Mawa Iqbal
Statehouse Reporter | WBEZMawa is a statehouse reporter, covering the Illinois legislature for WBEZ and Illinois Public Radio. Before coming to Springfield, Mawa worked as a general assignment reporter at WYSO, the NPR-affiliate station for Southwest Ohio. There, she covered policing and local government. Mawa earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Missouri. In her free time, she is either learning how to play guitar or watching bad reality TV shows.
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Drug-soaked paper is making its way into Illinois prisons, causing overdoses and staff safety concerns. But banning it could pose legal issues. -
One of the six seats Democrats hope to flip is the 114th District, which covers East St. Louis and some surrounding rural areas. -
Thursday was the final day of the East St. Louis trial challenging the law, passed in response to the 2022 mass shooting in Highland Park. -
The first witness called by those challenging the ban was a downstate gun dealer who testified AR-15-style guns are used for self-defense. -
Sonya Massey called 911 to report a potential prowler before being shot inside her home. Footage shows she was cowering in fear and holding a pot when the deputy opened fire. -
The Illinois bill, which has bipartisan support, would take guns from people with restraining orders against them. It failed for a third time in the legislature. -
Ranked choice voting could be an option in Illinois in 2028. We’re breaking down what that change would look like and why it matters. -
Newly introduced legislation in Illinois seeks to expand insurance coverage or offer incentives for fertility care. -
Amid a national movement to update instruction to match what science says about learning to read, Illinois has adopted a blueprint to improve reading skills among its youth. -
Illinois became the first state in the country to abolish cash bail on Monday, but the courts remained slow in the Metro East. -
Among the 102 counties in Illinois, 42 have crisis pregnancy centers but no in-person abortion providers. -
Catholic doulas navigate between religious belief and their commitment to maternal reproductive health, including abortion care.
