the center square

At the high school level, just 32% of low-income 11th graders read at grade level and 17% proved to be competent in math. #tests #students

Senate Bill 1950, which began as a bill about sanitary food preparation, passed as the End-of-Life Options for Terminally Ill Patients Act in the early morning hours of Halloween. #disability #assistedsuicide

Bhatt said taxpayers who are seeing and hearing about the no tax on tips at the federal level might not think about having to actually add those back into their state return. #taxtips #rule

As a way of generating rental assistance funding, Sigcho Lopez is calling on lawmakers to more heavily tax the wealthy, something state Rep. Chris Miller, R-Oakland, said would be akin to rewarding those who have already broken the law. #raids #eviction

In a video, García announced his retirement to focus on family and health, citing his wife’s battle with Multiple Sclerosis and recently adopted grandchildren. #retirement #election

Logan Correctional Center in Logan County is slated for a major rebuild as part of a statewide effort to modernize aging prisons, but the facility’s future location and timeline remain uncertain, raising concerns among local leaders about jobs and economic impact. #youth #housing

“The SAFE-T Act is designed to give judges the ability to keep people in jail who they think are potentially dangerous for the community,” Pritzker said. #safe-t # fire

Harmon’s committee had argued the notice of self-funding should be based on the office's election cycle, not the day of the next general election cycle as some Senate terms can be four and six years. Harmon is up for reelection in 2026. #fines #election

U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth highlighted Jan’s story on social media, showing how ACA tax credits help her afford a $580-a-month medical implant. #taxcredits #aca

Duckworth said the agreement would not protect American families from what she called President Donald Trump’s “vindictive efforts” in exchange for a vague promise. #shutdown #vote