Illinois State Politics
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Fight over Illinois’ swipe fee law heats up as implementation deadline nearsApr 18, 2026 4:00 pm - A unique-to-Illinois law prohibiting banks and credit card companies from charging swipe fees on tips and taxes is set to take effect July 1, but opponents are challenging its legality in federal appeals court and blitzing the airwaves with ads calling for its repeal.
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Is Illinois nearing finish line for statewide regulation of e-bikes?Apr 18, 2026 4:00 pm - As the weather warms, high-speed e-bikes, e-motos and other electric transportation devices are becoming more prevalent on suburban streets once again. And so are calls from communities for statewide regulation of the devices.
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A constitutional amendment to deliver property tax relief for Illinois homeownersApr 18, 2026 12:30 pm - Less than 1% of Illinois’ taxpayers earn more than $1 million per year. But that number grew by 36% between 2019 and 2023, four times the rate of growth of those earning between $50,000 and $100,000. Millionaires also have seen their inflation-adjusted incomes double over the past four decades while take-home pay has been stagnant for everyone else.
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Barbara Flynn Currie, 40-year veteran of Illinois House, trailblazer for women in Springfield, dies
Apr 17, 2026 6:49 pm - Former Illinois House Majority Leader Barbara Flynn Currie, who served 40 years in the General Assembly, died Thursday at 85. Currie was first elected to the House in 1978, at a time when women made up only a small minority of the legislature. After 18 years in Springfield, Currie was promoted to House Majority Leader, the first woman to hold the second-in-command role. Currie retired from the General Assembly in 2019 but was then appointed to head the Illinois Pollution Control Board, a post she held until her death.
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GOP governor candidate Darren Bailey moves into Chicago apartment
Apr 17, 2026 4:42 pm - Darren Bailey isn’t just trying to win over voters — he wants this year’s campaign to be an impressive experience for Chicago residents. The Republican nominee for governor said he’s moved into an apartment on Chicago’s near South Side that will serve as a sort of “headquarters” for his Chicago-area campaign operation.
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Energy demand in ComEd territory could double by 2040, in part driven by data centers
Apr 17, 2026 3:44 pm - A House committee got an overview this week of how data centers are driving up energy demand and threatening potential shortfalls in the second of three planned hearings on the matter.The fundamental issue is that data centers have created a sudden and massive spike in demand for electricity, and Illinois doesn’t yet have the supply to accommodate it.
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Will this be the year the state legislature approves a cellphone ban in schools?
Apr 17, 2026 11:21 am - Illinois is one of only eight states that have no statewide restrictions on the use of cellphones in public schools. That could change this spring.
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Did SAFE-T Act loophole contribute to DuPage County slaying? Top prosecutor thinks soApr 16, 2026 3:52 pm - Did a loophole in the law that eliminated cash bail in Illinois contribute to the slaying of a suburban a woman whose husband stands accused of her murder? DuPage County’s top prosecutor thinks so. Here’s why.
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Illinois Senate passes new statewide e-bike regulationsApr 15, 2026 7:02 pm - A bill regulating high-speed e-bike use and setting statewide standards unanimously passed the Illinois Senate Wednesday and is heading to the House.
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Bailey moves into Chicago apartment as GOP candidate courts city, suburban votes
Apr 15, 2026 3:45 pm - Darren Bailey isn’t just trying to win over voters — he wants this year’s campaign to be an impressive experience for Chicago residents.