WATCH: IL lawmakers pass consequential bills early Halloween
October 31, 2025/
(The Center Square) – In today’s edition of Illinois in Focus Daily, The Center Square Editor Greg Bishop powers through on little sleep with a roundup of legislative activity at the Illinois State Capitol that stretched into the early morning hours Friday. Measures approved include an energy policy bill, a tax increase to fund mass transit and enhancements to the state’s migrant sanctuary policies.
Subscribe to Illinois in Focus Daily with The Center Square on YouTube. You can also subscribe to the Illinois in Focus podcast to get the entire show uninterrupted.
Latest News Stories
Frankfort Township Board Approves Highway Salt Purchase, Restructures Financial Signers
Frankfort Township Board Meeting | March 9, 2026 Article Summary: The Frankfort Township Board unanimously approved a resolution updating its Illinois Fund authorized signers and greenlit the Highway Department's 2026-2027 salt...
U.S. House Republicans face jam-packed week ahead
By Thérèse BoudreauxThe Center Square U.S. House Republicans face a daunting legislative to-do list for the week ahead. The Department of Homeland Security has been shut down for more than...
Trump again scraps peace talks with Iran
By Brett RowlandThe Center Square President Donald Trump called off a planned diplomatic mission to Pakistan on Saturday, refusing to send his team on what he described as an unproductive...
U.S. Supreme Court to hear TPS for Haiti, Syria Wednesday
By Andrew RiceThe Center Square The U.S. Supreme Court will hear arguments on Wednesday in two cases that could determine the temporary protected status for Haitian and Syrian immigrants. Justices...
Fifth Circuit hands Texas another win on border security law
By Bethany BlankleyThe Center Square The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals handed Texas its third win Friday on border security. As the border crisis escalated during the Biden administration, Gov....
Illinois Rep faces investigation over sexual harassment
By Sean Reed | The Center SquareThe Center Square (The Center Square) – A state representative embattled with allegations of sexual harassment returned to Springfield this week after being stripped...
Frankfort Amends Zoning Code to Update Special Use Permits and Downtown Residential Materials
Frankfort Village Board Meeting | April 20, 2026 Article Summary: The Village Board approved a package of text amendments that untether Special Use Permits from the land and establish strict...
Talks with Iran to resume
By Sarah Roderick-FitchThe Center Square Middle East Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner will head back to Pakistan over the weekend to resume talks, as Vice President JD Vance...
Return on investment questioned as Chicago Red Line construction begins
By Jim Talamonti | The Center SquareThe Center Square (The Center Square) – Taxpayers are facing a hefty price tag as construction begins on a long-anticipated Chicago Transit Authority project...
WATCH: WA Democrat income tax supporter questions ‘necessity clause’ nixing public vote
By Carleen JohnsonThe Center Square A Democratic lawmaker who voted in support of Washington’s new income tax said he didn't see anything scandalous in this week’s revelation of emails showing...
DOJ to face audit for handling of Epstein files release
By Thérèse BoudreauxThe Center Square Following the drawn-out and politically calamitous release of millions of federal documents related to the exploits of sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein, the Department of Justice...
ISU strike enters third week; union sues over alleged strikebreaking
By Sean Reed | The Center SquareThe Center Square (The Center Square) – Union support staff at Illinois State University has entered a third week on strike over failed contract...
Trump extends Jones Act waiver, citing national securit
By Alton WallaceThe Center Square The Trump administration has suspended for an additional 90 days a law forbidding foreign-owned and crewed ships from transporting goods between U.S. ports in an...