Illinois State Politics
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IDPH: Illinois resident being tested for hantavirus strain different from cruise ship infectionsMay 12, 2026 6:47 pm - As global attention centers on a fatal outbreak of the Andes strain of hantavirus on a cruise ship, Illinois Department of Public Health officials announced a state resident is potentially infected with a different form of the disease.
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‘Unusual and targeted’: Pritzker letter questions why feds haven’t released broadband funds
May 12, 2026 5:52 pm - Gov. JB Pritzker sent a letter to U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick on Tuesday, urging him to approve Illinois’ proposal for federal broadband infrastructure funds.
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As Illinoisans lose federal food assistance, independent grocers face debt, store closure
May 12, 2026 2:07 pm - As thousands of Illinois households lose their federal food assistance this month, business owners also are preparing for potential loss. When households lose their benefits, they spend less at the grocery store, and the already-thin profit margins of independent grocers become even slimmer. Business owners face debt and potential store closures that could have far-reaching effects for small communities in rural Illinois.
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How do data centers benefit the places where they’re built? Local mayors give mixed reviews
May 11, 2026 9:32 am - Lawmakers currently are debating how to regulate data centers while balancing that goal with the economic benefits the facilities can bring to communities. No regulations have moved beyond the discussion stage, and it’s unclear whether they’ll pass this spring. The most significant economic development data centers bring come from property taxes, construction job creation and community developments.
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A DNC repeat? Local Dems tout Chicago for 2028 conventionMay 11, 2026 5:00 am - As the Second City seeks its second Democratic National Convention in a decade, party leaders are in town scrutinizing what should be familiar terrain.
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Illinois toll hike undermines Pritzker’s affordability messageMay 09, 2026 12:52 pm - Gov. J.B. Pritzker is marketing himself as a champion of affordability. A proposal to impose the largest passenger toll increase in state history cuts directly against that message.
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Senate advances bill to expel students who commit sexual violence at school
May 08, 2026 7:21 pm - The Illinois Senate advanced a bill that would ensure students who commit sexually violent crimes can be expelled from school. The bill filed by Sen. Steve McClure, a Springfield Republican, was in response to an incident in Taylorville where a girl was sexually assaulted by an older, male student on the bus.
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Chicago Mayor Johnson determined to block Bears' move to Arlington Heights
May 05, 2026 3:25 pm - Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson on Tuesday mounted the legislative equivalent of a goal line stand against the Bears’ quest for the property tax break needed to pave the way for a domed stadium in Arlington Heights.
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DOJ seeking Illinois voter data to purge suspected noncitizens, documents suggestMay 04, 2026 5:08 pm - Trump administration lawsuits seeking access to sensitive voter registration data in Illinois and dozens of other states is part of a broader effort to purge state voter rolls of suspected noncitizens, according to documents filed recently in federal court in Springfield.
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Why some lawmakers defected from the party line in megaproject bill affecting Bears stadiumMay 02, 2026 12:00 pm - “Rosemont on steroids” or “billionaire boys club” are among the reasons Democrats and Republicans cited for their votes on the Bears stadium-linked megaproject bill.