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The measure would require hospitals to develop a policy with guidance from the Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative, an effort of the World Health Organization and the United Nations Children’s Fund.

Updated at 5:54 p.m.The Illinois House has formed its own redistricting committee, a few days after its state Senate counterpart got started with public hearings.

Illinois state senators are hearing from Chicago area residents who want a say in redistricting, the once-a-decade, highly contentious and political process that determines boundaries for legislative districts.

Minority group advocates say Illinois took a big step Monday toward protecting their political voices with the signing of the Illinois Voting Rights Act of 2011.“The rules in the districts are gerrymandered so they are rigged against anyone who may have a group in a particular area,” sai

A bill abolishing Illinois' death penalty will soon be sent to Governor Pat Quinn. That's after the repeal passed the state Senate Tuesday afternoon in a 32-to-25 vote.Quinn has not said whether he will sign the bill into law.

The Illinois Senate this week could send a bill to the Gov. Pat Quinn's desk to abolish the state's death penalty.For the past 11 years, Illinois has had a death penalty moratorium: People can be sentenced to death, but they haven't been put to death.

Illinois will lose one of its Congressional seats because its population hasn’t grown as fast as southern and western states. In the wake of that news, the redistricting battle begins. As early as next February, the census bureau will provide detailed population data for Illinois.