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.
Today Jul 21
72° 53°
Mostly Sunny
Latest News Stories
Minnesota extends Medicaid provider pause as fraud concerns reach U.S. Senate
By Elyse ApelThe Center Square Minnesota is extending its pause on enrolling new providers in 12 high-risk Medicaid services as the state continues efforts to crack down on fraud in...
Sonderling defends grant shift, vows fraud crackdown to senators
By Andrew RiceThe Center Square Keith Sonderling, President Donald Trump’s nominee for secretary of the U.S. Department of Labor, vowed Thursday to stamp out workforce fraud, more efficiently spend education...
Advocate calls for stronger IDOC oversight after payroll fraud guilty plea
By Catrina Barker | The Center Square contributorThe Center Square (The Center Square) – Calls for stronger oversight of the Illinois Department of Corrections are growing after a former department...
Illinois Quick Hits: FAFSA applications rise with increase in state taxpayer funding
By Jim Talamonti | The Center SquareThe Center Square (The Center Square) – According to the National College Attainment Network’s Free Application for Federal Student Aid Tracker for the Class...
Appeals court: Chicago’s ‘climate disinformation’ case belongs in Cook County
By Jonathan Bilyk | Legal NewslineThe Center Square (Legal Newsline) - A federal appeals court says a lawsuit brought by the city of Chicago, seeking to extract a potentially massive...
WATCH: Polish leader discusses Ukraine, Russia at Reagan Library
By Dave MasonThe Center Square As a child going to bed, Radoslaw Sikorski heard the sound of a free press through the thin wall of his family’s home in Soviet-ruled...
Firefighters from 30 states battle wildfires in Colorado
By Joelle WebbThe Center Square Seven fires have burned through over 200,000 acres of Colorado’s expansive terrain, with over 1,800 personnel being deployed from more than 30 states to fight...
Democrats wary over DNI nominee’s stances on election security
By Thérèse BoudreauxThe Center Square A swift confirmation of Jay Clayton as the next director of National Intelligence appears less likely after multiple Democrats left his Wednesday confirmation hearing dissatisfied...
GOP, Dems compete in Arizona congressional races
By Zachery SchmidtThe Center Square Arizona Republicans and Democrats in the 7th and 8th congressional districts are battling it out to see who will advance to the general election. Primaries...
Abbott directs state investigation into ICE Houston shooting
By Bethany BlankleyThe Center Square Gov. Greg Abbott on Wednesday said the Texas Rangers are investigating the fatal shooting of a Mexican national in Houston last week by a U.S....
Industry leaders: Feds can more effectively combat fraud, but privacy rights at risk
By Morgan SweeneyThe Center Square The federal government faces fraudsters utilizing technology more powerfully than ever before to take advantage of taxpayer-funded programs and steal taxpayer dollars. But it must...
Union sues to stop $110B Paramount-Warner Bros. merger
By Chris WoodwardThe Center Square State attorneys general are not the only ones suing to block the acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery by Paramount Skydance. The Writers Guild of America...
Bipartisan bill would force vote before Social Security cuts hit
By Brett RowlandThe Center Square A bipartisan group of senators introduced legislation that would fast-track a floor vote on Social Security's looming insolvency, using an independent board to draft a...
