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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Despite a Hail Mary heave from the Illinois Senate in the final hours of the spring legislative session, state lawmakers ultimately failed to reach the end zone on a bill incentivizing the Chicago Bears to build a new stadium in Illinois. -
Session slog ends in $56 billion budget, new taxes on social media companies, crypto, fantasy sportsIllinois lawmakers approved the state budget early Monday morning after slogging through the night, enacting new taxes on businesses and authorizing less spending than what Gov. JB Pritzker proposed in February. -
The Illinois Senate filed a more than 3,500-page spending plan late Saturday night but how it will be paid for has not been made public. -
Gov. Juliana Stratton won the hotly contested Democratic primary for U.S. Senate, defeating U.S. Reps. Raja Krishnamoorthi and Robin Kelly. -
A report by the Illinois Economic Policy Institute found federal budget cuts could reduce economic activity in Illinois by $10 billion each year by 2029. -
Illinois’ Dick Durbin was one of eight Democrats in the U.S. Senate to support a plan on Sunday night to reopen the federal government. The plan angered many top Illinois Democrats such as Gov. JB Pritzker and three candidates running to replace Durbin. -
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.
