Articles filed under Capitol News Illinois
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Suburban schools grapple with AI cyberbullying, deepfakes as new law takes effectJul 03, 2026 8:34 am - Beginning July 1, the state’s definition of cyberbullying was expanded to include AI-generated digital replicas, forcing districts across Illinois to update policies and procedures.
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Pritzker signs bills on in-state tuition, coupons, speed devices and moreJun 29, 2026 6:16 pm - Gov. JB Pritzker has signed more than 60 bills since Friday, including new laws to increase transparency around rental fees and give some drivers an alternative to having their license suspended.
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‘A real farm crisis’: Illinois farm bankruptcies rise for 3rd straight yearJun 29, 2026 11:20 am - Family farm bankruptcies surged 46% nationwide in 2025. In the Midwest, filings jumped 70%. In Illinois, they rose 55%. Total farm debt is forecast to hit a record $624.7 billion in 2026, as overhead costs like land rent and interest keep climbing. Farmers bought a record 2.54 million crop insurance policies in 2025. But when the guaranteed revenue floor falls below production costs, farmers lose money on every bushel.
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Cocktails-to-go, new state agency among 14 laws taking effect July 1Jun 29, 2026 9:23 am - July 1 marks a second New Year’s Day in Illinois as a new budget takes effect along with more than a dozen new state laws.
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Prediction market Kalshi sues Illinois over its push to regulate sports betsJun 28, 2026 4:09 pm - Prediction market Kalshi — which offers trades on everything from the World Cup top goal scorers to the winners of the reality show “Love Island” and the 2028 Democratic primary — is suing Illinois over its latest push to regulate sports bets on the platform.
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Pritzker signs bill protecting medical records for abortion patients in IllinoisJun 24, 2026 7:22 pm - Gov. JB Pritzker signed the Reproductive Health Records Privacy Act into law on Wednesday, preventing abortion information from being shared with out-of-state entities to protect women from potential retaliation for receiving legal healthcare in Illinois.
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Federal cuts are hitting Illinois food assistance recipients — and the farmers who feed themJun 20, 2026 11:00 am - The Trump administration eliminated food assistance for an estimated 360,000 Illinoisans this year by expanding work requirements and cutting benefits for lawfully present immigrants, including refugees and asylum seekers. Link Match doubles SNAP users’ purchasing power at farmers’ markets, food co-ops and local grocers and has grown from $469,000 in spending in 2021 to $2.26 million in 2025. With fewer Illinoisans eligible for SNAP benefits, local farmers who already operate on slim profit margins could lose income.
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Illinois bets on biodiesel: Expanding the market for domestic soybeansJun 17, 2026 8:57 am - Illinois offers a sales tax exemption to retailers that sell biodiesel fuels, a law aimed at boosting soybean sales. Fuel that is made up of at least 20% biodiesel qualifies for the incentives as of April, up from 17%. The Illinois Soybean Association estimates the new policy could expand biodiesel demand to about 255 million gallons, up from 165 million gallons when state law set the threshold at 11%.
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Advocates, patients file lawsuit to block ‘medical aid in dying’ law in IllinoisJun 16, 2026 3:48 pm - A federal lawsuit filed last week seeks to block an Illinois law allowing doctors to help terminally ill patients end their own lives ahead of its Sept. 12 effective date.
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Federal appeals court says retrial is on the table for ex-ComEd CEO, lobbyistJun 16, 2026 3:47 pm - A federal appeals court said Monday that prosecutors are free to retry former ComEd CEO Anne Pramaggiore and former lobbyist Michael McClain on charges related to a scheme to influence ex-House Speaker Michael Madigan.