was able to obtain a gun in a state with some of the strictest gun laws in the nation. Law enforcement officials have said that the Highland Park shooting suspect, Robert Crimo III, 21, legally purchased and […]
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Pritzker: “We’re gonna get more big things done.”
Inflation, crime, pandemic response, abortion rights and Donald Trump are all set to be major issues in the 2022 race for Illinois governor, if the winning candidates’ election night speeches are any guide. “(Gov. JB) Pritzker doesn’t understand how skyrocketing gas prices and soaring food prices make everyday life harder for Illinois families like you […]
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Found: Death certificates of 5 killed in East St. Louis riots
It was a tale told by older generations to the younger generations, of men shot and killed and their bodies tossed into a creek during one of the fiercest race riots in the country. That tale was carried across the Mississippi River by those trying to escape the violence and through the generations of African […]
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New law provides $700 million for nursing home staffing
Gov. JB Pritzker signed legislation May 31 that will pump an additional $700 million annually into Medicaid-funded nursing homes, provided they use that money to increase staff and wages in their facilities. “This is truly a game changer,” Pritzker said at a bill-signing ceremony at a Chicago-area nursing home. “…Together we’ve delivered a victory for […]
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Cost of Statehouse renovation higher than estimated but within state’s budget
The cost of renovating the north wing of the Illinois Statehouse will be more expensive than officials initially estimated. Only one bid came in for the project, which is about to get underway. CORE Construction Services of Illinois Inc. priced the job at $243.5 million, well over the $170 million that was originally estimated. “Despite […]
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DCFS keeps teenager locked in psych ward
Leah is a 13-year-old girl under Department of Children and Family Services care who lives in a psychiatric ward in a Chicago hospital. Capitol News Illinois is using a pseudonym to protect her identity, but has confirmed she’s been held for months behind locked doors, despite a doctor saying she was well enough to leave […]
