Tag Archives: Capitol News Illinois
Jim Edgar, Illinois' 1990s-era moderate GOP governor, dies at 79
Jim Edgar, Illinois' 38th governor who served from 1991 to 1999, died Sunday after disclosing an aggressive cancer diagnosis earlier this year. He was 79. Though he'd been out of power for 26 years - ...
Sep 15, 2025 Former Republican Gov. Jim Edgar speaks at a May 28 event in Springfield to dedicate the reading room at the Illinois State Library in his honor. Edgar helped secure funding for the facility when he was secretary of state. (Capitol News Illinois photo by Jerry Nowicki)
P. Scott Neville Jr. chosen as next chief justice on Illinois Supreme Court
SPRINGFIELD - The Illinois Supreme Court announced Tuesday that Justice P. Scott Neville Jr. has been chosen to be the state's 123rd chief justice, succeeding Mary Jane Theis, whose three-year term as...
Sep 10, 2025 Justice P. Scott Neville is pictured during the 2022 swearing-in ceremony of Chief Justice Mary Jane Theis. (Capitol News Illinois photo by Jerry Nowicki)
Illinois elections board refuses to give DOJ sensitive voter data
SPRINGFIELD - The Illinois State Board of Elections said this week it will not hand over to the Trump administration a copy of the state's complete, unredacted voter registration database, citing stat...
Sep 04, 2025 A letter from the Illinois State Board of Elections to the U.S. Department of Justice outlines the state’s concerns with the department’s efforts to collect sensitive voter data. (Capitol News Illinois illustration by Andrew Adams)
Illinois' tourism push includes millions for NASCAR events
NASCAR will not be returning to Chicago streets next summer as the racing series takes its road act to likely sunnier weather in San Diego following two rain-plagued races out of its three years in Ch...
Sep 03, 2025 Grant Park in Chicago hosted three NASCAR Cup Series races that were partially funded by grants from the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity. (Capitol News Illinois photo by Ben Szalinski)
Daley, LaHood discuss rebooted 'fair maps' campaign in Illinois
By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois phancock@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD - Two veteran federal officials from Illinois are relaunching an effort to amend the Illinois Constitution and end p...
Aug 29, 2025 Former U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood joined former Commerce Secretary Bill Daley on the latest episode of the Capitol Cast podcast to discuss their renewed “fair maps” push. (Capitol News Illinois photo by Andrew Adams)
Gun rights groups ask U.S. Supreme Court to overturn Cook County assault weapons ban
Two national gun rights organizations are asking the U.S. Supreme Court to strike down Cook County's ban on assault-style weapons in hopes that such a decision would overturn similar bans nationally, ...
Aug 29, 2025 Challenges to Illinois’ assault-style weapons ban continue to make their way through federal courts. (Capitol News Illinois photo by Andrew Campbell)
10 years after state budget impasse, human services in Illinois again brace for 'tsunami'
JONESBORO, Ill. - It was a bitterly cold evening on Jan. 19, 1997, when Judy Stegle and her husband, Mike, received the call that would upend their lives forever. Their 17-year-old daughter, Cortnie S...
Aug 28, 2025 Cortnie Stewart, who suffered a traumatic brain injury in a 1997 car crash, looks up at her mother Judy Stegle at their home in Jonesboro, Illinois. A nearby nonprofit provided respite services to aid in her full-time care before closing as result of the budget impasse. (Julia Rendleman for CNI)
Bloomington business owner remains calm amid garage closure
BLOOMINGTON, Ill (WMBD) - As Bloomington deals with Market Street parking garage closure and possible demolition, one neighboring business raises potential concerns. Vicki Tilton has owned the buildin...
Aug 27, 2025 City of Bloomington. (Photo courtesy: City of Bloomington/Facebook)
Trump threatens Illinois' federal funding for eliminating cash bail
DECATUR - President Donald Trump signed an executive order Monday aimed at pushing Illinois to reverse its law that eliminated cash bail. The order calls on the U.S. attorney general to come up with a...
Aug 26, 2025 Gov. JB Pritzker is pictured in Chicago on Monday, Aug. 25, 2025. (Capitol News Illinois photo by Andrew Adams)
DOJ demands Illinois voter personal information by Sept. 1
SPRINGFIELD - Federal officials are continuing to press their demand for Illinois' unredacted voter registration database, which includes sensitive personal information, and are now giving state offic...
Aug 25, 2025 Election workers check voters’ names against a registration list and hand out ballots at a polling place in Springfield. (Capitol News Illinois file photo by Peter Hancock)
