The Latest Breaking News from Illinois House

In surprising move, former longtime Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan has taken the stand at his own corruption trial

Madigan, the longtime Illinois House speaker, is charged with bribery and conspiracy. A lawmaker wants to ban his portrait from the House.

One mass slaughter after another proves the problem can’t be more clear: It is the person pulling the trigger, and it is also the weapon, former Illinois House Minority Leader Jim Durkin writes.

Illinois has paid out millions in pension payments to former legislators who have admitted criminal wrongdoing or are awaiting trial.

CHICAGO — Mayoral challenger Jesús “Chuy” Garcia is an unidentified member of Congress referenced in federal court filings detailing an alleged scheme by then-Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan to appoint one of Garcia’s political associates to a lucrative position on Commonwealth Edison’s board of directors, the Chicago Tribune has learned.

“We have done this for Highland Park’s Kevin and Irina McCarthy, Jacquelyn Sundheim, Katherine Goldstein, Eduardo Uvaldo, Nicolas Toledo-Zaragoza and Stephen Straus. For Benito Juarez High School’s Brandon Perez and Nathan Billegas, just 15 and 14.”

The Illinois Senate voted 34-20 to approve the measure, which now must go back to the Illinois House for concurrence. Earlier, lawmakers heard audio that began with a high-pitched cry from a child at the Highland Park Fourth of July parade. “What is happening?” the child screams. “What is…

The bill also prevents Illinois from taking disciplinary action against a health care professional disciplined by another state for providing health care that is legal in Illinois. The measure must still clear the Illinois Senate in the waning days of a lame-duck session.

After a lengthy debate that stretched into Friday, the House voted 64-43 to pass the measure that would also ban “rapid-fire devices” that turn firearms into fully automatic weapons. It must still clear the Illinois Senate.