capitol news illinois

He needed “some money coming in,” as he put it to a federal jury on Friday, and took Maani at his word that “work would come eventually,” though he’d never met the man and only ever had two phone conversations with him. #bribe

The bill, called the Homeschool Act, would require families to notify their local school districts if they decide to homeschool their children. #homeschool

Biagi took the reins of the department in mid-January as acting director and is tasked with leading IDOT through several high-profile projects around the state – as well as a five-year, $29.7 billion spending plan to keep the state’s highways up to par. But Biagi took over IDOT at the same time President Donald Trump’s hectic policy changes started to raise questions about the future of transportation funding. #transportation

Among Trump’s actions were the executive order on birthright citizenship, a short-lived freeze on distribution of federal aid and grants, threats of tariffs against Canada, Mexico and China; and the pardon of people convicted in the Jan. 6, 2021, assault on the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. #policy

That motorcycle is now at the center of a two-count federal indictment in the southern district of Illinois in November against then-Wayne City Police Chief Anson Fenton, 46, alleging he sold forfeited or surrendered items for his personal benefit. #indictment

The incident raised questions about the safety of warehouses in severe weather, including if warehouses are designed to withstand extreme winds and if warehouse operators are properly prepared for severe weather. #tornado

The bill, House Bill 5164, would eliminate an existing requirement to publish name changes with a local newspaper. It would also reduce the state residency requirement of people wanting to change their name from six months to three months. #name

The Illinois Commerce Commission on Thursday approved scaled-back plans submitted by Commonwealth Edison and Ameren Illinois, the electric utilities for northern and southern Illinois, respectively. #grid

A federal jury on Thursday heard from agents involved in those searches – both of whom said they found no evidence of work product Olivo or the other subcontractors did on behalf of ComEd. #trial

Foxx’s office made its argument in briefs filed with the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals, where a three-judge panel will hear oral arguments Nov. 12 in a challenge to the county’s assault weapons ban. #ban