WATCH: Tax increase talk at Statehouse; Bost’s election lawsuit against Illinois wins standing
January 15, 2026/
(The Center Square) – In today’s edition of Illinois in Focus Daily, The Center Square’s Greg Bishop discusses the status of Illinois’ budget, and shares comments from Gov. J.B. Pritzker about the impacts to state spending if federal taxpayer funds are frozen. Legislators discuss the prospect of tax increases with a proposal being floated to have a surcharge on millionaires.
Bishop also discusses the status of mail-in voting in Illinois. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled Illinois Congressman Mike Bost has standing to sue the Illinois State Board of Elections over the state’s policy of counting mail-in ballots up to two weeks after election day.
Subscribe to Illinois in Focus Daily with The Center Square on YouTube. You can also subscribe to the Illinois in Focus podcast to get the entire show uninterrupted.
Tue Jun 9
91° 72°
Showers And Thunderstorms Likely
Latest News Stories
Meeting Summary and Briefs: Beecher Fire Protection District Board of Trustees for July 24, 2025
The Beecher Fire Protection District Board of Trustees finalized its financial plans for the upcoming year and adopted a new training ordinance at its meeting on July 24. The board's...
Tech company wants federal government to reimagine training, hiring
By Brett RowlandThe Center Square A former top government official said the federal government has a rare chance to rethink how it hires and trains top talent amid an ongoing...
What are data centers and why do they matter?
By Shirleen GuerraThe Center Square Data centers may not be visible to most Americans, but they are shaping everything from electricity use to how communities grow. These facilities house the...
Advocates look to state-based immigration programs
By Andrew RiceThe Center Square As the Trump administration pursues its goal to engage in mass deportations across the country, immigration advocates and researchers are looking to state governments for...
Erika Kirk: ‘The cries of this widow will echo around the world like a battlecry’
By Dan McCalebThe Center Square Erika Kirk, widow of slain Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk, mourned her husband at a news conference Friday night but vowed to keep his...
Routh trial gets a taste of Vienna sausages as it speeds along
By Alan WootenThe Center Square As more lawmen were testifying Friday in the assassination case against Ryan Routh, and the defendant’s taste for Vienna sausages are emerging as key evidence....
Illinois quick hits: Migrant dead after incident with ICE; Pritzker signs vaccine access executive order
By Jim Talamonti | The Center SquareThe Center Square Migrant dead after incident with ICE A man is dead and a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer is injured after...
Kirk assassination suspect ‘confessed’ or ‘indicated’ crime to family member
By Sarah Roderick-FitchThe Center Square The suspect in the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk has been arrested after being turned in by his own family, after the suspect had...
Damning report card: California schools get an ‘F’
By Esther WickhamThe Center Square The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression Free Speech Rankings crowned California's Claremont McKenna College with a grade of B- as the best college in...
Lawmakers, advocates call for change after reading and math scores disappoint
By Catrina Barker | The Center Square contributorThe Center Square (The Center Square) – An Illinois lawmaker warns that, according to the latest Nation’s Report Card, Illinois students are still...
Migrant dead, ICE officer injured after Illinois incident
By Jim Talamonti | The Center SquareThe Center Square (The Center Square) – A man is dead and a U.S. Immigration and Custom Enforcement officer is injured after the ICE...
House approves criminal migrant prison extension bill
By Andrew RiceThe Center Square The U.S. House of Representatives passed legislation on that would create harsher penalties for immigrants who enter the United States multiple times without permission or...
‘Follow the money:’ GOP want Congress to investigate violence against conservatives
By Thérèse BoudreauxThe Center Square Following the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, dozens of Republicans are urging congressional leaders to thoroughly investigate a “sustained breakdown of law and order...
