Capitol Brief: Lawyers hope for Illinois Supreme Court answer to Trump ballot question
By ANDREW ADAMS Capitol News Illinois aadams@capitolnewsillinois.com CHICAGO — Lawyers representing Donald Trump and five Illinois voters hoping to see the former president removed from next month’s primary ballot sparred in a downtown Chicago courtroom on Friday. The case, which began last month when the Illinois State Board of Elections declined to disqualify Trump from…
Judge denies McCann’s request for home confinement, orders him held in custody
By HANNAH MEISEL Capitol News Illinois hmeisel@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – After suddenly pleading guilty as his federal corruption trial was wrapping up this week, former state Sen. Sam McCann won’t be released to await sentencing, U.S. District Judge Colleen Lawless ruled Friday. McCann has been held at Macon County Jail since last Friday, when Lawless ordered…
With influx of state and federal funding, Illinois looks to add enough chargers to support 1 million EVs
By COLE LONGCOR Capitol News Illinois clongcor@capitolnewsillinois.com Illinois’ electric vehicle charging infrastructure is on pace to double this year, buoyed by an influx of state and federal dollars. The investments are aimed at supporting both federal and state environmental goals. The Biden Administration set the goal of EVs making up half of all U.S. vehicle…
Pritzker commits another $182 million to migrant response, details to come next week
By ANDREW ADAMS Capitol News Illinois aadams@capitolnewsillinois.com CHICAGO – The state and Cook County announced Thursday a roughly $250 million plan to provide shelter, health care and other services for recently arrived migrants. But according to their own plan, there’s still a roughly $70 million funding gap for the rest of 2024. That missing money…
In last-minute reversal, former Sen. Sam McCann pleads guilty to corruption charges
By HANNAH MEISEL Capitol News Illinois hmeisel@capitolnewsillinois.com This is a breaking news story and will be updated. As federal prosecutors were preparing to rest their case Thursday in the corruption trial of former Republican state Sen. Sam McCann, the one-time gubernatorial candidate had a change of heart. His attorney announced McCann would reverse his position…
Customers pay for utilities’ lawyers and corporate donations. Advocates want to change that.
By ANDREW ADAMS Capitol News Illinois aadams@capitolnewsillinois.com Illinoisans pay tens of millions of dollars each year to utilities to cover costs they accrue for lawyers, belonging to trade groups, making charitable contributions and purchasing advertisements meant to boost utilities’ public image. Consumer advocates are pushing for a change to state law that would bar utilities…
Transportation workers rally for new contract amid negotiations with state
By ALEX ABBEDUTO Capitol News Illinois abbeduto@capitolnewsillinois.com Groups of Illinois Department of Transportation workers represented by local Teamsters unions rallied at facilities in Collinsville and Springfield Wednesday after recently passing a strike authorization and filing complaints against the state. Teamsters Local 916 President JP Fyans said negotiations have been ongoing since before the contract expired…
In day 2 of trial, prosecutor’s detail former lawmaker’s alleged RV rental scheme
By HANNAH MEISEL Capitol News Illinois hmeisel@capitolnewsillinois.com This story will be updated with further details from the trial. Former Republican State Sen. Sam McCann was back in federal court on Wednesday for day two of his trial for alleged misuse of campaign funds. Prosecutors delved into McCann’s alleged scheme to rent out a motor home…
Feds accuse ex-lawmaker of ‘greed, fraud and arrogance’ in misusing campaign funds
By HANNAH MEISEL Capitol News Illinois hmeisel@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – Assistant U.S. Attorney Tim Bass pulled no punches in describing former Republican state Sen. Sam McCann on the first day of his federal corruption trial on Tuesday. “This case is about greed, fraud and arrogance,” Bass said. “Greed for a lifestyle far beyond his means…fraud in…
Ex-Madigan aide sentenced to 30 months in prison for obstruction of justice attempt, perjury
By HANNAH MEISEL Capitol News Illinois hmeisel@capitolnewsillinois.com CHICAGO – For most of his adult working life, Tim Mapes only had one boss: former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan. And for the more than 25 years he served as Madigan’s chief of staff, Mapes was known for his extreme loyalty to the powerful speaker. His office…
Gun rights groups ask SCOTUS to review Illinois’ assault weapons ban
By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois phancock@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – In a long-expected move, national gun rights organizations are asking the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn Illinois’ ban on assault weapons and large capacity magazines. In separate petitions filed Monday, the Colorado-based National Association for Gun Rights and the Nevada-based Firearms Policy Coalition asked the nation’s…
McCann trial delayed another day as he cancels plan to represent himself
By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois phancock@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – The federal corruption trial of former Republican state Sen. Sam McCann was delayed again on Monday, but this time for only one day to allow a court-appointed standby attorney time to take over his defense. McCann’s trial has been delayed numerous times since his February 2021…
Bertino-Tarrant Attends White House ‘Communities in Action’ Series
Visit includes meetings with Sen. Durbin and Congressmen Jackson and Davis. Will County Executive Jennifer Bertino-Tarrant joined elected and community leaders from throughout Illinois at the White House to discuss the positive local impacts of federal investments from the Biden-Harris Administration. “Will County has received historic levels of federal funding under this administration,” said County…
Illinois Farmers Featured in Super Bowl Commercial
By Tammie Sloup FarmWeek Little did Matt Boucher know a social media post spotlighting three generations on his farm would springboard his family to a role in a Super Bowl commercial. The fourth-generation Livingston County farmer and his daughter will be featured in a commercial highlighting the fact that 96% of Illinois farms are family-owned.…
Misdeeds by Carlinville funeral home director spur legislative proposals
By BETH HUNDSDORFER Capitol News Illinois bhundsdorfer@capitolnewsillinois.com The wrong cremains were buried in a national cemetery. Bodies cremated under the wrong name. The wrong ashes returned to families from coast to coast. An investigation into the mishandling of human remains has affected at least 80 families so far and continues to ripple out from…
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