Get the latest news from around Illinois.
The Center Square: Illinois Supreme Court justices deny motion for recusal in gun ban challenge
The Illinois Supreme Court has denied a motion to disqualify two justices from hearing a challenge to the state’s new gun ban over perceived conflicts of interest. The two justices also declined to recuse themselves.
Before Elizabeth Rochford and Mary O’Brien were elected to the Illinois Supreme Court in November 2022, Gov. J.B. Pritzker gave each of their campaign funds half a million dollars from both his campaign account and a revocable trust, totaling $1 million to each. The two justices also received six-figure donations out of a campaign fund controlled by Illinois House Speaker Emanual “Chris” Welch,” D-Hillside.
Chicago Tribune: ‘ComEd Four’ trial: Evidence seen and heard by the jury
The “ComEd Four” trial recordings have given jurors — and the public — the ultimate insider glimpse into how the famously reclusive former House Speaker Michael Madigan conducted his business.
The more than 100 secretly recorded phone calls and meetings, which were gleaned from wiretaps and confidential informants over the course of more than a year, form the backbone of the case, one of the most highly watched political trials in Illinois for years.
Chicago Sun-Times: Dozens of Cook County employees resign or are fired in clerk of court, county inspector general’s PPP fraud probe
Dozens of Cook County employees have resigned or been fired in ongoing investigations of fraud in COVID-19 relief programs.
NBC Chicago: Following Weekend of ‘Reckless, Disruptive' Gatherings Downtown, Some Call For Teen Curfew to Return
Some activists and business owners in Chicago are calling for officials to reinstate last summer’s citywide curfew for minors after this past weekend saw multiple days of large gatherings of young people that resulted in chaotic scenes and multiple arrests.
According to the Chicago Police Department, a total of 15 people — nine adults and six minors — were arrested late Saturday night after what appeared to be hundreds of people gathered near Millennium Park, with some engaging in “reckless and disruptive behavior,” police said.
WTTW: Illinois Lawmakers Push for Permanent Child Tax Credit
Some Illinois lawmakers are pushing for a permanent child tax credit.
That would mean up to $700 per child for eligible families. Those who would be eligible for the full amount are joint filers earning less than $75,000 per year and single filers earning less than $50,000 per year.
Chicago Tribune: Stalled Justice: As court delays worsen, officials have failed to embrace reforms. Here are steps they could take.
A decade ago, the court systems in both New York City and Chicago were so backlogged that hundreds of people had been sitting in jail for more than two years while awaiting trial.
But only one of these places treated the situation like a crisis.
Capitol News: Report: Tuition costs skyrocketed at public colleges amid 20 years of state disinvestment
As university faculties around Illinois strike for better pay and working conditions, budget analysts have found that state spending on higher education has fallen dramatically over the past 20 years.
When adjusted for inflation, state spending on higher education fell 46 percent between 2000 and 2023, according to a new research report from the left-leaning think tank Center for Tax and Budget Accountability.
The Telegraph: Illinois Senate advances 2 cannabis bills to House
The Illinois Senate has passed two bills that would work to further decriminalize cannabis use in Illinois.
The bills – Senate Bill 125 and Senate Bill 1886 – would prevent an individual’s vehicle from being searched solely based on the smell of cannabis and would allow some individuals on probation to consume cannabis or alcohol.