Claim OwnershipIllinois in Focus
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The podcast bringing you the most important stories out of Illinois from TheCenterSquare.com. Join us as we dive into the top headlines and provide insightful commentary and analysis.
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(The Center Square) – Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker has proposed a budget for fiscal year 2027 that is smaller than the state’s 2026 spending plan.
The governor delivered his State of the State budget address before the General Assembly at the Illinois Capitol on Wednesday.
Pritzker opened by saying he would introduce another balanced budget proposal. The spending plan with $54.8 billion in general funds appropriations is down from the state’s $55.2 billion for the current year.
The governor then launched into criticism of President Donald Trump and said Illinois is fighting more than 50 cases in court where Pritzker said the federal government is “illegally confiscating money” that was promised and appropriated by Congress to the people of Illinois. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
For Illinois in Focus Daily, host Greg Bishop reviews the latest actions from Indiana to lure the Chicago Bears out of Illinois, and shares reaction from Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker, Illinois House Minority Leader Tony McCombie and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson.
Support this podcast: https://secure.anedot.com/franklin-news-foundation/ce052532-b1e4-41c4-945c-d7ce2f52c38a?source_code=xxxxxx Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
For Illinois in Focus Daily, host Greg Bishop reviews moments from Gov. J.B. Pritzker's 2025 budget address and what Republicans are looking for from the Democratic incumbent in the 2026 address.Support this podcast: https://secure.anedot.com/franklin-news-foundation/ce052532-b1e4-41c4-945c-d7ce2f52c38a?source_code=xxxxxx Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
(The Center Square) – A retail business advocate says a federal judge’s ruling to uphold the Interchange Fee Prohibition Act paves the way for Main Street Illinois to experience major relief, but a banking advocate says the law could slow commerce and foul up transactions. U.S. District Court Judge Virginia Kendall ruled on Tuesday that the law to ban processing fees on the tax and tip portion of credit and debit card transactions could be implemented as scheduled July 1. Illinois Retail Merchants Association President and CEO Rob Karr said removing the pressure of swipe fees on prices will be a big deal. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com
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For Illinois in Focus Daily, Greg Bishop discusses President Donald Trump's action on vehicle emissions and Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul's response. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
During Illinois in Focus Daily, Greg Bishop provides some of the latest headlines you'll find at The Center Square - Illinois. Read more at TheCenterSquare.com/IllinoisSupport this podcast: https://secure.anedot.com/franklin-news-foundation/ce052532-b1e4-41c4-945c-d7ce2f52c38a?source_code=xxxxxx Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
For Illinois in Focus Daily, Greg Bishop reviews the latest in conversations about the future of the Chicago Bears, and Iowa looks to join Indiana in starting a commission to have the state absorb one or more Illinois counties.Support this podcast: https://secure.anedot.com/franklin-news-foundation/ce052532-b1e4-41c4-945c-d7ce2f52c38a?source_code=xxxxxx Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
The Illinois Senate Appropriations Committee chair says greater federal scrutiny of state government spending will not change the General Assembly’s budget process. State senators are scheduled to return to Springfield this week for session days Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. State Sen. Elgie Sims, D-Chicago, chairs the appropriations committee.
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Greg Bishop shares some of the recent conversations happening at the Illinois Statehouse as some legislators push for taxing millionaires more, others push changes to public safety policy. One legislator is defending her bill allowing for local regulation of campfires.Support this podcast: https://secure.anedot.com/franklin-news-foundation/ce052532-b1e4-41c4-945c-d7ce2f52c38a?source_code=xxxxxx Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
The Center Square's Greg Bishop looks at the immigration enforcement debate as it relates to IllinoisSupport this podcast: https://secure.anedot.com/franklin-news-foundation/ce052532-b1e4-41c4-945c-d7ce2f52c38a?source_code=xxxxxx Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Greg Bishop talks live with Darren Bailey, a former state senator who was the Republican candidate for governor against Gov. J.B. Pritzker four years ago. Bailey is running in the Republican primary March 17 with early voting starting Feb. 5. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
(The Center Square) – According to new estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau, Illinois’ population has risen for the third straight year. Data released on Tuesday showed Illinois with an estimated 12,719,141 people on July 1, 2025, up from 12,703,033 the previous year. The state’s number is 16,108 higher than a year ago but 76,207 lower than it was in 2020.Support this podcast: https://secure.anedot.com/franklin-news-foundation/ce052532-b1e4-41c4-945c-d7ce2f52c38a?source_code=xxxxxx Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
The Center Square's Greg Bishop reviews some of the latest deadlines around work requirements for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and shares data on how much tax money goes to SNAP, and how much Illinois' error rate has increased in the last 10 years.Support this podcast: https://secure.anedot.com/franklin-news-foundation/ce052532-b1e4-41c4-945c-d7ce2f52c38a?source_code=xxxxxx Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Greg Bishop delves into the latest U.S. Census estimates for Illinois' population that shows a third year of growth, but international migration into the state continues to outpace the domestic migration out of the state. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Greg Bishop shares a conversation with Statehouse candidate Bailey Templeton about her latest findings through public records requests showing a 725% increase in the amount of Medicaid spending on children without Social Security Numbers. Read the story here: https://www.thecentersquare.com/illinois/article_5d99f9cb-5413-4907-86df-de9e92a73b85.html Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
(The Center Square) – Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul says his office has endured 365 days of chaos with President Donald Trump back in the White House. Raoul held a press conference in Chicago on Tuesday to mark the one-year anniversary of Trump’s return to the Oval Office. “Today marks 365 days of chaos, 365 days of attacks on civil rights, on the rule of law and on the Constitution itself,” Raoul said. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com
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Greg Bishop discusses the status of several Second Amendment challenges in the federal courts, including the U.S. Supreme Court still considering whether to take a challenge from Illinois calling the state's gun and magazine ban unconstitutional.Support this podcast: https://secure.anedot.com/franklin-news-foundation/ce052532-b1e4-41c4-945c-d7ce2f52c38a?source_code=xxxxxx Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Greg Bishop, Illinois editor for The Center Square, hosts Illinois In Focus Daily, a review of some of the top Illinois headlines with timely and relevant news and interviews. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Greg Bishop discusses some of the highlights President Donald Trump provided from his first year in office of his second non-consecutive term. Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker said Trump's first year has been a "failure," while Republicans in Illinois say Pritzker's policy are not making the state safe or affordable. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
(The Center Square) – As Illinois state senators return to Springfield, Democrats and Republicans disagree over the level of transparency in the state’s budget process. The state Senate’s first meeting of 2026 is scheduled Tuesday afternoon at the Illinois Capitol. A reporter asked Illinois Senate President Don Harmon, D-Oak Park, about lawmakers routinely passing the state budget in the middle of the night with line items stuffed into a shell bill. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com
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