Capitol News Illinois

Voters won’t see a question about creating a millionaire tax this November after the plan didn't get enough support in the Illinois House. Read the full story: buff.ly/1tTPjJO

House Speaker Chris Welch publicly addressed Rep. Harry Benton’s exile from the House Democratic Caucus for the first time Wednesday, saying he has stayed silent to “respect victims” and protect “due process.” @brendenmoore13 reports. buff.ly/l3koGbX

Voters won’t see a millionaire tax on the ballot in November after the proposal failed to get enough support in the Illinois House. @benszalinski reports. buff.ly/1tTPjJO

House lawmakers want data centers to publicly report how much water they use. The data center industry isn’t so sure. @n_hytrek has more. buff.ly/lkQY5KY

While Illinois’ capital still grapples with post-pandemic challenges in the city center, officials anticipate record tourism numbers for 2026. @Medillschool students Erika Tulfo and Jacques Abou-Rizk report. buff.ly/DLrx9aW

The House passed a megaprojects bill that could help the Chicago Bears stay in the state. But there’s still a long way to go before the bill becomes law. Read the full story: buff.ly/LosM5ZO

The House passed a massive economic development bill on Wednesday, but the Chicago Bears aren’t satisfied. @brendenmoore13, @benszalinski , and @nowickipress report. buff.ly/LosM5ZO

The measure passes 78-32

The bill’s up on the floor now

Read the story: capitolnewsillinois.com/news/wednesday…

Happening now in Springfield: A Bears bill cleared committee on bipartisan lines. But it still faces questions ahead of a potential Wednesday night vote

Illinois voters could be asked to change the state’s constitutional requirements for redistricting under a plan passed by the House on Wednesday. @BenSzalinski & @brendenmoore13 report. buff.ly/Y4oWRTI

The report’s authors say that to make substantial progress, legislators can’t keep flat-funding preschool programs and may have to prioritize it over other budget items. @jeschweikert reports. buff.ly/flvpoAU

The Illinois secretary of state’s office took action to help ease a school bus driver shortage after the pandemic. @jeschweikert has more. buff.ly/8SZdjgn

A new Bears bill surfaced Tuesday in the General Assembly. But it’s still got a long way to go. @brendenmoore13 reports buff.ly/IOasfbu

State Rep. Kam Buckner, D-Chicago, hopes the House will pass a bill this week that would help the Chicago Bears build a new stadium in Arlington Heights.

Gov. JB Pritzker has signed an executive order banning state employees from betting with insider information on prediction markets. @maggiereports has more: buff.ly/fLLXgzg

House committees are considering a pair of constitutional amendments on taxes and redistricting. Voters would get the final say in the fall. @benszalinski reports. buff.ly/k06k9wD

Lawmakers are in the final weeks of budget talks and are still evaluating the direction of the state’s economy and what the revenue picture will look like. Some Democrats also want new taxes to be considered. @benszalinski reports. buff.ly/dJFVH6G

“Once you see them, you see them everywhere.” A bill targeting plastic pellet runoff into the state’s rivers awaits action in the Illinois Senate. @GabrielMaCast reports for @Medillschool. buff.ly/NXBPu9j