State News

City agrees to take action to address unlawful discharges of untreated sewage EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. – The Justice Department, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the State of Illinois reached an interim agreement with the City of East St. Louis, Illinois to address the City’s Clean Water Act violations. In December 2024, the Justice…

Four products remain in running for “The Coolest Thing Made in Illinois” As voting opens in the final round of the 2026 “Makers Madness” contest, just four products remain in the annual bracket-style tournament held by the Illinois Manufacturers’ Association that lets voters decide The Coolest Thing Made in Illinois. Presented by Comcast Business, the…

The Illinois Department of Transportation will hold a public meeting to discuss a study for the proposed improvements on Illinois 203 from Maverick Drive to Eagle Park Road in Madison County. The meeting will be held from 4 to 7  p.m. Thursday, April 23 at The Mill Events, 1311 20th St., Granite City. IDOT, in cooperation with…

By NIKOEL HYTREK and UIS Public Affairs Reporting (PAR), Capitol News Illinois Article Summary The House Executive Committee met Wednesday to hear from mayors, unions and agriculture representatives about how data centers impact communities. The subject matter hearing was the first of three planned by the committee to bring stakeholders together to discuss data centers.…

Governor JB Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) recently announced an additional $30 million in funding for the Regional Site Readiness Program—bringing the total to $60 million for this round. This additional funding ensures more regions throughout the state will attract industrial economic development. The program also includes an additional…

State Rep. Katie Stuart (D-Edwardsville) is celebrating a new working group launched by Illinois Governor JB Pritzker to identify workforce needs throughout Illinois and establish a plan to collaborate with educational institutions, local workforce boards, labor unions, industry leaders and more. The working group hopes to increase both job creation and increase employee preparedness and…

All 169 call centers now providing more efficient and reliable 911 services The Illinois State Police (ISP) recently announced that all 169 Public Safety Answering Points (PSAPs) throughout Illinois, commonly called 911 call centers, have successfully transitioned to Next Generation 911 (NG911). ​ NG911 upgrades the traditional 911 service from voice-centric networks to secure, IP-based…

By TAMMIE SLOUP FarmWeek  The U.S. grain transportation system, particularly the inland waterways, is considered a competitive edge for America’s farmers. But a century-old lock and dam system along the Mississippi River and a pending rail merger could present challenges in the future. “Part of the success we’ve had in exports is because we have…

Illinois committed job creation in first quarter of 2026 outpacing recent years In just the first quarter of 2026, a growing list of global companies are choosing Illinois to invest, expand, and create jobs—driving early-year momentum that has is already outpacing total job creation commitments in recent years. Companies participating in the Economic Development for a…

Gov. Pritzker presses for federal action to permanently allow year-round sale of E15 gasoline as global instability and tariffs drive up costs for Illinois farmers On April 2, 2026, Governor JB Pritzker sent a letter to Congressional leaders urging for a swift passage of legislation to permanently allow year-round sales of E15 gasoline and bring…