During a late night run of bills Friday evening, Illinois House Republicans used a parliamentary procedure to expose staff voting the switches of absent Democratic legislators before session was abruptly ended.

All week last week, the House passed more than 400 bills. Friday was the deadline for House bills to pass.

It was never any secret that Michael Madigan was the most powerful politician in the state during his record run as Illinois House speaker and captain of the state Democratic Party.

But the testimony that has unfolded in a Chicago federal courtroom over the past two weeks has offered a fascinating — and unprecedented — look into the closely guarded inner workings of Madigan’s political might.

Faculty members at Illinois’ only predominantly Black public university could go on strike as early as April 3.

Early last year, workers at a Jeep factory here hoped their plant would be converted to an electric vehicle facility as the auto industry revamps for a green-energy future. Engineers came to take measurements for a possible retooling, and rumors spread that electric sports cars were on the agenda.

But those hopes crumbled last month when the corporate parent company, Stellantis, ended production at the 58-year-old plant and laid off roughly 1,200 workers, ripping the heart out of this small town 70 miles northwest of Chicago.

A 16-year-old girl was already a sex trafficking victim – and we have learned the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services placed her with a three-time convicted felon who is accused of forcing her into prostitution.

CBS 2 Investigator Dave Savini has been exposing state child welfare system failures for years.

Lawmakers are looking at several ways to improve learning outcomes and access for young students in Illinois.

On Thursday, members of the House of Representatives approved a proposal that would require school boards in Illinois to provide full-day kindergarten starting with the 2027-2028 school year.

On the campaign trail, both mayoral candidates paint sweeping visions of a shinier, more prosperous Chicago under their watch.

Brandon Johnson is known to deploy food analogies to explain why he believes the city — which he calls “one of the wealthiest economies in the world” — should invest in its poorest residents.

A bill opening the process for Illinois to create a new state flag advanced out of the Senate on Thursday, but not before a brief debate between Springfield’s two senators.

Senate Bill 1818 from state Sen. Doris Turner, D-Springfield, passed 39-16 during floor debate and will now move to the House. Her bill, still pending House approval, would create a 21-person committee tasked with deciding whether the state needs a new flag.