Recreational Marijuana To Be Legal In Illinois
State representatives voted 66 to 47 in favor of legalization, two days after the senate passed the bill. It goes into effect January 1. But there will still be restrictions.
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State representatives voted 66 to 47 in favor of legalization, two days after the senate passed the bill. It goes into effect January 1. But there will still be restrictions.
The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Council 31 and the Democratic governor said they reached a deal early Friday.
With Friday being the last day of the spring session, Illinois lawmakers have a lot on their plate. At issue for house members are the budget, abortion rights, expanded gambling and the legalization of recreational marijuana.
They will be meeting with a state lawmaker next Tuesday to develop Marlen's Law. It would require both ID and DNA testing for hospital patients, especially those admitted after a home birth.
A provision that would allow for the growing of five plants per residence for recreational use seemed likely to be jettisoned because of push-back from the police, who argue that allowing homegrown pot would fuel illicit drug sales.
The legislative session closes Friday, giving Illinois lawmakers three days to pass legislation to legalize recreational marijuana and change the tax code.
House Democrats have advanced a measure to replace Illinois' abortion law with less restrictive language that gives people "a fundamental right" to make decisions about their reproductive health.
An Illinois House committee is debating the controversial Reproductive Health Act in Springfield, but some lawmakers are unhappy about the short notice.
The lower prices are part of an effort to make the fair a more affordable, family-friendly experience. He says the fair will continue to be the most affordable state fair in the Midwest.
Gun control advocates plan a rally in Springfield on Wednesday, to urge state lawmakers to approve legislation aimed at closing perceived loopholes in the state's gun licensing system.
When Illinois State Rep. Steve Reick (R-Woodtock) was pulled over in Springfield earlier this month, he admitted right off the bat he had one too many drinks that night.
Reick is the second state lawmaker this year to be charged with a DUI.
House Republicans are asking why Pritzker and his fellow Democrats who control the House and Senate can't forgo their plans to increase taxes.
The Illinois State Fair karaoke contest is returning this summer, and the winner will get to perform on the fair's biggest stage.
Illinois State Rep. Steven Reick (R-Woodstock) was arrested for drunk driving Wednesday night in Springfield.
A moving ceremony in Springfield Thursday honored four Chicago police officers killed in the line of duty.
Newly released police body camera video shows Illinois State Rep. Kambium Buckner (D-Chicago) undergoing field sobriety tests the night he was arrested for driving under the influence in Springfield in March.
A proposed law that would let judges factor in a defendant's parenting responsibilities during sentencing is making its way through the Illinois legislature.
Illinois lawmakers returned to the floor Tuesday after a two-week break. Here are some of the top issues facing legislators as the spring legislative session enters its final weeks prior to the scheduled May 31 close.
With the support of labor unions, a new bill prohibiting municipalities in the state from enacting "right-to-work laws" was signed into law by Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker last week.
Lincoln paid $1.500 for the home when he was a young lawyer with a wife and infant son. It was the site of the birth of three of Lincoln's sons and the funeral for one of them.
"There was a vote in the City Council to strip out the power to investigate aldermen. And so, the power to investigate aldermen was taken away, and that was 30 years ago."
The Illinois Senate Executive Committee Wednesday voted in favor of an amendment to scrap the flat income tax system in Illinois.
Lightfoot's office says she will address lawmakers in both chambers. She is to speak to the Illinois House on Wednesday afternoon and the Illinois Senate on Thursday morning.
Conviction integrity units have sprung up recently in major metropolitan jurisdictions such as Dallas, New York, and Chicago. But a statewide team in Illinois would be a first nationally.
The 2026 Chicago Auto Show kicks off at McCormick Place on Saturday.
A man was shot in the leg inside a home on Chicago's West Side early Saturday morning.
Chicago helped shape the nation in so many ways, including the pioneering of skyscrapers – the big, beautiful buildings the city of big shoulders introduced to the world.
A Chicago bus driver is out of a job after he was caught on camera with his hands off the wheel and his eyes glued to his cell phone.
Police in Chicago's south and southwest suburbs are teaming up to target thieves targeting video gambling machines, which have become an increasingly popular target for burglary crews.
The footage is included in a video that promotes false claims that the 2020 presidential election was rigged against Mr. Trump.
The FBI has arrested "one of the key participants" behind the attack on U.S. facilities in Benghazi, Libya, in 2012 that killed four Americans.
A new push to pass a GOP elections bill known as the SAVE America Act is underway in Congress, but Democrats warn the proposal could disenfranchise millions of eligible voters.
As immigration sweeps expand nationwide, the work of justifying detentions is overwhelming federal prosecutors, who are being forced to sideline a range of other cases in order to keep pace.
Marimar Martinez, the Chicago woman shot five times by a Border Patrol agent in October, plans to attend President Trump's State of the Union address to Congress later this month, according to her attorney.
This week marks Identity Theft Awareness Week, and Illinois Comptroller Susana Mendoza emphasized some safety tips Monday for avoiding and dealing with identity theft.
A controversial data center in Naperville, Illinois, could be the cause to pack a city council meeting there on Tuesday night.
