Capitol Cast: Illinois

The CNI news team discusses major stories of the week, including the brief appearance of a recruiting billboard for the far-right group called the Proud Boys, Senate President Don Harmon appealing a $10 million fine for campaign finance violations, the expansion of protections for news organizations against SLAPP suits, and a new effort underway to put legislative mapmaking in the hands of an independent commission.

The Illinois State Fair marked the unofficial launch of the 2026 election cycle. Democrats and Republicans brought major names to the stage to help showcase their candidates and fire up their supporters. Peter Hancock, Jerry Nowicki and Ben Szalinksi share their impressions of the events and discuss what it all signals about the campaigns ahead.

Democratic Texas lawmakers fled their statehouse in Austin this week, and many of them sheltered in Illinois as part of a tactic to delay voting on a Republican-backed congressional redistricting plan. The political drama is drawing national attention as both political parties in Illinois are gearing up for their big days at the Illinois State Fair. Peter Hancock and Ben Szalinski analyze what has been happening and what it may mean for the 2026 elections.

The Trump administration is seeking the entire, unredacted statewide voter registration database while the U.S. Supreme Court prepares to hear a case challenging part of the state's vote counting procedure. U.S. Rep. Danny Davis announces he won't run for reelection. And Democratic leaders in Illinois take on the insurance industry. Peter Hancock, Ben Szalinski and Andrew Adams analyze the week's news.

The race to fill the seat of retiring U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin is already getting crowded. Gov. JB Pritzker is pushing back against proposals in Texas to redraw that state's congressional district to minimize GOP losses next year. Pritzker is also traveling to North Carolina this weekend, stoking speculation about his own national ambitions. The CNI news team discusses those stories and looks ahead to the upcoming Illinois State Fair.

A new study suggests upward mobility is more difficult in Illinois than many would think. Although educational attainment and career choices have the biggest influence over a person's income potential, the economic class into which they are born also plays a role. Students from lower-income households tend to earn less than their wealthier peers, even after earning similar degrees and going into similar fields. Sarah Cashdollar, associate director of the Illinois Workforce and Education Research Collaborative, talks with CNI's Peter Hancock about the report, "Precarious Prospects."

This month marks the 60th anniversary of President Lyndon Johnson signing Medicare and Medicaid into law. At the time, Medicaid was considered to be a minor part of the bill, but it has since ballooned to become a driving force behind the entire American health care system. Now, it's about to be cut back dramatically under President Trump's recently passed domestic policy legislation. How did we get from there to here? Peter Hancock interviews Colleen Grogan, a professor and researcher at the University of Chicago, about the political history of Medicaid.

Gov. JB Pritzker is seeking a third term. Jerry Nowicki, Ben Szalinski and Public Affairs Reporting intern Jade Aubrey discuss the announcement and Aubrey's time at Capitol News Illinois.

Gov. JB Pritzker signed a $55.1 billion budget bill into law while criticizing the Trump administration for making budget planning at the state level more difficult. Meanwhile, Republican lawmakers filed a constitutional lawsuit challenging a legislative procedure known as "gut and replace," by which many major acts of the General Assembly are passed.

Protesters took to the streets in Chicago and other major cities this week as the Trump administration stepped up its efforts to carry out mass deportations of undocumented immigrants. Meanwhile, Gov. JB Pritzker went to Capitol Hill to defend the state's policies on immigration. Peter Hancock talks with Fred Tsao, of the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights, about the protests and CNI's Ben Szalinski about the congressional hearings on immigration.