With a new governor in office, Democratic lawmakers are charging ahead on legislation Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner blocked as he pursued his pro-business, union-weakening agenda.

Here’s a link to the story at the Chicago Tribune.

The state Senate could soon vote on a measure that would require K-12 public schools in Illinois to teach LGBT history.

Here’s a link to the story at Illinois News Network.

Illinois lawmakers have approved legislation that would raise the legal age to buy and use tobacco products in Illinois to 21.

Here’s a link to the story at Illinois News Network.

SPRINGFIELD – Republican state lawmakers from southern Illinois pushed back Tuesday against a bill that would require more public disclosure from oil and gas drilling companies whenever they use hydraulic fracturing, or “fracking” in their operations in the state.

Here’s a link to the story at the Southern Illinoisan.

Lawmakers are back in Springfield and one matter the Senate is poised to take up would prohibit people younger than 21 from buying tobacco and e-cigarettes, but other measures targeting vaping products are also on the horizon.

Here’s a link to the story at Illinois News Network.

Rural Illinois residents could be a step closer to getting access to high-speed internet access, but state leaders still need to come up with the money and a plan to make it happen.

Here’s a link to the story at Illinois News Network.

SPRINGFIELD — With up to two Illinois congressional seats and $1 billion or more in federal funding on the line if Illinois’ population is not correctly counted in the 2020 census, nonprofit groups warn that changes to the census format this year could exacerbate an undercount in already hard-to-reach communities.
Here’s a link to the story at the Southern Illinoisan.

Legendary investor Warren Buffett said he wouldn’t “walk into liabilities” by expanding in states like Illinois or New Jersey, which carry billions in pension debt.

Here’s a link to the story at Illinois News Network.

Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s estimate of how much his progressive tax proposal would put into state coffers fails to consider that some people will take steps to avoid paying more in taxes, leading to a budget shortfall estimated to be in the billions, according to opponents of the governor’s tax plan.

Here’s a link to the story at Illinois News Network.

Throughout her two-decade political career, Susana Mendoza has cast herself as a fighter who takes on tough battles and wins.
Here’s a link to the story at the Chicago Tribune.