Illinois In Focus - Powered by TheCenterSquare.com

(The Center Square) – Gov. J.B. Pritzker can now enact a measure enhancing the state's migrant sanctuary policies that Republicans warn is too broad. House Bill 1312 was originally filed by state Rep. Maura Hirschauer, D-Batavia, in January, and started as a POW/MIA Recognition Day bill. It passed unanimously in the House in April and was read in the Senate for a second time in May, but was never approved before the end of spring session. In October, the Senate placed it up for final passage until Senate President Don Harmon filed an amendment on Oct. 30, changing the bill to the Illinois Bivens Act on the final day of scheduled veto session. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Greg Bishop reviews the status of several challenges to Illinois' gun and magazine ban, including the U.S. Supreme Court taking a case challenging Cook County's ban into conference Friday. A decision whether they'll take the case could be released Monday. This as the case where a district court found the state's law unconstitutional remains pending in an appeals court, and a case challenging Naperville's ban remains in a district court. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Greg Bishop shares the continued debate around federal immigration enforcement and the state's migrant sanctuary policies with Gov. J.B. Pritzker encouraging protests against ICE. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Greg Bishop airs concerns a Republican state legislator has over a bill pending Gov. J.B. Pritzker's signature to expand the state's migrant sanctuary policies. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

(The Center Square) – President Donald Trump has revived his criticism of Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker over crime, and Pritzker has fired back by blasting Trump over Thanksgiving dinner prices. The president spoke at the annual Thanksgiving Turkey Pardoning outside the White House Tuesday. Referring to Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson as well as the governor, Trump said crime in Chicago is out of control. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Court battles around migrant sanctuary policies, use of Guard continue Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Greg Bishop shares the reaction to violence in Chicago, including two separate shootings after a downtown holiday celebration, from Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and President Donald Trump. Also, last week, Gov. J.B. Pritzker was asked if the state needs to change no-cash bail policies and the perception of public safety in the city. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

(The Center Square) – Illinois families will see some relief at the Thanksgiving table this year, with the average cost of a classic holiday meal dropping to $49.20, continuing a three-year decline and mirroring the national average of $55.18, a 5% drop from 2024. Tasha Bunting, associate director of commodities and livestock programs at the Illinois Farm Bureau, said multiple factors are pushing costs down across the state. “We definitely have seen not only here in Illinois but across the nation within the survey that turkey prices have come down,” Bunting said. “Some of the other ingredients that are used within the meal have come down… like the frozen peas and some of the other staples that we normally have within the Thanksgiving dinner.” Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Greg Bishop discusses the status of various challenges to gun bans from Illinois, including a challenge to Cook County's ban being sent to a U.S. Supreme Court conference for Dec. 5. The Barnett case, where a district judge ruled against the law on the merits after developing a substantial record from a four day bench trial, remains in the appeals court after a hearing nearly two months ago. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Greg Bishop shares highlights from Wednesday U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary where Chicago Flips Red Vice President Daniel Carter-Walters testified about immigration enforcement in the Windy City. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Greg Bishop reviews actions taken by the Illinois State Board of Elections in regards to a nearly $10 million fine for campaign finance violations with Illinois Senate President Don Harmon's campaign committee. Bishop also shares recent public comments from residents of the city. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Greg Bishop shares comments from Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson after a city council committee rejected a slew of proposed tax increases he says are needed to prevent layoffs in city government. Johnson vowed to veto a budget with a property tax increase, but dodged whether he'd veto a budget that didn't include a head tax on employers. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Greg Bishop shares recent criticism from Illinois House Republicans to what they say is the lack of transparency around Gov. J.B. Pritzker's recent executive order calling for state agencies to find efficiencies in their annual spending plan. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

(The Center Square) – Gov. J.B. Pritzker says he is disappointed that Illinois U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin voted in favor of ending the partial shutdown of the federal government. Durbin joined seven other Democrats in voting with Republican senators to send government funding legislation to the U.S. House. “Many of my friends are unhappy. They think we should have kept our government closed indefinitely to protest the policies of the Trump administration. I share their opinions of this administration but cannot accept a strategy which wages political battle at the expense of my neighbor's paycheck or the food for his children,” Durbin said on the Senate floor this week. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

