Articles filed under Capitol News Illinois
-
15 residents filed complaints against Homeland Security for Midway Blitz alleging mistreatment by agentsSep 18, 2026 9:37 am - Over a dozen U.S. citizens and legal residents submitted administrative complaints to the Department of Homeland Security for alleged harms committed by agents amid Operation Midway Blitz, attorneys representing them announced Thursday. The complaints are the first step in the process of eventually filing a federal tort suit, though the agency has six months to investigate and respond before lawsuits can be filed.
-
‘Huge step forward’: Illinois inches closer on battery storage, solar goalsSep 15, 2026 9:15 am - Illinois regulators conducted the first battery storage procurement event required by energy legislation that became law this year. More battery storage is needed if the state is to meet its decarbonization goals while keeping ratepayer bills down.
-
Public defense reform advances as Illinois moves to hire statewide public defenderSep 12, 2026 2:00 pm - In the latest step of a yearslong process toward public defense reform in Illinois, the state supreme court this week opened applications for a statewide public defender. A 2025 law created the Office of the Statewide Public Defender after Illinois’ 2023 abolition of its cash bail system revealed profound resource shortages in public defender offices around the state. The initial statewide public defender is set to begin the job on Jan. 1.
-
Judge declines to block Illinois’ ‘medical aid in dying’ law ahead of Sept. 12 startSep 11, 2026 10:02 am - A federal judge on Thursday declined to block Illinois' new “medical aid in dying” law from going into effect this weekend, clearing the way for terminally ill adults to ...
-
For scuba diving enthusiasts, Mermet Springs is ‘the best place in the Midwest’Sep 07, 2026 1:59 pm - Thirty years ago, an Illinois Secretary of State Police DiveTeam investigator set out to turn an abandoned rock quarry into a first-class dive destination. Today, it draws hundreds to southern Illinois each year to explore what’s submerged in its crystal-clear waters.
-
Illinois Capitol renovations ‘a few months behind,’ but set to wrap up this winterSep 07, 2026 8:11 am - Nearly five years after construction crews started moving dirt on the $350 million renovation of the Illinois State Capitol's north wing, there are finally glimmers of light at the end of the tunnel.
-
Illinois regulators propose expansion to self-exclusion program for compulsive gamblersSep 06, 2026 4:35 pm - The Illinois Gaming Board approved new rules Thursday that would expand enrollment options for its voluntary self-exclusion program. The program allows problem gamblers to ban themselves from casinos, sportsbooks and other forms of legalized betting.
-
State audit finds child protection agency made progress, but was still noncompliant with 2020 lawSep 05, 2026 10:25 am - An audit found several documentation lapses by the Department of Children and Family Services, including failures to provide evidence of routine healthcare for children in state custody. DCFS was still not in compliance with a 2020 law named for 2-year-old Ta’Naja Barnes, who died of neglect after agency returned her to her mother.
-
Travelers flocked to the ‘Middle of Everything’ last year, generating over $88 billion in economic impactSep 04, 2026 11:26 am - Illinois had a good year for tourism in 2025, with over 115 million visitors spending over $50 billion — breaking records, according to the governor's office. The total economic impact of tourism was up to $88 billion, fueled in part by the state’s “Middle of Everything” campaign.
-
Illinois hospitals to lose billions through Medicaid policy change, study findsSep 02, 2026 4:07 pm - Illinois hospitals stand to lose upwards of $4 billion in revenue over the next several years due to impending changes in Medicaid rules that limit states’ ability to direct higher reimbursement payments to facilities that serve the most vulnerable populations.