Author: Capitol News

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2020 census counting to end on Oct. 15

By RAYMON TRONCOSOCapitol News Illinois | Report For Americartroncoso@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD — The U.S. Supreme Court ruled the Trump administration could shorten the U.S. Census count on Tuesday, just hours after the Illinois government committed an additional $1 million to outreach. The Trump administration originally tried to shorten the end date […]

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Pritzker defends decision on high school football

By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois phancock@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – Gov. JB Pritzker said Wednesday that he stands behind his decision to prohibit high school football for the fall season amid the COVID-19 pandemic, even as professional and many college leagues have decided to resume play. “Over the summer, we saw […]

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Mendoza warns of dangers ahead for Illinois budget

By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois phancock@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – Illinois Comptroller Susana Mendoza is adding her voice to those warning that the state will face dire consequences if the federal government does not approve an economic aid package for state and local governments. “Without question, Illinois — and every other […]

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AG asks Clay County judge to rule on last issue in Bailey’s lawsuit

By REBECCA ANZEL Capitol News Illinois ranzel@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD — The Illinois attorney general’s office on Tuesday night asked a downstate judge to address the one outstanding issue in Rep. Darren Bailey’s lawsuit challenging Gov. JB Pritzker’s executive orders related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Until Clay County Circuit Court Judge Michael […]

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Pritzker lays out federal COVID-19 wish list to congressional committee

By JERRY NOWICKI Capitol News Illinois jnowicki@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD — Testifying before the U.S. House Committee on Homeland Security Wednesday, Gov. JB Pritzker said he would like to see a coordinated national COVID-19 containment strategy that requires people to wear masks, and he reiterated the need for a federal financial support […]

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Opposing groups readying for battle over tax amendment

By JERRY NOWICKI Capitol News Illinois jnowicki@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – Days after the governor donated $51.5 million of his personal fortune to a committee supporting a graduated income tax constitutional amendment, a new coalition has begun an effort to defeat the measure. At stake is Gov. JB Pritzker’s signature policy proposal […]

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Illinois, regional economies shrink in first quarter

By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois phancock@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois economy shrank at an annual rate of 5.4 percent during the first quarter of 2020 compared to the previous quarter, according to federal data released Tuesday, an indicator of just how severely the COVID-19 pandemic affected commercial activity. The gross domestic […]

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Illinois COVID-19 deaths dip to lowest daily number since March

By JERRY NOWICKI Capitol News Illinois jnowicki@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – Hospitalizations for COVID-19 in Illinois declined significantly over the holiday weekend and into Monday, touching their lows since the state began reporting the figures daily in April. There were 1,395 COVID-19 patients hospitalized as of 11:59 p.m. Sunday as the number […]