Capitol News Illinois

After the death of a Fairview Heights teenager, multiple women said the caseworker on the case threatened them and their children.

New law clarifies Illinois' statute to bypass eviction process. State law previously required property owners to go through a lengthy eviction process in court to remove squatters who claimed legal rights to a property.

The Illinois Department of Children and Family Services has refused to release a timeline or reports detailing their actions in the case — despite a law that requires DCFS to make findings and recommendations available when a child dies or is seriously injured in its care.

New requirements mandate Illinois pay for a greater share of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, better known as SNAP.

It's the largest budget in state history despite cuts and freezes. Only a handful of Democrats opposed it, and all Republicans unanimously voted against it.

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.

East St. Louis School District 189 stood to lose the most money — $19 million for a major HVAC project — of any Illinois district. The district's spokeswoman said the judge's decision is "encouraging."

University leaders from across the state push for new way of determining state funding. The fiscal year 2026 proposed budget includes a 3% increase for higher education in the general fund for operating costs – which is about the same as the rate of inflation.

The Illinois Department of Public Health is working to identify potential locations of exposure, including the clinic in southern Illinois where the patient sought care, to see whether any other patients were exposed.

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.