Articles filed under Capitol News Illinois
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Illinois Democrats focus on Trump in return to SpringfieldJan 24, 2026 10:15 am - Illinois House Democrats kicked off their spring session last week in a mostly symbolic fashion, denouncing President Donald Trump’s policies in a series of resolutions criticizing immigration raids and cuts to health care and child care programs.
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ComEd files $15.3 billion grid plan proposal addressing rising demandJan 24, 2026 7:54 am - ComEd has filed a four-year grid plan to meet growing energy demand and infrastructure requirements. The plan, if approved in full by state regulators, would add between $2.50 and $3 to the average customer’s monthly bill. Regulators have 11 months to review it.
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Illinois higher education board seeks 4.6% budget increase for next fiscal yearJan 23, 2026 4:58 pm - The Illinois Board of Higher Education is seeking a 4.6% increase in general revenue support for colleges and universities in the upcoming fiscal year. The request comes at the same time Gov. JB Pritzker is ordering spending reductions, including to higher education, due to uncertainty over federal funding.
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Illinois rideshare drivers rally for unionization billJan 21, 2026 4:25 pm - Rideshare drivers are calling on Illinois lawmakers to consider legislation that would grant them the right to unionize. Drivers held a rally at the Illinois State Capitol Wednesday to ask legislators for their support on forthcoming legislation.
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‘365 days of chaos’: Illinois Democrats reflect on Trump’s yearJan 20, 2026 7:36 pm - One year into President Donald Trump’s second term in office, top Illinois Democrats said it’s been a year of broken promises, uncertainty and fear for the future. “Today marks 365 days of chaos, 365 days of attacks upon civil rights, on the rule of law and on the Constitution itself,” Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul said.
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Affordability a priority in new General Assembly session, Illinois leaders sayJan 20, 2026 10:37 am - House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch says this spring’s election-year legislative session will be squarely focused on tackling Illinois voters’ priorities.
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Pritzker signs ‘Clean Slate’ act to help those with nonviolent criminal recordsJan 16, 2026 3:35 pm - Over 1.7 million Illinois adults will be eligible to have their nonviolent criminal records automatically sealed after Gov. JB Pritzker on Friday signed the long-debated ‘Clean Slate’ Act.
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Wage inequities persist in Illinois but have improved slightly, report showsJan 16, 2026 12:14 pm - A 2021 amendment to the Equal Pay Act mandates certain Illinois businesses to report biannual wage and demographic data to the Department of Labor. The first analysis, based on three years of data, shows some improvement, but disparities remain the widest in low-wage and craft occupations. Researchers recommend expanding the reported data to get the full picture of wage equity in Illinois.
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State education board OKs $10.9B budget requestJan 15, 2026 2:33 pm - The Illinois State Board of Education is seeking only a modest increase in funding next year in light of uncertainty about future state revenues. The proposal calls for a $350 million increase in Evidence-Based Funding, the minimum amount called for under the 2017 law that overhauled the way Illinois funds public schools.
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Top Democrats say they would consider small changes to Illinois’ SAFE-T ActJan 15, 2026 6:38 am - Gov. JB Pritzker and House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch signaled they’re open to amending the SAFE-T Act after a violent crime on a Chicago “L” train reignited scrutiny of the law.