Ben Szalinski
ReporterBen Szalinski joined Capitol News Illinois in November 2024 as a Statehouse reporter covering the General Assembly from Springfield and other events happening around state government.
He previously covered Illinois government for The Daily Line following time in McHenry County with the Northwest Herald. Ben is also a graduate of the University of Illinois Springfield PAR program.
He is a lifelong Illinois resident and is originally from Mundelein.
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Four years ago, candidates braved a mix of rain and snow. Two years ago, it was bone-chilling cold. But on Monday, the sun was shining with an Autumn crisp in the air as hundreds of candidates gathered in Springfield to file petitions for the primary election. -
Nearly 2 million people in Illinois could lose federal food benefits ahead of Thanksgiving if Congress can’t agree on a budget by the end of the month. -
Illinois’ Republican primary for governor is growing expensive as the party's 2022 nominee works to rebuild his campaign fund while another candidate receives support from one of the state’s wealthiest Republican donors. -
Violent protests, legally questionable immigration raids and the deployment of National Guard troops without the governor’s approval will be at the forefront of state lawmakers’ minds when they return to Springfield on Tuesday. -
The Department of Homeland Security is seeking to send 100 military troops to Chicago, according to Gov. JB Pritzker, who assailed the move as the Trump administration’s latest — yet not unforeseen — push to consolidate power. -
Fourteen new electric-vehicle charging stations are coming to gas stations and a restaurant in McLean County, as part of a second round of federal grants aimed at bolstering EV charging capacity along interstate corridors. -
Gov. JB Pritzker said political leaders — starting with President Donald Trump — need to do more to condemn political violence. -
Illinois’ Democratic leaders showed a united front Monday against President Donald Trump’s threats to deploy the military into Chicago’s streets to fight crime with one message: “Mr. President, do not come to Chicago.” -
After the state moved to regulate carbon sequestration last year, advocates called on lawmakers to codify protections for the Mahomet Aquifer — a measure which Pritzker signed last week. -
Insurance companies operating in Illinois have a transparency problem with state regulators and consumers, four top state officials alleged Wednesday.
