Peter Hancock
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Illinois ag director says Trump trade policies are ‘crushing’ farmersDec 12, 2025 4:58 pm - Jerry Costello II, director of the Illinois Department of Agriculture, said President Donald Trump’s farmer assistance program is not enough and that it “defies logic.”
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Federal shutdown, budget cuts challenge state lawmakersNov 07, 2025 3:38 pm - The recent suspension of federally funded food assistance for needy Americans as well as upcoming rule changes in Medicaid are presenting difficult challenges for state policymakers.
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Bill to regulate homeowners’ insurance rates fails on final day of veto sessionNov 04, 2025 2:06 pm - A bill that failed on the House floor would have given state insurance regulators authority to review and approve rates charged for homeowners’ insurance in Illinois. The legislation was proposed following State Farm’s announcement in July of a 27.2% rate hike. The bill passed the Senate but failed in the House on the final day of lawmakers’ fall veto session. That means if supporters want it to be reconsidered, they will have to introduce a new bill in the next legislative session, which begins in January.
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Tier 2 pension reform bill moves forward, but Pritzker says there’s ‘a lot more work’ to doOct 30, 2025 5:05 pm - A House panel on Wednesday advanced a bill aimed at reforming a state pension plan known as the “Tier 2” system, but only with the understanding that negotiations will continue and no final action will be taken until next spring at the earliest.
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Report offers mixed review of educational progress in IllinoisOct 14, 2025 1:03 pm - Advance Illinois’ biennial report, “The State We’re In,” shows Illinois is getting close to meeting the goal of having 60% of the adult population with either a postsecondary degree or industry certificate. Meanwhile, proficiency rates in reading and math have remained relatively flat over the last 20 years, despite billions of dollars in new K-12 spending.
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Illinois among a growing list of states to issue their own vaccine guidelinesSep 19, 2025 11:16 am - Illinois is among a growing list of states that are issuing their own vaccine guidelines that could supersede those of the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
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Daley, LaHood leading revived ‘fair maps’ campaign in IllinoisAug 31, 2025 4:15 pm - Two veteran federal officials from Illinois are relaunching an effort to amend the Illinois Constitution and end partisan gerrymandering in state legislative districts.
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Gun rights groups ask U.S. Supreme Court to overturn Cook County assault weapons banAug 28, 2025 6:05 pm - Two national gun rights organizations are asking the U.S. Supreme Court to strike down Cook County’s ban on assault-style weapons in hopes that such a decision would overturn similar bans nationally, including the statewide ban Illinois lawmakers enacted in 2023.
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Insurance industry opposes regulation, blames inflation, climate change for rate hikesAug 21, 2025 3:34 pm - Gov. JB Pritzker and legislative leaders have suggested Illinois should exercise more regulatory authority over premiums that insurance companies charge for homeowners coverage. That began after State Farm Insurance announced it was raising rates in Illinois by an average 27.2%.
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Kwame Raoul sues Trump administration for withholding crime victim fundingAug 19, 2025 6:54 am - Attorney General Kwame Raoul announced Monday that he has joined a multistate lawsuit seeking to block the Trump administration from withholding federal funding to support crime victims in Illinois due to the state’s policy on immigration.