The audit didn’t show how much money was paid out in overtime to the 20 employees. But the report revealed that more than 2.9 million hours of overtime were paid to IDOC employees at a cost exceeding $151.7 million for fiscal year 2024, with Stateville reporting the highest amount of overtime of any state prison at just over $21.9 million.

During her time in the Illinois General Assembly, Costa Howard demonstrated a strong commitment to left-wing causes, trumpeting constitutionally questionable measures, such as gun control laws and legislation cementing Illinois’ reputation as one of the most pro-abortion state governments in the U.S. The so-called Protect Illinois Communities Act, which bans a wide range of semiautomatic firearms, is the subject of a constitutional challenge pending before the U.S. Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals.

“It is often the case that people who have been in prison before but served their time and may have been in gangs before who are growing older are actually some of the best people to have deterring people from joining gangs and from being involved in violence in their communities,” Gov. JB Pritzker said.

Realtor.com data shows Illinois has regained only 40 percent of its pre-pandemic housing listings. The U.S. average is 90 percent—over twice Illinois’ pace of recovery. The U.S. average also increased about 15 percent since this time last year, while Illinois only improved 2 percent. The rest of the country seems to be improving their housing picture; Illinois, however, remains largely the same.

Illinois’ namesake university in Urbana-Champaign says 1,410 freshmen arrived from 62 countries, an increase over last year’s international enrollment of 1,233 students from 48 countries. At U of I, there’s a real home-grown allure for 72 percent of its new students.

The ban strictly targets the sale of the products, not possession.

Rich Township High School District 227 is another example of the disconnect between school district size, student achievement and executive compensation. In 2024, Johnnie Thomas earned a total compensation of more than $423,000 — the fourth-highest in the state — to oversee a single school with about 2,300 students. Only a tenth of its predominantly Black student population met state reading standards.

In its full opinion issued Sept. 18, Justice Lisa Holder White wrote for a unanimous court that the Pretrial Fairness Act “does not violate the separation of powers clause” and that Judge Steven Rosenblum “had no authority, under the Act or the Illinois Constitution, to indefinitely detain petitioner pending trial.”

Illinois agencies must now post monthly reports on how taxpayer dollars are invested, a move supporters call a win for transparency, though critics warn it could strain agencies and serve more as political theater than real accountability.

Illinois House Minority Leader Tony McCombie gave the governor ideas of where to cut. “How about, let’s not spend $2.3 billion on health care for illegal immigrants,” McCombie said. “That’s not even touching what we spend on the increase of costs in our schools or for housing or other wraparound programs that they are qualifying for.”

Illinoisans lost $1.12 billion betting on sports in 2024, including $700 million on long-shot, high-payout bets known as parlays that require multiple outcomes. With the new fees in effect, those losses will climb even higher.

But members of the Illinois committee went a step further Monday by actively recommending most Illinoisans get the vaccine. The committee also voted to include a recommendation that people who are pregnant, postpartum or lactating be given updated vaccines.

In a Monday statement, the Department of Homeland Security claimed that police “under JB Pritzker’s sanctuary jurisdiction refused to answer multiple calls for assistance.”