News

A northern Illinois Congressman wants the international community to freeze the assets of Russian President Vladimir Putin. Those comments come from 16th District Republican Adam Kinzinger.

Rockford police made an arrest after a series of recent home burglaries. They happened along Grant, Sherman and Sheridan avenues over the last few days. The 25-year-old suspect was also wanted in connection with retail theft.

After a U.S. Supreme Court ruling last month, certain companies are exempt from providing birth control as part of their insurance plans. They don't have to cover contraception if it conflicts with owners' religious beliefs.

U.S. Senator Dick Durbin is proposing legislation to require these companies to share that information with job seekers.

Durbin, a Democrat, says potential employees have the right to know.

Illinois Governor Pat Quinn signed a new state capital construction bill. It invests $1.1 billion in road and bridge projects around the state. The plan will be paid for by selling bonds. Among the projects:

Ogle and Winnebago County

·         $26 million to resurface 31 miles of Interstate 39/U.S. 51 in Winnebago and Ogle counties.

Carroll and Whiteside County

·         $4 million to resurface 14.3 miles of Illinois 40 from Milledgeville to Coleta in Carroll and Whiteside Counties.

A plan to close eight Rockford elementary schools and build two new ones is on its way to a vote by the school board. Last night, the school district held the last of 39 public meetings about the proposal. 

DeKalb Mayor John Rey delivered his second "State of the City" address Tuesday. His focus was the future of the city and the role of Northern Illinois University. He says he continues to work with NIU President Doug Baker's leadership team to find ways to make DeKalb more attractive to prospective students and residents.

Current state law doesn't allow county governments to remove an appointed official suspected of an ethics violation. But some northern Illinois counties will soon have that power.

The Republican candidate for Illinois governor says he’ll take his term limits proposal to the state Supreme Court.

That’s after his effort received a setback late last week.

Republican Bruce Rauner got the signatures needed to have voters weigh in on how many terms an Illinois legislator can serve.

But a Cook County judge ruled his plan to be unconstitutional - and kicked it off the ballot.

Attorneys for the term limits effort wanted the Illinois Supreme Court to take up the case so it could be decided ahead of November election.

Illinois Governor Pat Quinn recently signed legislation that will remove all references to the GED from Illinois law. It’s part of a much broader change in the education program for people who didn’t finish high school. 

This year the GED more than doubled in price, going from $50 to $120.

It also got a lot harder, based on the new, more rigorous Common Core education standards.

State GED administrator Jennifer Foster, with the Illinois Community College Board, says that’s led to a significant drop in the number of people taking GED tests.

The question of term limits will get its day in court, in time for this fall’s election. An Illinois appellate court agreed to hear an expedited appeal from supporters of a term limits referendum, led by Republican candidate for governor Bruce Rauner.