Sharon Chung

Illinois organizations dedicated to the humanities and the arts are asking state lawmakers for help as they scramble to make up for federal funding cuts. One of them is the McLean County Museum of History.

Illinois’ energy demand will outmatch its supply by 2030, according to a Power Bureau study. That's why some lawmakers are trying to end a 40-year moratorium on the construction of large-scale nuclear reactors.

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.

Over the last decade, state funding for Illinois State University has dropped by more than a third after inflation. And it has declined as a share of the total university budget for more than three decades. That could change if the state legislature passes a measure this spring.

In 10 other states, doctors are allowed to prescribe life-ending treatment for terminal patients. Illinois could become the 11th.

Some state lawmakers are saying public safety issues can be attributed to a lack of support for police and bills which they say make their jobs more difficult. Republican state Rep. Dennis Tipsword of Metamora held a news conference with other lawmakers to announce initiatives to address public safety.

State Rep. Sharon Chung of Bloomington is pushing a bill to expand the reach of the community's wastewater treatment facilities to boost economic development.

Heartland Community College's president said the college is unlikely to seek four-year degree offerings, even if a proposal from Gov. JB Pritzker becomes reality.

Central Illinois lawmakers had mixed reactions to Gov. JB Pritzker’s State of the State and budget address. Some said they came to the Illinois House floor expecting more transparency about the budget and were disappointed by Pritzker’s focus on federal government and critique of Republican Party.

Lawmakers are reviving an effort that’s been tried several times before. It has the bipartisan support of state Reps. Sharon Chung and Ryan Spain from Central Illinois.