Illinois in Focus

The Illinois Senate Appropriations Committee chair says greater federal scrutiny of state government spending will not change the General Assembly’s budget process. State senators are scheduled to return to Springfield this week for session days Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. State Sen. Elgie Sims, D-Chicago, chairs the appropriations committee. 
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Greg Bishop shares some of the recent conversations happening at the Illinois Statehouse as some legislators push for taxing millionaires more, others push changes to public safety policy. One legislator is defending her bill allowing for local regulation of campfires.

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The Center Square's Greg Bishop looks at the immigration enforcement debate as it relates to Illinois

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Greg Bishop talks live with Darren Bailey, a former state senator who was the Republican candidate for governor against Gov. J.B. Pritzker four years ago. Bailey is running in the Republican primary March 17 with early voting starting Feb. 5.

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(The Center Square) – According to new estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau, Illinois’ population has risen for the third straight year. Data released on Tuesday showed Illinois with an estimated 12,719,141 people on July 1, 2025, up from 12,703,033 the previous year. The state’s number is 16,108 higher than a year ago but 76,207 lower than it was in 2020.

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The Center Square's Greg Bishop reviews some of the latest deadlines around work requirements for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and shares data on how much tax money goes to SNAP, and how much Illinois' error rate has increased in the last 10 years.

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Greg Bishop delves into the latest U.S. Census estimates for Illinois' population that shows a third year of growth, but international migration into the state continues to outpace the domestic migration out of the state.

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Greg Bishop shares a conversation with Statehouse candidate Bailey Templeton about her latest findings through public records requests showing a 725% increase in the amount of Medicaid spending on children without Social Security Numbers. 
 

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(The Center Square) – Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul says his office has endured 365 days of chaos with President Donald Trump back in the White House. Raoul held a press conference in Chicago on Tuesday to mark the one-year anniversary of Trump’s return to the Oval Office. “Today marks 365 days of chaos, 365 days of attacks on civil rights, on the rule of law and on the Constitution itself,” Raoul said. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com

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Greg Bishop discusses the status of several Second Amendment challenges in the federal courts, including the U.S. Supreme Court still considering whether to take a challenge from Illinois calling the state's gun and magazine ban unconstitutional.

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