(WTTW News)

The law expands the number of health practitioners who can provide certain types of abortions; requires Illinois public entities to cover abortion, gender-affirming and HIV-prevention drugs as part of health insurance; and establishes legal criteria for ensuring parental autonomy in reproductive technology.

(WTTW News)

The Illinois legislature was busy in 2022, enacting hundreds of new laws, many of which will take effect on Sunday.

Illinois lawmakers are pressing forward with an attempt to ban certain firearms they describe as assault weapons, but gun rights advocates say it’s a fruitless effort that will be tossed by the courts.

FBI investigators examine the scene in downtown Highland Park on July 5, 2022, a day after a mass shooting occurred at the Fourth of July parade. (WTTW News)

Last week, state Rep. Morgan, D-Deerfield, introduced a wide-ranging gun control bill that would prevent the future sale of what the measure describes as “assault weapons,” as well as large-capacity magazines and devices that can switch other firearms into machine-gun style guns.

Two Illinois Democrats on their way to Washington tell us how they plan to work with a Trump administration.

Illinois is about to enter a staggering second year without an agreed-upon state budget. We talk with lawmakers about what happens next.

Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner blasts Democrats for failing to pass a budget before the end of the spring legislative session. Where does Illinois go from here?

Are lawmakers any closer to a budget agreement? We speak with two legislators about the progress in Springfield.

State lawmakers return to Springfield this week to vote on a number of measures, but not on the agenda is the No. 1 topic of discussion—the state budget that should have gone into effect last year.

It's a simple state legislative primary, but observers view it as ground zero in the standoff between Gov. Bruce Rauner and House Speaker Michael Madigan. Paris Schutz has more on a race that has the money and mud flying. 

The Illinois General Assembly returned to work in Springfield on Tuesday for the first time in three weeks. Amanda Vinicky joins us with the latest.

Change in Corporate Income Tax Floated

There’s a potential third way out of the deadlock over how to close a $6 billion state budget gap. Gov. Bruce Rauner is refusing to sign off on a budget without changes to collective bargaining and public employee unions. And the Democrats are refusing to go along with that. So, what are the alternatives? Paris Schutz has the details.

The House today passed a bill freeing up nearly $5 billion in federal money. But Democrats failed to get enough support for an amendment to spend state dollars on some human services. After the vote, House Speaker Michael Madigan expressed frustration over the failed effort, but Republicans weren't buying it. We'll get the latest from Springfield with Chicago Tonight's Amanda Vinicky.

Lawmakers in the Illinois House on Thursday approved an emergency one-month budget which passed on July 1 in the Senate with no Republican support. But a pass in the House may not resolve the budget impasse, as Gov. Bruce Rauner has vowed to veto the temporary spending plan.

Credit: Amanda Vinicky

Illinois House lawmakers are back in session in Springfield a week after representatives failed to pass a one-month spending plan. The Democrat-controlled House led by Speaker Michael Madigan is scheduled to take up the temporary spending plan again despite opposition from Gov. Bruce Rauner and Republican lawmakers. We talk with Chicago Tonight's Springfield reporter Amanda Vinicky about the status of the budget and more.

On Wednesday, July 1, the Illinois House of Representatives failed to pass a one-month temporary budget by a vote of 67-32. View an interactive graphic of how each representative voted.