Area News
House Republicans ask state Supreme Court to toss out legislative map
Maps fail to meet legal requirements for redistricting, lawsuit alleges By BEN SZALINSKI Capitol News Illinois SPRINGFIELD — Democrats continue to hold a supermajority in the Illinois House thanks to illegally gerrymandered House districts, House Republicans allege in a new lawsuit filed with the Illinois Supreme Court Tuesday. The lawsuit alleges the current House map…
Read MoreFederal funding freeze set forth in OMB memo rescinded
By MELISSA CROCKETT MESKE IBJ Managing Editor [email protected] The Washington Post has reported the rescission of an order to freeze federal funding that had been previously ordered by the Trump White House through a memo distributed by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) at the start of the week. In the story published by…
Read More‘Ally-IL’ launched: App to enhance communication, collaboration, support youth and families
Microsoft Teams-powered custom solution revolutionizes communication, improving engagement and positive outcomes for Illinois youth and families The Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS), in collaboration with Microsoft, has unveiled Ally-IL, a custom application enabling DCFS caseworkers to connect and engage with youth and support networks virtually using a Microsoft Teams platform. Ally-IL is…
Read MoreGovernor visits Jerseyville, announces $31M in Regional Site Readiness Program awards
Funding helps prepare large sites for industrial development Governor JB Pritzker joined the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) and local leaders on Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2025 in Jerseyville, Ill. to announce Regional Site Readiness Program awards totaling $31 million to support site readiness activities at 24 sites across the state. The program…
Read More‘Blatantly unlawful’ federal spending freeze sends state scrambling
Illinois among several states filing lawsuit to block freeze By BEN SZALINSKI and PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois SPRINGFIELD — State agencies, nonprofit organizations and a host of other entities that rely on federal funding were thrown into chaos Tuesday following the release of a White House memo that froze – at least temporarily –…
Read MoreGov. Pritzker highlights devastating impact of federal cuts for Illinoisans
Unconstitutional federal funding cuts would impact the most vulnerable Illinoisans On Jan. 28, 2025, Governor JB Pritzker directed agencies to report on potential impacts of President Trump’s illegal and unconstitutional federal funding cuts for Illinois’ most vulnerable communities and people. While the State will continue fighting these illegal actions, there are several areas of urgent…
Read MoreAfrica considered ‘up and coming partner’ for St. Louis metro region
Local delegation completes trip to Rwanda, new trade mission in the works Africa, a continent where the population is expected to nearly double to 2.5 billion people by 2050, is home to a young and entrepreneurial workforce poised to increase prosperity not only in Africa but around the world. Because of this, St. Louis views…
Read MoreSIU’s Paul Simon Institute director to discuss presidential transitions
John Shaw, director of Southern Illinois University Carbondale’s Paul Simon Public Policy Institute, will discuss presidential transitions during the White House Historical Association’s meeting on Thursday, Jan. 30. Shaw’s discussion, “A Presidential Transition for the Ages,” is at 5 p.m. and part of the historical association’s “History Happy Hour.” In his talk with Todd Arrington, director…
Read MoreIllinois House lawmakers file almost 1,800 new bills only 2 weeks into legislative session
By JADE AUBREY and UIS Public Affairs Reporting (PAR), Capitol News Illinois Illinois lawmakers kicked off their spring legislative session roughly three weeks ago, but lawmakers in the House have already filed more than 1,800 bills that could be acted on before the General Assembly adjourns in May. The vast majority of the ideas…
Read MoreBREAKING: Gov. Pritzker hosts press conference to address actions taken by President Trump
By MELISSA CROCKETT MESKE IBJ Managing Editor [email protected] In the late afternoon on Tuesday, Jan. 28, 2025, Illinois Governor JB Pritzker took to the podium to address recent actions taken by President Donald Trump and his administration. Gov. Pritzker was joined by Lieutenant Governor Juliana Stratton and Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul both on…
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