(The Center Square) – Illinois House and Senate leaders are touting legislation they say will protect people from federal immigration enforcement, but the House Republican floor leader says the bill could have unintended consequences and expose many people to civil liability. Illinois House Speaker Emanuel "Chris" Welch, D-Hillside, sponsored House Bill 1312. Under the bill, Welch said hospitals would be required to adopt safeguards concerning law enforcement. The bill would also impose mandates and ban civil arrests at hospitals, courthouses, college campuses and daycare centers. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Greg Bishop continues his coverage about how many youth in care the Department of Children and Family Services has on record that are missing and reaction to the lack of information from state Sen. Chapin Rose, R-Mahomet. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Greg Bishop talks live with Republican U.S. Senate candidate Don Tracy about the government shutdown, politics over immigration, the use of tariffs and more. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Greg Bishop shares a conversation with Illinois Department of Revenue Director David Harris about the state's ongoing amnesty program for delinquent taxpayers. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

(The Center Square) – Illinois lawmakers have passed wide-ranging energy legislation, but opponents say it will lead to higher electricity bills. Senate Bill 25, also known as The Clean and Reliable Grid Affordability Act (CRGA), passed the state Senate by a vote of 37-22 Thursday night after the House advanced it Wednesday. Sen. Steve Stadelman, D-Rockford, said a new line item would be added to Illinois consumers' electric bills in 2030. “That line item will be immediately offset, because that's the same date that the battery storage providers will start providing extra capacity, providing power to the grid,” Stadelman said. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Greg Bishop reviews the ongoing debate at the Illinois Statehouse about which taxes to increase during the final days of fall veto session. Among the proposals are an "amusement tax," a retail delivery tax and decoupling Illinois tax code from the federal tax code. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Greg Bishop reviews the prospects of increased taxes and fees expected to come from Illinois legislators in the final days of fall veto session. Democrats are looking to increase taxes to pay for mass transit and an energy bill to support battery storage. Republicans say both policies are bad for Illinois families and businesses. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Greg Bishop previews what could come from the start of fall veto session beginning Tuesday. Legislators could tackle energy legislation, increased taxes for the mass transit fiscal cliff and the possibility of redistricting Illinois congressional maps ahead of the 2026 election. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

(The Center Square) – Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker says he is not for open borders and wants immigration law enforced, just not how the Trump administration is doing it. Monday at a stop in Florida, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said the feds are working with local authorities in various states, but not in Illinois. "Governor Pritzker in Illinois is putting his people in danger every day by going against us and not working with us to make sure that we're detaining individuals who have criminal charges against them or have been convicted, and then rereleasing them out on the streets," Noem said. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Greg Bishop delves into the latest filings to the U.S. Supreme Court about the Trump administration's use of the National Guard in Illinois, reaction to Wednesday's immigration enforcement actions in Little Village and President Donald Trump saying he will make Chicago safe. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Greg Bishop shares a few of the topics and comments from Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker Tuesday with The Economic Club of Chicago. The governor opposed a proposed "head tax" in Chicago, talked about redistricting efforts and more. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Greg Bishop reviews the latest in the legal battle over whether the Trump administration can use the National Guard for public safety in Illinois with an emergency motion to the U.S. Supreme Court. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Greg Bishop shares President Donald Trump's reaction to Saturday's "No Kings" protests across the country and reviews some statements from Illinois' Democratic congressional delegation. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

(The Center Square) – The war of words continues between President Donald Trump and Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker over public safety in the streets of Chicago and beyond. Monday evening returning from the Middle East peace summit on Air Force One, Trump said Pritzker should ask for help with public safety. “I think he should beg for help because he's running a bad operation,” Trump told reporters. “He's letting people be killed in his city because he doesn't want it,” referring to a callus of the National Guard. Clashes between law enforcement and protesters continued into Tuesday with chemical agents being deployed to scatter a growing crowd in Chicago surrounding federal immigration enforcement. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Greg Bishop, Illinois editor for The Center Square, hosts Illinois In Focus Daily, a review of some of the top Illinois headlines with timely and relevant news and interviews. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Greg Bishop share the ongoing debate about public safety around immigration enforcement with comments from state Reps. Patrick Sheehan, R-Homer Glenn, La Shawn Ford, D-Chicago, and others. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Greg Bishop shares the latest news release from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security about bounties being put on the heads of federal law enforcement by criminal networks from Mexico and the ongoing debate about public safety and immigration enforcement in Chicago and beyond. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Greg Bishop shares comments from President Donald Trump, Illinois House Speaker Chris Welch, Broadview Mayor Katrina Thompson and state Reps. Patrick Windhorst and John Cabello about public safety around immigration enforcement in Chicago and beyond. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Greg Bishop gets to the latest in the ongoing court battle over whether the Trump administration has the justification needed to deploy the National Guard to Illinois with a federal appeals court denying a motion to reverse a temporary restraining order against the deployment. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

