WATCH: Tax increase talk at Statehouse; Bost’s election lawsuit against Illinois wins standing
January 15, 2026/
(The Center Square) – In today’s edition of Illinois in Focus Daily, The Center Square’s Greg Bishop discusses the status of Illinois’ budget, and shares comments from Gov. J.B. Pritzker about the impacts to state spending if federal taxpayer funds are frozen. Legislators discuss the prospect of tax increases with a proposal being floated to have a surcharge on millionaires.
Bishop also discusses the status of mail-in voting in Illinois. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled Illinois Congressman Mike Bost has standing to sue the Illinois State Board of Elections over the state’s policy of counting mail-in ballots up to two weeks after election day.
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.
Fri Jun 12
84° 61°
Sunny
Latest News Stories
Senate confirms Warsh on narrow partisan lines
By Andrew RiceThe Center Square The U.S. Senate, in a 54-45 vote, confirmed Kevin Warsh, President Donald Trump's pick to lead the Federal Reserve on Wednesday. The Senate voted closely...
Illinois Senate passes bill to regulate auto insurance rates
By Jim Talamonti | The Center SquareThe Center Square (The Center Square) – The Illinois Senate has approved legislation to regulate auto insurance rates, but a former Illinois Department of...
Exclusive: GOP defends report, points to Walz administration failures on fraud
By Elyse ApelThe Center Square The Republican-led Minnesota House fraud prevention and state oversight committee adopted its majority report on Wednesday, concluding a two-year review of alleged fraud across multiple...
Op-Ed: The FAA’s O’Hare decision is a win for travelers – and for competition
By Mario H. Lopez | Hispanic Leadership FundThe Center Square At Chicago's O'Hare International Airport, one of the nation's most critical travel hubs and a gateway for millions of passengers...
Bill to prevent fraud on elderly, disabled opposed by financial institutions
By Sean Reed | The Center SquareThe Center Square (The Center Square) – Based on the multiple billions of dollars lost to scams and exploitation of elderly and disabled adults...
Legislative Committee Advances Resolution Opposing Kidney Disease Treatment Delegation Act
Will County Board Legislative Committee Meeting | May 5, 2026 Article SummaryThe Will County Legislative Committee unanimously approved a resolution formally opposing Senate Bill 3445 and House Bill 4402, citing...
Cooper gets $31.4M share of $111.2M spend
By Alan WootenThe Center Square The bid of Roy Cooper to the U.S. Senate is getting a $31.4 million infusion for television advertising, the Senate Majority PAC told The Center...
Appeals court freezes tariff ruling, businesses keep paying
By Brett RowlandThe Center Square Two small businesses that won a court ruling against President Donald Trump's tariffs must continue paying them for now, after a federal appeals court on...
Illinois Quick Hits: Gas tops $5 a gallon
By Jim Talamonti | The Center SquareThe Center Square (The Center Square) – AAA says the average price for a gallon of regular unleaded gasoline is now $5.03 in Illinois,...
Pretrial Fairness Act invoked as Illinois Supreme Court hears detention case
By Jim Talamonti | The Center SquareThe Center Square (The Center Square) – A case involving the continued detention of defendants under the Pretrial Fairness Act portion of the SAFE-T...
Border crisis fallout: Midwest prosecutions of SATG crime ongoing
By Bethany BlankleyThe Center Square After a record number of border crimes were reported during the Biden administration, criminal investigations and prosecutions are ongoing. In the Midwest, prosecutors are also...
EXCLUSIVE: Medical watchdog urges social work accreditor to remove DEI requirements
By Tate RosentreterThe Center Square Medical watchdog Do No Harm sent a letter to social work accreditor the Council on Social Work Education Wednesday urging that it remove all diversity,...
Commission Approves Massive Lake Michigan Water Infrastructure Project for Troy Township
Will County Planning and Zoning Commission Meeting | May 5, 2026 Article Summary: The Will County Planning and Zoning Commission on May 5, 2026, unanimously approved two major public utility...
Committee: Capital Improvements Committee Weighs $300 Million Options for Downtown Joliet Campus
Will County Board Capital Improvements & IT Committee Meeting | May 5, 2026 Article SummaryThe Will County Capital Improvements & IT Committee is evaluating four multi-million-dollar proposals to replace aging...
