Newsroom

The Illinois State Police (ISP) have extended the application period for the next Cadet class until Jan. 31. Candidates who successfully complete the Recruitment Examination will be invited to participate in a mandatory Physical Fitness Inventory Test in late March, with training to begin this summer...

January is Human Trafficking Awareness month, which aims to remind Illinois residents that human trafficking could be happening in their own communities. According to the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS), the agency investigated 225 allegations of human trafficking of children in Fiscal Year 2019....

Representatives from local governments and good government organizations spent nearly four hours meeting with the bipartisan Senate and House Joint Commission on Ethics and Lobbying Reform on Jan. 15...

The start of the New Year brought about the beginning of Illinois’ controversial minimum wage hike. Effective Jan. 1, Illinois’ minimum wage increased from $8.25 per hour to $9.25 per hour, putting additional cost burdens on small-business owners across the state. Wages will continue to increase incrementally to $15 per hour by 2025...

As temperatures drop, the Office of the State Fire Marshal encourages residents to have their furnaces checked and to make sure carbon monoxide and smoke detectors are working properly...

Beginning Jan. 1, recreational marijuana officially became legal in the state of Illinois, and dispensaries raked in over $3 million on the first day of sales...

In the midst of ethical probes into the Illinois Statehouse, Illinois Comptroller Susana Mendoza recently announced that her office will no longer assist municipalities in collecting fines for violations caught by red-light cameras...

Illinois entered the new decade with nearly 160,000 fewer residents than in previous years, underscoring the need for lawmakers to address the continued outmigration...

Following a public outcry about the investigation released by the Chicago Tribune and ProPublica detailing the use of isolation rooms throughout the state’s public schools, a joint Senate and House Education Committee held their first hearing about the controversial practice...

As a new year begins, Illinois residents may be interested to learn about several notable new laws that take effect January 1. The new laws kicking off 2020 cover everything from protecting children under DCFS care to safeguarding individuals’ privacy and personal information...

The Illinois Student Assistance Commission has recognized more than 17,577 high school students from 726 schools in Illinois for their academic achievements...

The Attorney General’s office has released its annual Safe Shopping Guide highlighting hazardous toys, children’s products and household items that have been recalled during the past year to help Illinois families ensure a safe holiday shopping season...

The Illinois Emergency Management Agency is offering holiday safety tips for shopping, travel, winter heating and more...

For many years, Senate Republicans have strongly advocated for creating a new, non-partisan system for drawing legislative boundaries. Earlier this year, the Caucus pledged support for the passage of a bipartisan Constitutional Amendment that would have allowed Illinois residents to have their say on the issue...

Watchdog group Truth in Accounting has issued a report that ranks Illinois among the least fiscally-transparent states in the nation...

As you prepare for the holiday season, the Illinois Department of Agriculture says a pass to the 2020 Illinois State Fair might just be the perfect gift for loved ones on your list...

The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) has its own recommendations for Thanksgiving celebrations to prepare your food and keep it healthy and safe...

If you’re planning to travel during the Thanksgiving weekend, you should expect to have plenty of company on the roads and in the skies...

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration recently issued a Regional Emergency Declaration due to a shortage of propane in Illinois. Illinois is one of seven states to receive this declaration, which makes it easier to transport and deliver propane to areas in short supply...

With sales of cannabis for recreational use set to begin on January 1, state and local governments, along with Illinois businesses, are continuing to prepare for the new law to take effect. During the just-completed fall veto session, the Illinois General Assembly approved follow-up legislation to clear up issues with the legalization process...

The fall Veto Session came to a close during the week with the final days’ main focus firmly on combating the ethics problems currently plaguing the state. Senate Republicans stood up for true bipartisanship in the composition of a committee to examine the state’s ethics laws, and several ethics-related proposals were introduced. Also during the week, a pension consolidation measure cleared the General Assembly....

The Senate Republican Caucus took action today to restore public trust in an honest and ethical state government. At a press conference in the Capitol’s blue room, members unveiled a legislative proposal to ensure independent investigations of members of the General Assembly...

$700 million dollars in much-needed road repairs and construction projects will soon be underway within the geographic boundaries of the 50th Senate District as part of IDOT’s multi-year construction plan, according to State Senator Steve McClure (R-Springfield). He estimates that the total projects in and around the 50th District probably include over a billion and a half dollars in work that will have a positive impact for the people of the district...

As Veterans Day approaches, and we look for ways to honor Illinois veterans and tell their incredible stories, State Sen. Steve McClure (R-Springfield) is asking constituents to submit a photo and tribute to a loved one who has served in the United States Armed Forces to be displayed on the Veterans Day “Wall of Honor” in the Illinois State Capitol Nov. 4-15...

More than 60 students spent their day in Springfield learning about state and local government, debating issues, and proposing new laws, all as part of State Senator Steve McClure’s (R-Springfield) Youth Advisory Council program...