The Supreme Court found that a crucial federal bribery law aimed at state and local officials does not also criminalize after-the-fact rewards known as “gratuities.” Justice Brett Kavanaugh, who authored the majority opinion, accused prosecutors of trying to turn the law into “a vague and unfair trap for 19 million state and local officials.”

Gov. JB Pritzker on Wednesday gave final approval to a plan to bolster the state’s tech industry, including an incentives package – backed by $500 million in the state budget – aimed at making Illinois the nation’s leader in quantum computing.

Much of the debate over the bill in the legislature focused on the cost of launching a new state agency. Lawmakers appropriated $14 million in the upcoming fiscal year for initial startup costs, which include such things as hiring executive staff and opening new office space. But administration officials were reluctant to provide estimates of how much the new agency would cost annually once it’s fully operational, and whether those administrative costs would outweigh what the state is spending currently.

Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed a measure expanding a slew of tax credits for things like electric vehicle manufacturers, quantum computing, filmmakers and more.

Family members said 51-year-old Michael Broadway, who recently earned a college degree while incarcerated, died from asthma, which was made worse by the conditions in the facility.

Summertime before an election is when the politicians in Illinois start cutting ribbons and issuing press statements about all the taxpayer money they are handing out for special projects. This year is no exception with Gov. Pritzker announcing millions in grants to various public and private entities.

In Illinois, the disparities between students across income levels provide a clear picture of whether the state is empowering the poor through public education. Things do not look good.

Only 2% of Americans who follow the success sequence are in poverty, compared to 11.5% of Americans. Family formation, the third and fourth steps on the success sequence, are extremely important because family stability and structure have profound impacts on economic and social mobility.

“In Illinois, we’re implementing our comprehensive data-driven plan to improve our response to the ongoing humanitarian crisis and amplify the effectiveness of State, County, and City investments,” said Governor JB Pritzker in a statement. “The additional temporary shelters will ensure that shelter capacity and wraparound services remain accessible to asylum seeker families as they transition out of our system of care and on to independence.”

As Second Amendment rights advocates and Illinois state officials alike await word from the U.S. Supreme Court on the possible fate of Illinois’ ban on so-called “assault weapons,” Cook County’s government is headed to a showdown before a federal appeals panel over whether its “assault weapons” ban ordinance can survive under the Second Amendment and prior Supreme Court rulings.