Illinois State Politics
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Illinois House approves redistricting amendment, fearing federal Voting Rights Act will be eliminated
Apr 22, 2026 5:33 pm - Illinois voters could be asked to amend the state’s redistricting law this fall after the House approved a constitutional amendment fearing federal protections for minority representation will be struck down.
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Illinois House finally approves megaproject bill, but Bears still seek infrastructure fundsApr 22, 2026 5:21 pm - The Illinois House voted 78-32 Wednesday night to advance megaproject legislation that would allow the Bears to negotiate property tax payments directly with local governments for up to 40 years at the NFL club’s Arlington Heights property.
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Pritzker executive order bars state employees from using insider info in prediction markets
Apr 21, 2026 8:00 pm - Gov. JB Pritzker signed an executive order Tuesday barring state employees from using insider information to place bets on prediction markets like Polymarket and Kalshi.
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‘Moving in the right direction’: Tweaks being made to Bears legislation ahead of House voteApr 21, 2026 7:46 pm - The Illinois House could vote as soon as this week on a bill that would pave the way to a Bears stadium in Arlington Heights, but the amended legislation is also expected to include property tax relief and other economic development tools in order to gain broader support from lawmakers.
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Illinois Democrats still weighing budget options as strong revenue mixes with uncertain outlook
Apr 21, 2026 6:44 pm - Illinois Democrats are waiting to see April revenue numbers before making final decisions ahead of their May 31 adjournment deadline. Revenue in the current fiscal year is performing better than expected, which could give lawmakers more flexibility in the upcoming fiscal year 2027. Democrats are also considering asking voters to approve a millionaires tax amendment in November, but it’s not clear if they will be able to pass that resolution before a May 3 deadline.
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Lawmakers work to sweeten pot to keep Bears in Illinois
Apr 21, 2026 9:47 am - Illinois hopes to take the lead over Indiana in the Chicago Bears stadium battle with a new proposal that would give the NFL team property tax certainty while also providing a statewide property tax relief sweetener.
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Bailey campaign unfazed by $14 million funding gap with PritzkerApr 20, 2026 6:55 pm - Federal campaign filings show GOP guberatorial nominee Darren Bailey with about $81,839 cash in hand compared to Democratic Gov. JB Pritkzer’s war chest of about $14 million.
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Judge tosses lawsuit over Trump's push to deploy National Guard to Chicago
Apr 20, 2026 2:09 pm - Six months after she blocked President Donald Trump’s efforts to deploy National Guard troops into Chicago, a federal judge Monday confirmed that the orders triggering the deployment are no longer in effect and dismissed the lawsuit that challenged them.
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‘We cannot afford to get AI wrong’: State lawmakers debate best path to regulate AI boom
Apr 20, 2026 1:55 pm - As the artificial intelligence industry rapidly expands, state legislators appear poised to continue imposing regulations on the technology.
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‘Don’t give up’: On visit to suburbs, Bailey opens up about crash that killed son, grandchildrenApr 19, 2026 6:05 pm - “At the end of the day … I am at peace,” Bailey tells congregation at Lakewood Chapel in remarks on faith, loss and hope.