By Andrew Thomason | Illinois Statehouse News SPRINGFIELD — Lawmakers are working to erase a state prohibition on recording police in public that carries the same penalties as trafficking in drugs. State Rep. Elaine Nekritz, D-Northbrook, has introduced legislation that makes it legal to record audio of on-duty police in public places. The 1994 [...]

  By Benjamin Yount | Illinois Statehouse News   SPRINGFIELD — College and university presidents support Gov. Pat Quinn's plan to offer more grants to low-income students.    Quinn on Wednesday held a closed-door meeting at the executive mansion with university and community college presidents.  The governor is trying to shore up support for his State [...]

By Andrew Thomason | Illinois Statehouse News SPRINGFIELD — Illinois’ prepaid college tuition fund on which some 54,000 families are relying is vowing to find some way to make up a $559.9-million deficit.   Even if that means asking for a taxpayer-funded bailout, said John Sinsheimer, executive director for the Illinois Student Assistance Commission, or ISAC, [...]

By Anthony Brino | Illinois Statehouse News SPRINGFIELD  — Many Illinois lawmakers say they are still not convinced that Gov. Pat Quinn’sproposal to close centers for people with mental health and developmental disabilities is a good plan. The Legislature’s Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability, a group of state representatives and state senators who play a role in [...]

By Andrew Thomason | Illinois Statehouse News SPRINGFIELD — A debate over the future of developmental disability and mental health care in Illinois is paving the way for a behind-the-scenes brawl between unions in the state. Gov. Pat Quinn rang the bell in the fall when he announced the closure of seven state facilities, two [...]

By Anthony Brino | Illinois Statehouse News SPRINGFIELD — Cameras in Illinois will soon do what has always been a police officer’s job — issue speeding tickets. Gov. Pat Quinn on Monday signed legislation that allows Chicago to install speed cameras and ticket speeders in “safety zones” within 660 feet of schools, from 6 a.m. to 10 [...]

By Anthony Brino | Illinois Statehouse News SPRINGFIELD — The federal tax credit that has supported wind energy for almost 20 years is set to expire at the end of 2012. With this expiration looming, the future of the industry in Illinois — one of the top producers of wind energy in the nation — [...]

By Andrew Thomason | Illinois Statehouse News SPRINGFIELD — Illinois could add 100,000 new enrollees to its Medicaid rolls in the near future. The Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services, which administers Medicaid, asked the federal government to approve accelerating the expansion of the state-federal health insurance program under the federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. The [...]

  By Benjamin Yount | Illinois Statehouse News SPRINGFIELD — Illinois Statehouse News spoke with lawmakers, a university president and people outside of the state Capitol to go between the lines of Gov. Pat Quinn’s State of the State address. In 35 minutes, Quinn outlined his agenda for the spring legislative session, referring to investments in higher education and tax [...]

By Benjamin Yount and Anthony Brino | Illinois Statehouse News SPRINGFIELD — Jerry and Melanie Howlett didn’t watch Gov. Pat Quinn‘s State of the State speech Wednesday afternoon. Instead the Howletts, of Tremont, were touring the Capitol with their daughter and two sons. Jerry Howlett has the time to tour the statehouse, because he is [...]