Illinois General Assembly

With hate crimes rising across Illinois in the last five years, lawmakers are considering a bill that would allow people to sue if they receive threatening flyers on private property due to protected identity characteristics.

A bill that would tighten homeschooling regulations in Illinois missed a key deadline on Friday. But its sponsor, Rep. Terra Costa Howard, said it’s still alive — and she’s working on changes recommended by fellow lawmakers to get it passed.

The Illinois Senate passed legislation Thursday that would extend press protections to public media outlets, including NPR and PBS affiliates, that are operated by Illinois colleges and universities.

An Illinois measure would target the disclosure of fees for businesses, including restaurants, hotels and lodging, food delivery apps, live-ticketed events and independent contractors. So-called “junk” fees include service fees for popular concerts, resort fees for hotels and additional fees tacked onto restaurant bills.

State Rep. Bill Hauter, a Republican, is among the latest of Illinois lawmakers to propose legislation that would regulate the use and sales of an herbal substance called kratom.

Under proposed legislation, Illinois would explore the viability of reducing reliance on the state’s gas tax by putting in place a “road usage charge,” essentially a tax on the number of miles driven.

The first effort, in 2022, stalled amid concerns that the wording would prohibit law enforcement from intervening in serious matters. A new version closes that loophole.

Organizations that provide tutoring, recreation and other after-school programs are calling on Gov. JB Pritzker and the Illinois State Board of Education to release $50 million that was included in this year’s budget to fund those programs.

For five years now, a bipartisan group of Illinois lawmakers have wanted to establish a Prescription Drug Affordability Board. But this year’s effort may hit the same wall as before.

For two decades, Dave Joens has led the Illinois State Archives, the government agency tasked with preserving official government documents with historic value. Now, though, Joens is retiring from the post to pursue another passion: writing history books.