State News

The major party candidates for Illinois governor met for the second of three debates Wednesday night, and both men stuck mostly to the same attacks they’ve making for months.

Secretary of State Jesse White  has held the elected office nearly two decades. This year, his Republican opponent is questioning whether White will be able to serve out another four-year term if elected.

If you live in Illinois and visited Facebook or YouTube in the last year, chances are you've run into

Macomb Mayor Mike Inman has taken on another leadership position. He is the newly elected president of the Illinois Municipal League, which is a leading advocacy group for cities across the state.

Almost everything the Western Illinois University Board of Trustees discussed during a closed door meeting on June 28, 2018 must be made public, according to the Illinois Attorney General's office, which found [.pdf] the Board violated the state's Open Meetings Act (OMA).

The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency is asking the Attorney General’s office to temporarily shut down a Chicago-area chemical plant. The agency says that plant is releasing an illegal amount of cancer-causing fumes into the air.

A new poll shows Illinois Democrats are far more enthusiastic about voting in this fall’s election than Republicans.

The Illinois Capitol breathed a sigh of relief this summer when Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner and the Democratic-controlled legislature agreed on a state budget. But most Illinois voters say they’re not sure the deal will solve the state’s $1.2 billion deficit and other fiscal woes. That’s according to a new survey of registered voters conducted by AARP Illinois.

Illinois recipients of Temporary Aid for Needy Families - also known as TANF - will see an increase in the amount of their monthly grants in October. A $22 million boost was negotiated in the budget this year. Advocates for the poor say the difference may mean more families will be off the streets.

The race for Illinois Governor is heading into the home stretch, and the #MeToo movement continues to impact politics nationwide and in Illinois.

Dave Dahl of WTAX joins the panel.

Copyright 2018 NPR Illinois | 91.9 UIS. To see more, visit NPR Illinois | 91.9 UIS.

The next debate for Illinois nominees for governor is this Wednesday in Chicago. But two candidates are being left out this time around.

U.S. Rep. Cheri Bustos wants to move up in the leadership of the Democratic Party in the House. The 17th District congresswoman from East Moline announced Monday that if Democrats win a majority in the midterm elections, she will run for Assistant Democratic Leader, the number four position in House leadership.

There were fewer rapes reported at Northern Illinois University in 2017 compared to previous years. Drug arrests took a steep drop as well. That's according to Northern Illinois University's latest Annual Safety and Security Report.

More members of the public are asking the decision-makers at Western Illinois University to restore funding to its public radio station. Half-a-dozen people used the public comment period during the September 28 Board of Trustees meeting to address the administration's plan to end appropriated funding for Tri States Public Radio on March 1, 2019.

  CHICAGO - Hillary Clinton has campaigned for Democratic Illinois governor candidate J.B. Pritzker during a stop in Chicago.

Clinton joined a roundtable discussion on leadership Monday with Pritzker, his running mate state Rep. Juliana Stratton and a group of high school women.

Pritzker is trying to unseat Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner, who's considered one of the most vulnerable GOP incumbents seeking re-election this fall.

CHICAGO  - The U.S. Supreme Court has declined to hear former Chicago-area police officer Drew Peterson's appeal of his murder conviction in the drowning death of his third wife.

CAVE-IN-ROCK - An Ohio River ferry between Illinois and Kentucky resumes full service Monday after operating on limited hours the past three months.

CARBONDALE - An official at Southern Illinois University says a student accused earlier this month of belonging to a white supremacist neo-Nazi group is no longer enrolled in the school.

CHICAGO - An appeals court in Chicago has ordered that two people convicted of selling synthetic marijuana be resentenced after finding errors by their sentencing judge.

DES PLAINES - Des Plaines spent nearly $60,000 to get to the bottom of what happened at a drunken golf outing and party that some members of the Chicago suburb's police department attended last year.

SPRINGFIELD - A report on sexual harassment in Illinois politics issued last week paints a stark picture of the rough-and-tumble of the campaign trail that can breed harassment.

ALORTON - The mayor of a southern Illinois city has been charged with official misconduct for operating a police vehicle with its lights flashing.

There are two third party candidates for Illinois governor. And while four names will be on the ballot November 6th (or now, if you choose to vote early) - the efforts to get out messaging is one where odds are certainly stacked heavily against Sam McCann of the Conservative party, and Grayson "Kash" Jackson, running as a Libertarian.

lllinois has historically ranked second in the nation when it comes to high school graduates leaving the state to go to college. But there's good news for a certain set of students who opt to stay.

New data released by the state Board of Higher Education shows Illinois is tops in the nation for getting students who start out at community college through to a bachelor's degree.

Statewide, with host Sean Crawford, brings you reports and conversations from in and around Illinois.

Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner vetoed a plan last week that would bar employers from asking about salary history. Now, some lawmakers say these actions could impact the governor’s race in which Rauner is vying for a second term.

Drone enthusiasts, be aware – the rules for the small, unmanned aircrafts could be changing in Illinois.

A new law bars cities from regulating the use of drones.

The law excludes the city of Chicago, but a spokesman with the Illinois Department of Transportation says it will create consistent rules around the rest of the state.

Jackie Reiser is a co-owner of Measure Illinois – a Springfield-based company that provides drones to oversee power lines and construction sites. She says more unified regulation is a good thing.

All four candidates for governor shared a stage this week for the first of three televised debates. Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner and his Democratic challenger, J.B. Pritzker, picked up right where their mudslinging TV ads left off.

CHICAGO - Illinois State Police will be out this week issuing tickets and handing out safety literature in a bid to bring down numbers of railroad-crossing deaths in the state. 

CHICAGO - A former OpenTable employee has been charged with wire fraud for allegedly making hundreds of bogus reservations at Chicago restaurants to undermine a rival booking service.