(The Center Square) – Hundreds of National Guard soldiers are activated in Illinois for the next two months to assist in protecting federal property and personnel enforcing federal immigration law. The issue is in front of a federal judge in Chicago on Thursday morning with the state seeking a temporary restraining order. President Donald Trump for weeks has said he was going to send in the military to help with public safety in Chicago. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security says federal law enforcement are seeing increased assaults against them. U.S. Northern Command announced Wednesday evening, the Texas National Guard are employed in the greater Chicago area with DHS as the lead federal agency. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Greg Bishop reviews the latest in the legal battle over whether the Trump administration has the justification to use the National Guard in Illinois. A judge Thursday issued a temporary restraining order. The Trump administration appealed. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Greg Bishop shares reaction to President Donald Trump saying he thinks Gov. J.B. Pritzker should be in jail as Pritzker says "come get me." Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Greg Bishop shares some of the local officials' executive actions taken this week in the face of disruptive protesters in Broadview and police responding to federal agents calls for help in Chicago. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Greg Bishop unpacks some of the comments from Illinois Democrats who sued the Trump administration over the use of the National Guard to focus on public safety around federal immigration enforcement. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Greg Bishop, Illinois editor for The Center Square, hosts Illinois In Focus Daily, a review of some of the top Illinois headlines with timely and relevant news and interviews. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

(The Center Square) – Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker says President Donald Trump is to blame for the U.S. government's partial shutdown, but Vice President J.D. Vance has a different opinion. The governor took questions from reporters Wednesday after he hosted a panel discussion with Illinois Department of Public Health Director Sameer Vohra and doctors at the University of Illinois Chicago College of Medicine. “The president of the United States decided to shut down the government because he's unwilling to sit down with Democrats to discuss things,” Pritzker said. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Greg Bishop shares the latest updates from Illinois State Police and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security over public safety and immigration enforcement. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Greg Bishop shares information about two measures filed by statehouse Republicans, one to reverse the state's laws that prohibit state and local law enforcement from cooperating with federal immigration enforcement and another distancing protesters for police. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

(The Center Square) – In today's edition of Illinois in Focus Daily, The Center Square Editor Greg Bishop airs the latest back and forth between President Donald Trump and Gov. J.B. Pritzker over public safety in Chicago and around immigration enforcement. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Greg Bishop shares comments from Democratic leaders about the expectation that the Trump administration is requesting military troops for Chicago amid protests against immigration officials enforcing federal law. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Greg Bishop unpacks some of the latest in the developing situation of increased federal law enforcement in and around Chicago with the anticipation of more unfolding throughout the start of the week. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

(The Center Square) – Discretionary spending by Illinois state leaders has increased more than $16 billion since J.B. Pritzker became governor nearly seven years ago. That is a total increase of about 43%. Before Pritzker, the state's general fund spending was roughly flat or had modest increases, according to state data. Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner was in office for part of that time. In the years of financial data reviewed by The Center Square, Democrats have been in control of the state legislature and most statewide offices. A notable exception was Rauner's single, four-year term as governor. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Greg Bishop delves into recent analysis by The Center Square's investigative team about the increased state spending of tax dollars under the Pritzker administration and reaction from legislators on both sides of the aisle. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Greg Bishop shares reaction from Illinois House Minority Leader Tony McCombie, R-Savanna, to the budget executive order signed by Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Greg Bishop provides highlights from the Seventh Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals oral arguments in the challenge to Illinois' gun ban that were heard Monday in court. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Greg Bishop previews some of what the expectations are from the Seventh Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals oral arguments in the gun and magazine ban set for Monday afternoon in Chicago. He also shares voices from gun owners and gun rights advocates, including Dan Eldridge of Federal Firearms Licensees of Illinois about an event scheduled after the oral arguments.  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

(The Center Square) – The Illinois Freedom Caucus has filed articles of impeachment against Gov. J.B. Pritzker for what it says is his engaging in conduct that constitutes inciting violence. Part of the impeachment resolution in House Resolution 466 that the Illinois Freedom Caucus filed includes quotes from Pritzker's State of the State speech on Feb. 19 where he characterized the Trump administration as using an authoritarian playbook. “If you think I'm overreacting and sounding the alarm too soon, consider this: It took the Nazis one month, three weeks, two days, eight hours and 40 minutes to dismantle a constitutional republic,” Pritzker said earlier this year. The resolution says Pritzker “has issued inflammatory statements that incite violence against elected officials, citizens, and persons located in the United States and has failed to uphold the constitutional requirement to faithfully execute the laws of the State of Illinois.” Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.