Illinois House Committee Debating Whether To Reinstate The Death Penalty
An Illinois House Committee debated Governor Bruce Rauner's proposal to revive the death penalty for mass murderers and police killers in Springfield Monday.
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An Illinois House Committee debated Governor Bruce Rauner's proposal to revive the death penalty for mass murderers and police killers in Springfield Monday.
The governor's plan would allow prosecutors to seek the death penalty in cases involving the murder of a law enforcement officer, or in mass murders.
Legislation that aims to address the teacher and substitute teacher shortage in Illinois received unanimous support in the House of Representatives on Wednesday.
The Illinois House approved to adopt a plan that permits infused medical marijuana to be administered to students by parents in elementary and secondary schools.
The sponsor of a proposal to ban Illinois children younger than 12 from playing organized tackle football tells The Associated Press the measure lacks the votes to pass this session.
Wednesday brought the biggest drive for new gun laws Springfield has seen in years.
Buses loaded with vocal Chicagoans and religious leaders were heading to the Illinois State Capitol on Wednesday, to urge the General Assembly to approve a package of gun control measures.
Chicago Police Supt. Eddie Johnson and other top police brass were headed to Springfield on Tuesday, in an effort to convince lawmakers to ban the sales of body armor and high-capacity ammunition magazines.
A big part of Gov. Bruce Rauner's so-called "Turnaround Agenda" is a property tax freeze, but Republicans said the latest version approved by House Democrats is no more than political pandering.
The legislation also would require more video surveillance and staff training in gun stores. Video footage would have to be saved for at least 90 days.
The Judiciary Committee approved a proposed ban on firearm trigger-modifications -- including bump stocks like those used in the Las Vegas mass shooting.
The Illinois House will be in session on Wednesday as it begins to consider Governor Rauner's veto of the school funding measure known as Senate Bill 1.
DCFS officials will testify at a joint House and Senate committee hearing about what could have been done to prevent Semaj Crosby's death.
A woman also had been seen being led out of the House gallery in handcuffs a short time before session was set to begin.
A bipartisan coalition in the Illinois House must hold together in order to override the governor's veto of a $36 billion budget deal.
House Speaker Michael Madigan's office has said the override vote will happen Thursday, when the chamber reconvenes at 1:30 p.m.
Test vote on House Democrats' spending plan passes 90-25, but lawmakers will blow through midnight deadline for budget deal.
Sen. Linda Holmes (D-Aurora) said she is hopeful the Illinois House will work out a budget compromise before the end of the month.
A lawmaker has suggested putting cursive back in the curriculum at Illinois schools, but not enough lawmakers would sign off on his idea.
Environmental activists and others said they have reached a compromise on a statewide requirement to test for lead in drinking water at schools and daycare centers.
The Democratic lawmakers filed a lawsuit in Cook County Circuit Court on Friday demanding that Republican Comptroller Leslie Munger and Gov. Bruce Rauner "end unwarranted political pressure."
Top-ranking Republican state Rep. Ron Sandack says he's resigning from the Illinois House, citing "cyber security issues."
The state's epic budget impasse could end Thursday, as lawmakers were expected to vote on a stopgap spending plan, and a full-year education funding deal allowing schools to open in fall.
Outspoken Democratic state Rep. Jack Franks said Sunday that he will run for McHenry County board chairman instead of seeking re-election for the Illinois House where he's served since 1999, a decision fueled by the state's unprecedented budget impasse.
In a rare move, President Barack Obama is joining the fray in an Illinois House race, backing a first-time candidate against a Democratic incumbent in a race that has become a proxy war in the battle between Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan and Gov. Bruce Rauner.
The ages of the victims range from 19 to 35, according to Chicago police.
Genomic analysis showed the virus found aboard the MV Hondius shows no evidence of new characteristics so far.
A burglary suspect was taken into custody after allegedly stealing a Cook County Sheriff's car on Saturday morning.
A man was charged with attempted murder after a stabbing and battery at a hotel in McHenry, Illinois, early Saturday morning.
Officials first announced the outbreak on Friday, with 65 deaths and 246 suspected cases.
In a move aimed at curbing the growing problem of "teen takeovers," D.C. U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro is threatening to bring charges against parents if their teens violate the local curfew.
State Rep. Josh Turek and State Sen. Zach Wahls squared off Thursday over which candidate can flip Iowa's open Republican-held Senate seat, as millions in outside spending reshapes the primary's final stretch.
Sens. Tammy Duckworth of Illinois and Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin say their concern is there may be more emergency exit doors than flight attendants in the event of an evacuation.
Ald. Jim Gardiner (45th) is suing the city of Chicago, its inspector general's office, and the Board of Ethics, accusing them of defamation.
The Supreme Court has maintained mail access to the abortion pill mifepristone, setting aside for now a lower court order that blocked abortion providers from prescribing the widely used drug through telehealth and shipping it to patients.
Chatham residents say they're losing a vital resource as Walgreen's prepares to close its store near 86th and Cottage Grove.
According to AAA, the average price of a gallon of regular gas in Chicago was $5.17 on Friday, up from $3.75 a year ago.
