Illinois Capital News
Pritzker signs bill requiring serialization of unfinished ‘ghost guns’
Use of home-assembled firearms for crime rapidly increasing: State Police By JERRY NOWICKI Capitol News Illinois jnowicki@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFILED – Owners of firearms that do not have serial numbers, referred to as ghost guns, will have 180 days to take them to a federal firearm dealer to have them serialized or they will risk being charged…
Read More$309 million available through federally-funded mortgage assistance program
Pandemic-affected homeowners could see up to $30,000fee for housing costs, other expenses By GRACE KINNICUTT Capitol News Illinois gkinnicutt@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – Gov. JB Pritzker was joined by the Illinois Housing Development Authority and local elected officials in Chicago Friday to promote the Illinois Emergency Homeowner Assistance Fund for struggling homeowners. Overseen by IHDA, the emergency…
Read MoreEducators push back against testing requirements
State board looks to overhaul annual assessments By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois phancock@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – Teachers and other education professionals are urging the Illinois State Board of Education to reduce the amount of time students spend on standardized tests each year and to adopt a new testing system that produces more useful information to…
Read MoreANALYSIS: Late-night legislating not unusual in Illinois, but process can be messy
Budget bills were filed after committee hearing scheduled to discuss them By JERRY NOWICKI Capitol News Illinois jnowicki@capitolnewsillinois.com It was 6:00 a.m. Saturday, April 9, by the time lawmakers adjourned their regular spring session which had been scheduled to conclude the day prior. When all was settled, lawmakers had passed 236 bills from April 1…
Read MoreMan who received pardon for felony arson and became fire chief is now also a police officer
State board shows Jerame Simmons joined the force March 14 By BETH HUNDSDORFER Capitol News Illinois bhundsdorfer@capitolnewsillinois.com Jerame Simmons spent nearly 24 years as a convicted felon after pleading guilty to arson in 1999 until a 2021 pardon cleared that record and allowed him to head the department that put out the fire he started.…
Read MoreGas companies push back against effort to repeal surcharge
Consumer advocates say fee is no longer needed By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois phancock@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – Natural gas utilities in Illinois warned of job losses and possible risks to public safety if state lawmakers repeal a law allowing them to add a surcharge on customer bills that consumer advocates say is being used to…
Read MoreRepublicans cite SAFE-T Act as reason Chicago man not charged with murder
Grand jury approved weapons charges, not first-degree murder By GRACE KINNICUTT Capitol News Illinois gkinnicutt@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – Illinois House Republicans on Wednesday, February 9, continued a push to repeal a criminal justice reform bill passed one year ago, citing the law as the reason a Chicago man was not charged with murder for his role…
Read MoreGOP reintroduces crime reduction package; Pritzker touts public safety spending
Rising violent crime has become major campaign issue By GRACE KINNICUTT Capitol News Illinois gkinnicutt@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – Senate Republicans unveiled an updated package of crime bills this week that they say will help curb violent crime and provide a morale boost to law enforcement. It’s substantially similar to the package the GOP introduced three months…
Read MoreState Supreme Court asked to rule in case of woman allegedly raped by Lyft driver
Lawsuit centers on a state law passed on final day of 2014 legislative session By JERRY NOWICKICapitol News Illinoisjnowicki@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – The rideshare company Lyft argued before the Illinois Supreme Court Wednesday, November 10, that a 2014 state law protects it from being held liable for the criminal actions of one of its drivers who…
Read MorePritzker makes Illinois pitch at world climate conference
Touts recently-passed decarbonization bill, electric vehicle incentives By JERRY NOWICKI Capitol News Illinoisjnowicki@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – As global leaders met in Glasgow, Scotland, over the past two weeks to discuss the effects of and potential policy solutions to climate change, Gov. JB Pritzker made the case in a pair of speaking events that Illinois is doing…
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