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Illinois in Focus

America's Talking Networkwww.americastalking.com
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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Episodes

Illinois in Focus Daily | May 7th, 2025 - DHS Secretary Noem Visiting IL to Highlight State’s Migrant Sanctuary Policies

Greg Bishop discusses the pending arrival of U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to Springfield, Illinois Wednesday. Noem is expected to discuss the state's migrant sanctuary policies the Trump administration says harms public safety. Support this podcast: https://secure.anedot.com/franklin-news-foundation/ce052532-b1e4-41c4-945c-d7ce2f52c38a?source_code=xxxxxx...

May 07, 202513 minEp. 510

Illinois in Focus Daily | May 6th, 2025 - Illinois Hemp Regulations Elusive as Ban on Styrofoam Advances

Greg Bishop discusses how there are three weeks left in the Illinois Legislature's calendar with budget details not yet fully revealed. The legislature is advancing a ban on polystyrene food containers with others discussing regulating the hemp industry. Support this podcast: https://secure.anedot.com/franklin-news-foundation/ce052532-b1e4-41c4-945c-d7ce2f52c38a?source_code=xxxxxx...

May 06, 202525 minEp. 509

Illinois in Focus Daily | May 5th, 2025 - IL Summonsed to Federal Court to Answer DOJ’s Challenge to State’s E-Verify Law

Greg Bishop discusses a new lawsuit the U.S. Department of Justice filed against Illinois over the state's law the DOJ says punishes employers and obscures federal employment verification practices to weed out non-citizens that are ineligible to work in the United States. Support this podcast: https://secure.anedot.com/franklin-news-foundation/ce052532-b1e4-41c4-945c-d7ce2f52c38a?source_code=xxxxxx...

May 05, 202533 minEp. 508

Illinois in Focus Daily | May 1st, 2025 - Chicago, Cook County Officials Defend Migrant Sanctuary Policies Amid DOJ Lawsuit

Greg Bishop shares comments he got asking Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle about the ongoing U.S. Department of Justice lawsuit against the state's migrant sanctuary policies. Support this podcast: https://secure.anedot.com/franklin-news-foundation/ce052532-b1e4-41c4-945c-d7ce2f52c38a?source_code=xxxxxx

May 01, 202531 minEp. 505

Weekend Edition | Lawmaker: Cut Non-citizen Spending to Reform Family Farms Estate Tax

(The Center Square) – Illinois House Republicans are calling for reforms to the state’s estate tax on farmers, saying it’s up to Democrats to find savings to make up for potentially millions of dollars in lost state revenue. Earlier this month, Gov. J.B. Pritzker said he would support a change to the estate tax for family farms as long as proponents bring forward cuts to state spending to make up for possibly lost revenue. “It’s a couple few hundred million dollars of revenue to the state,” Prit...

Apr 26, 202524 minEp. 500

Illinois in Focus Daily | April 22nd, 2025 - 'New Illinois’ Members Say ‘No Thanks’ to Joining Indiana

Greg Bishop tracks the latest in Indiana's efforts to create a commission with Illinois to investigate redrawing the two state's boundaries to wrap some Illinois counties into Indiana, and gets reaction from members of New Illinois to that prospect. Support this podcast: https://secure.anedot.com/franklin-news-foundation/ce052532-b1e4-41c4-945c-d7ce2f52c38a?source_code=xxxxxx...

Apr 22, 202524 minEp. 497

Weekend Edition | Pritzker: Public Safety ‘Under Attack’ by Trump

(The Center Square) – Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker says public safety is under attack by the Trump administration. The governor spoke Thursday at a news conference intended to highlight violence intervention efforts on Chicago’s Far South Side. “Public safety is under attack by the Trump administration. Over the past few months, the White House has dissolved the Office of Gun Violence Prevention, they’ve threatened dramatic cuts to ATF (Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives), th...

Apr 18, 202524 minEp. 495

Weekend Edition | Illinois Legislators Could Advance Pilot Program to Tax Drivers by Mile

(The Center Square) – Illinois drivers could be taxed by the mile under a pilot program being considered at the statehouse. Senate Bill 1938 is to be discussed by members of the Transportation committee before April 11. The proposed Road Usage Charge Act would create a pilot program to test a mileage-based fee instead of motor fuel taxes for funding highways. Opponents, like Illinois Trucking Association Executive Director Matt Hart, argue the state of Illinois already has a well-functioning sys...

Apr 12, 202524 minEp. 493

Illinois in Focus Daily | April 10th, 2025 - Republicans Raise Conflict of Interest Concern After IL Supreme Court Rules Against Map Challenge

Greg Bishop discusses the ruling from the Illinois Supreme Court against Republicans' challenges of the state's legislative maps drawn and approved by Democrats and concerns about conflicts of interest. Support this podcast: https://secure.anedot.com/franklin-news-foundation/ce052532-b1e4-41c4-945c-d7ce2f52c38a?source_code=xxxxxx

Apr 10, 202526 minEp. 492

Weekend Edition | Professor: Forfeiture Might Be Deterrent as Prosecutors Seek $3M From Madigan

(The Center Square) – According to a professor who has studied public corruption, it might be a good thing that prosecutors are seeking $3.14 million in forfeiture proceeds from convicted former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan. Connie Mixon, professor of political science and director of the Urban Studies Program at Elmhurst University, said convictions and prison sentences have not kept many of the state’s elected officials from committing crimes up to this point. “We keep having these g...

Apr 05, 202524 minEp. 488

Illinois in Focus Daily | April 2nd, 2025 - DOJ Responds to Illinois’ Motion to Dismiss Sanctuary State Challenge

The Center Square's Greg Bishop delves into the latest federal court filing against Illinois' migrant sanctuary policies from the U.S. Department of Justice. The state, Cook County and Chicago all motioned to dismiss the case. Support this podcast: https://secure.anedot.com/franklin-news-foundation/ce052532-b1e4-41c4-945c-d7ce2f52c38a?source_code=xxxxxx

Apr 02, 202533 minEp. 486

Illinois in Focus Daily | April 1st, 2025 - Illinois State Rifle Association Urges U.S. Attorney General to Review State’s Gun Rights

The Center Square's Greg Bishop shares some of a conversation with Illinois State Rifle Association's Ed Sullivan about their call for U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi to come to Illinois and address policies restrictive of residents' Second Amendment Rights. Support this podcast: https://secure.anedot.com/franklin-news-foundation/ce052532-b1e4-41c4-945c-d7ce2f52c38a?source_code=xxxxxx...

Apr 01, 202532 minEp. 485

Weekend Edition | Trump’s Election Integrity Order Expected to Impact Illinois

(The Center Square) – Opinions differ at the Illinois Statehouse about the motive behind President Donald Trump’s executive order on election integrity. Trump’s order signed Tuesday said the patchwork of voting methods across the country can lead to basic chain-of-custody problems. The order was also critical of mass voting by mail. “Further, while countries like Denmark and Sweden sensibly limit mail-in voting to those unable to vote in person and do not count late-arriving votes regardless of ...

Mar 29, 202524 minEp. 482
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