Mawa Iqbal
Stories by Mawa Iqbal
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Trump nod helps Republican Bost beat Bailey downstate, Democrats Foster, Casten win in suburbs
U.S. Rep. Mike Bost declared victory at about 9:41 p.m., and Bailey conceded 15 minutes later. And Democratic U.S. Reps. Sean Casten and Bill Foster held onto their suburban congressional seats after facing progressive challengers who tried to veer them further to the left on key issues.
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Democratic Illinois lawmakers propose ways to protect — or expand — IVF
Some newly introduced legislation seeks to expand insurance coverage or offer incentives for fertility care in Illinois.
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After Illinois banned assault weapons, rural gun owners registered very few of them
A new law allowed gun owners to keep assault weapons if they disclosed them. Illinois county registration rates ranged from 0.5% to 1.8%.
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Illinois OKs plan to revamp how reading is taught
Amid a national movement to update instruction to match what science says about learning to read, Illinois adopts a blueprint to improve reading.
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Illinois became the first state to fully eliminate cash bail. Here’s how it’s working.
Officials in Cook County say implementation has been seamless, but the new policy put a strain on resources elsewhere in Illinois.
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Illinois agrees to stop enforcing a controversial new law cracking down on crisis pregnancy centers
The law aimed to stop the use of deceptive practices to steer patients away from abortion care. A lawsuit argued the law violated free speech.
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Illinois’ controversial private school scholarship program is ending
Lawmakers tried unsuccessfully to keep alive a program that sent 9,700 students to private schools this year with taxpayer support.
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Illinois lawmakers warn that a government shutdown would ripple through the state
If Congress doesn’t pass a federal spending bill by Oct. 1, agency closures will disrupt numerous routine functions for Illinois residents.
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Courts in counties across Illinois take first steps into a world without cash bail
Illinois is the first state in the U.S. to abolish cash bail. The historic change took effect on Monday, prompting confusion and long days.
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Downstate leaders say they will need help handling the historic end to cash bail
Judges will be limited in who they can hold in jail pretrial. Rural leaders say they don’t have the staffing to handle the change.
