‘Our identity has been frozen in time’: How Native American advocates are influencing Springfield SPRINGFIELD — Amid the annual bustle at the Illinois Capitol during the legislative session’s midpoint, a sea of color and

Read Part 1 of the series I did with @nowickipress.bsky.social here: capitolnewsillinois.com/news/our-ide...

I’m so grateful to have my Healing Illinois 2025 Native American Advocacy Series nominated as a finalist for the Chicago Headline Club’s Peter Lisagor award for best feature news reporting series! It means so much to me.

Aurora picture at 11 pm CST

Aurora picture at 4:20 am CST

How it started / how it’s going. First photo at 11 pm, the other at 4:20 am. One of the few benefits of the midnight shift.

Grace UMC selling building, shelter plans future Grace United Methodist Church has put its Morgan Street property on the market for $400,000.

Not only a church but also home to an area homeless shelter. Officials said they're continuing normal operations, but the shelter can't follow the church to its new temporary home. #JaxIL #twill www.myjournalcourier.com/news/article/grace-umc-selling-church-building-shelter-plans-21086510.php

Comments on autism evoke confusion and hope among autistic people and their families People who work with autism said there's confusion and misinformation after the federal administration said Tylenol can cause autism.

“It almost feels like they are relentlessly targeting, not just me, but the people within my demographic,” said Taylor Sweeting, an autistic man and Jacksonville Area Center for Independent Living program manager. #twill #JaxIL
www.myjournalcourier.com/news/article...

Community lines streets to honor police sergeant Hundreds of people lined the procession route as Jacksonville Police Sgt. Brian Baptist returned home. Baptist died Sunday in Wisconsin.

Hundreds of people showed up for the procession of Jacksonville PD Sgt. Brian Baptist. He died Sunday at 49 in Wisconsin. #twill #JaxIL

It felt like everyone there knew him, some anecdotally. His friend joked that Baptist was friends with half the town.
www.myjournalcourier.com/news/article...

JDC environmental assessment moving to Phase 2 The Phase 1 environmental assessment of Jacksonville Development Center was finished in January. It was obtained by the Journal-Courier via a Freedom of Information Act request.

I often hear people in Jacksonville say they don't think anything will happen to the old Jacksonville Developmental Center, even though it's one of the sites in the "Surplus to Success" program. So, I found out what the latest movement was. #twill
www.myjournalcourier.com/news/article...

State Senate discusses possible plans to combat State Farm rate increase State legislators had discussions Wednesday about potential plans for regulating residential property insurance rate increases in response to proposed hikes from State Farm.

While Wednesday’s committee hearing didn’t involve a vote on legislation, senators did ask about possible solutions. #twill
www.myjournalcourier.com/news/article...

I was just explaining to my partner what #twill stood for, and he (an avid bird app user) was confused about why it wasn't #iltwt 😅

I think people are using #twill on here too; so, if there's a new tag, I expect people might be using both. My vote is for #ILNews because it's what I would search 🤷

If you remember the case against the Chicago Sun-Times that made its way to the Illinois Supreme Court, this bill is a direct response to that.

Native ancestors’ return to rest: A paperwork-laden process underway in Illinois Illinois museums race to return Native American remains under federal law updates, facing emotional and legal hurdles.

Returning the remains of Native Americans to rest is a sensitive task (and in Illinois, there's a lot of it to do).

Read Heidi’s defense of press, why journalism matters

Pritzker calls $55.2B budget ‘responsible and balanced’ – but warns Trump policies could upend it Gov. Pritzker unveils a $55.2B budget, balancing spending without tax hikes while addressing federal funding uncertainties.

Better-than-expected revenue fixed some of the projected deficit for FY26. But spending is limited.
Pritzker even went as far as to cut out a program providing health care to certain immigrants.
All things budget!⬇️⬇️
capitolnewsillinois.com/news/pritzke...

U of I soybean lab’s pending closure due to USAID cuts hinders global disease research U of I's Soybean Lab faces closure due to USAID cuts, impacting global disease research and soybean market development.

I asked the lab's director of U of I's Soybean Innovation Lab what kind of research would be impacted by the USAID funding freeze.

A federal judge in Seattle just granted a nationwide TRO blocking enforcement of President Trump's executive order re. birthright citizenship. Multi-state lawsuit challenging the order includes Illinois. Judge says president seems to consider rule of law merely an "impediment."

I would love an Illinois-specific news feed, but making one seems really technical... 😅 I'm gonna have to look into that a smidge more

Expect some fireworks on the House floor this afternoon as
@housedemsil.bsky.social plan to run resolutions condemning President Trump for his January 6 pardons, his now-blocked exec order freezing federal grant spending, his efforts to undermine DEI initiatives and his immigration actions:

Pritzker also said “I reject the notion that we want something like what Elon Musk is doing on the federal level in the state of Illinois” in response to @brendenmoore.bsky.social’s question about Rep. John Cabello’s comment Tuesday that Illinois should adopt its own DOGE.

On Wednesday morning, @govpritzker.illinois.gov referred to Elon Musk as “President Musk” and a threat to democracy in his response to @capitolfax.bsky.social Isabel Miller’s question about Illinois and Colorado’s multi-state coalition on protecting democracy.

State lawmakers weigh TikTok’s value Illinois lawmakers debate TikTok’s value, security risks, and potential sale amid a national ban on the China-owned platform.

Rep. Edgar Gonzalez Jr., D-Chicago, is an active TikTok user. “Data has become its own currency and its own weapon,” Gonzalez said. “But I think that in the same way that we worry about foreign countries trying to harvest that data, we should also worry about the folks in the states.”
#Illinois

COVID-era public health chief fined $150K for ethics violation Dr. Ngozi Ezike fined $150K for ethics violation after joining Sinai Chicago, previously funded by state grants.

In a report, investigators said former IDPH Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike admitted to the violation.

Advocates say SCOTUS ruling paves way for law ensuring abusers have guns confiscated Illinois lawmakers hope to advance "Karina's Bill" after the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling Friday upholding a federal law that blocks people with domestic violence orders of protection from owning guns.

After years of advocacy the Illinois legislature is moving forward on Karina's bill and now gets a Senate vote. It's designed to ensure that guns are taken away from people who have an order of protection against them. Background from @hannahmeisel.bsky.social
capitolnewsillinois.com/news/advocat...