Peoples Gas and North Shore Gas Company customers are likely to see minor credits on their bills for the next three years, thanks to a $125 million settlement agreement announced Thursday by Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul.
Chicago gas prices are spiking as the war with Iran drags on, with regular gas nearing $6 in some spots and premium already selling for more than $7 in some places.
In the legal venue of anti-trust enforcement, the state is not taking on the Trump administration, but rather filling a void that state officials say the Trump administration has vacated.
Engineers at Northwestern University have created a wireless polygraph to detect stress.
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson on Wednesday announced an expansion to the city's CARE Program, a specialized team that responds to mental health crises without police.
A Texas couple is filing a lawsuit accusing the AI company of guiding their teenage son in using drugs, resulting in a fatal overdose.
An American on the repatriation flight began showing symptoms of hantavirus and another "tested mildly PCR positive for the Andes virus," the Department of Health and Human Services says.
More than 100 people from a cruise ship dealing with an outbreak of the rare and deadly hantavirus are set to be disembarked.
Flight attendants at Chicago-based United Airlines have approved a new labor contract, marking their first pay increases in six years.
The Chicago Fire FC announced Wednesday morning that its new stadium in the South Loop will be named McDonald's Park.
U.S. prosecutors allege a man with multiple aliases used the name of the famed Astor family to scam a Mexican billionaire out of $450 million.
Thousands of people marched from the West Loop to Daley Plaza in downtown Chicago on Friday for May Day, with activists calling for workers' rights, stronger labor protections, and increased school funding.
A $170 million-plus plan announced this week will redevelop the Water Tower Place mall on the Magnificent Mile.
The Chicago-born house music track, which began as a personal poem in 1982 and became a defining anthem of the city's house music scene, has been selected for permanent preservation by the Library of Congress.
The Library of Congress revealed this year's list of 25 recordings to be preserved for future generations on the National Recording Registry.
David Allan Coe also had hits with "You Never Even Called Me By My Name" and "The Ride" among others.
Some youngsters got a behind-the-scenes look at the magic of making opera Sunday at the Lyric Opera of Chicago.
Matt DeCaro, an actor who was a familiar face on the Chicago stage for many years, died this weekend.
For Small Business Saturday join CBS News Chicago as we go inside Stix & Stones Wood Fired Pizza in Burr Ridge.
Meteorologist Mary Kay Kleist has the extended forecast.
A man was charged in a stabbing that left another man seriously injured after a fight outside a Walgreens in The Loop on Thursday night.
Meteorologist Mary Kay Kleist has the extended forecast.
An armed robbery turned into a shooting in Chicago's West Loop on Friday night.
Two women were shot during robbery in Chicago's West Loop early Saturday morning.
Scattered rain and gusty thunderstorms are expected Saturday night in the Chicago area.
Multiple street closures are taking effect across the city this weekend. Here's what you need to know.
A man was charged after a stabbing left another man seriously injured outside a Walgreens in The Loop on Thursday night.
The ages of the victims range from 19 to 35, according to Chicago police.
Pothole complaints continue everywhere, but especially on one street in the Pullman neighborhood on the South Side of Chicago.
People in Lincoln Park and Lakeview have rallied against a plan to build a new industrial ComEd electrical substation in their neighborhoods, pushing local and state leaders to get involved.
Monday marks one year since Illinois enacted Karina's Law — legislation aimed at taking firearms out of the hands of people accused of domestic abuse.
Tenants at a South Shore apartment building said they've noticed their rent fluctuating by hundreds of dollars a month due to a change in how their utility billing system is set up.
A man from the Chicago suburbs lost $69,000 of his savings to a scam by a thief using an AI-generated U.S. Marshals badge to intimidate him.
Carson Kelly hit a tiebreaking single in the seventh inning and drove in four runs as the Chicago Cubs stopped a five-game White Sox winning streak with a 10-5 victory over their crosstown rival.
Randal Grichuk hit a two-run homer and drove in four runs, leading the Chicago White Sox to a 6-2 victory over the Kansas City Royals.
Ian Happ hit a long home run and five Chicago Cubs pitchers combined for a 2-0 shutout of the Atlanta Braves that snapped a four-game losing streak.
Nazareth Academy senior Landon Thome is one of the top baseball players in Illinois, and his dream is to play in the big leagues like his Hall of Fame dad, Jim Thome, who's been there with him throughout his high school career.
The Bears will kick off the season against the defending NFC south champion Carolina Panthers.
A Davison Township police chief released body camera video showing how a senior "water wars" prank brought an officer within milliseconds of opening fire on a student.
A man was found shot to death Thursday morning in Chicago's West Garfield Park neighborhood.
One man was killed and another was critically injured Thursday morning in a shooting in Chicago's Edgewater neighborhood.
A young man was shot and killed while getting into his car in the Ashburn neighborhood on Chicago's Southwest Side Thursday morning.
A Chicago-area man who ran a business helping people apply for asylum and immigrant visas was recently sentenced to nine years in prison for fraud and child pornography.