Police in the west Chicago suburb of Geneva are warning of a scam involving spoofed phone numbers.
Protesters on Tuesday were cranking up the heat on Peoples Gas over a recently proposed rate hike that would add an additional $10 to $11 a month to utility bills.
A lawsuit filed late last month took Chicago-based McDonald's to task over the McRib sandwich, calling its name a form of false advertising.
Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital announced this week that it is planning to open a new pediatric hospital in the west Chicago suburb of Downers Grove.
It has been nearly six years since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, and one of the many questions doctors are still working to answer concerns the long-term effects.
Leaders from Cook County, the Illinois Department of Human Services, and the Greater Chicago Food Depository denounced changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program on Wednesday.
The University of Chicago Medicine Comprehensive Cancer Center has received a grant from The Ralph Lauren Corporate Foundation for a new cancer center.
Chicago's Lurie Children's Hospital said Tuesday that it is no longer initiating gender-affirming medical treatment for minors.
A Near West Side diner known for drawing in Blackhawks fans and players is up for sale.
January may be the coldest time of the year, but Chicago is already looking forward to summer farmers' markets.
A development proposal issued this month calls for the replacement of a building housing a Giordiano's pizzeria in Chicago's Lakeview neighborhood with a new mixed-use building with 28 residential units.
United Airlines flight attendants picketed outside Chicago's Willis Tower Thursday morning as they fought for a new contract.
WSCR-AM, 670 The Score, will begin a simulcast on 104.3 FM next month.
Gamers across the world can now recreate drone strikes in Ukraine from the comfort of their own home, with this newly released game.
The members of Ratboys were teenagers when they met by chance, and now in their 30s, the Chicago band formed by two college friends almost two decades ago appears to be on the brink of something big.
Chuck Negron, a founding member of Three Dog Night whose lead vocals powered a string of hits for one of the top rock acts of the late 1960s and early '70s has died. He was 83.
Bad Bunny used his Grammy acceptance speech on Sunday to denounce U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and call for the end of the ongoing immigration crackdown.
The 2026 Grammy Awards recognized the best of the best in music from last year, with big wins for Kendrick Lamar and Bad Bunny. Here's the full list of winners and nominees.
The FBI is investigating a new message related to the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie.
Meteorologist Mary Kay Kleist has the extended forecast.
Meet 6-moth-old Baloo, he is looking for his forever home. Adopt him today at PAWS Chicago.
Meteorologist David Yeomans has the latest First Alert Weather forecast.
Chicago helped shape the nation in so many ways, including the pioneering of skyscrapers – the big, beautiful buildings the city of big shoulders introduced to the world.
The 2026 Chicago Auto Show kicks off at McCormick Place on Saturday.
A man was shot in the leg inside a home on Chicago's West Side early Saturday morning.
Police in Chicago's south and southwest suburbs are teaming up to target thieves targeting video gambling machines, which have become an increasingly popular target for burglary crews.
An eagle-eyed drone pilot helped spot a missing foster puppy who had been out in the cold for more than two weeks in Chicago's northwest suburbs.
A source close to the investigation said the woman worked for the city's Office of Emergency Management and Communications.
Fewer Chicago kids are getting the dental care they need, and some dentists are blaming Chicago Public Schools.
Cynthia Eason recounted the moment Chicago police officers raided her family's home in 2018.
Water bills could be going up in several Chicago suburbs and other parts of Illinois, as Illinois American Water seeks a rate increase to fund infrastructure improvements.
The case involves a Chicago grandmother, her daughter, and her four grandchildren, who all said that Chicago police officers pointed guns at them during the botched raid.
Former Mayor Rahm Emanuel no longer will have to testify about an alleged "code of silence" at the Chicago Police Department, after a federal judge reversed an earlier ruling that would have allowed him to take the stand in a lawsuit over a botched police raid.
Two west suburban high schools have something extra to celebrate Sunday, when alumni from their schools make their Super Bowl debuts.
The 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics are underway after the lighting of the Olympic cauldrons and the Parade of Nations at the opening ceremony.
Caleb Williams certainly had plenty of big throws to celebrate in 2025, but it wasn't hard to pick his most memorable one after he launched a 46-yard touchdown pass to DJ Moore to beat the Packers in overtime in Week 16.
Brandon Ingram scored 33 points, Immanuel Quickley had 24 and the Toronto Raptors beat the new-look Chicago Bulls 123-107.
Chicago Bears guard Joe Thuney was named the NFL's top offensive lineman of 2025 on Thursday, winning the inaugural Protector of the Year Award.
Local and federal authorities said "investigators are actively inspecting the information provided in the message for its authenticity" regarding the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie.
A South Side community came together on Friday, hoping for justice after a woman was shot and killed while her baby was in the back seat of their car earlier this week.
A Chicago city employee was found shot to death Friday morning inside an apartment in the West Ridge neighborhood.
Actor Timothy Busfield has been indicted on four counts of criminal sexual contact of a child, officials said Friday.
A burglary crew smashed into a restaurant in Chicago's southwest suburbs, leaving the owner cleaning up a big and frustrating mess.
