Ben Szalinski
Statehouse ReporterBen joined CNI in November 2024 as a Statehouse reporter covering the General Assembly from Springfield and other events happening around state government. He previously covered Illinois government for The Daily Line following time in McHenry County with the Northwest Herald. Ben is also a graduate of the University of Illinois Springfield PAR program. He is a lifelong Illinois resident and is originally from Mundelein.
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Illinois Democrats, who hold supermajorities in the House and Senate, pushed through a spending plan with little time to spare before the May 31 midnight deadline. -
Illinois’ 290 state parks and 56 historic sites recorded more than 41 million visitors last year, which was the most in 15 years, according to new data from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. -
House Republican Leader Tony McCombie, R-Savanna, along with a group of individual voters, asked the court to reject the current legislative map for its partisan bias and lack of compactness. -
A case brought to the Illinois Supreme Court by House Republican Leader Tony McCombie asked the court to reject the current legislative map for its partisan bias and have a special master redraw the districts. -
USDA funds are part of nearly $2 billion being withheld from Illinois, Pritzker says. -
It’s not unusual for annual projections to show deficits in future years. Projections could change by the time Pritzker delivers his budget proposal on Feb. 19. -
The 2019 law was Pritzker’s first major legislative victory. -
They include digital driver’s licenses, salary transparency and health insurance changes. -
The federal health department nominee has a history of spreading false information, but he could find a partner in Illinois on food regulations. -
If signed by Gov. Pritzker, the measure would end federal minimum wage exemption in Illinois by 2030.
