State Senator Rachel Ventura is advancing legislation to curb the influence of private equity and large institutional investors in Illinois’ housing market, by establishing a graduated annual fee on institutional investors and requiring a 90-day waiting period before they can make a purchase.
Politics
Posted inPolitics
Hastings’ missing persons identification measure passes Senate
State Senator Michael E. Hastings has passed legislation in the Senate to accelerate the timeline for critical forensic data to be added to state and national databases, in order to help families find closure in missing persons cases.
Posted inNews
Device that helps make space travel possible named ‘Coolest Thing Made in Illinois’
The NASA Standard Initiator, a small electrically activated pyrotechnic device made in Illinois, helped fuel the success of the Artemis II mission and won the 2026 “Makers Madness” competition.
Posted inNews
150,000 Illinois households may lose federal food assistance beginning May 1
Advocates rallied at the Illinois Capitol to support three bills that would provide assistance to those who have lost access to their SNAP benefits due to changes made by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.
Posted inSports
Illinois House unveils new version of Bears’ megaprojects bill
The Illinois House has unveiled a new version of property tax legislation that the Chicago Bears say is a prerequisite for building a new domed stadium in suburban Arlington Heights, and the measure is expected to be considered in committee on Wednesday.
Posted inNews
Illinois Bill Aims to Expedite Autism Diagnosis for Young Children
House Bill 5225, sponsored by Rep. Natalie Manley, would allow qualified speech-language pathologists to diagnose autism spectrum disorder in children under three years old with no co-occurring medical conditions, in order to reduce delays in diagnosis and access to effective interventions.
Posted inState
Lawmakers grill Department of Corrections after audit shows dozens of failures
An audit of the Illinois Department of Corrections revealed 40 shortcomings, including violations of state purchasing rules, overtime pay for employees on leave, and a lack of tracking paroled inmates, which could cost the state millions of dollars and jeopardize public safety.
Posted inHealth
Costs of state employee health benefits continue steep rise
The state’s health insurance costs are expected to increase by 9% in fiscal year 2027, bringing total expenses to $4.6 billion, due to growth in the state’s workforce and general inflation in the healthcare industry.
Posted inNews
Young voter participation plan to provide registration information for qualified high schoolers
State Rep. Natalie Manley, D-Joliet, is backing a plan to provide graduating high school students with the opportunity to register to vote by their school under House Bill 4339, which has been dubbed the Rev. Jesse Jackson, Sr. Young Voter Empowerment Law.
Posted inState
Legislation to support Mothers with newborns passes House
State Rep. Laura Faver Dias passed legislation to create a support system for mothers and their newborn children, requiring the Illinois Department of Human Services to develop infrastructure for universal newborn home visiting services by Jan. 1, 2028.
